Current e-Journal
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May 05, 2026
Seizing this moment
In this week’s Systems Change Newsletter…
- Invitations and Announcements
- Catalytic Thinking Exercise: Embracing our REAL Human Nature
- Resources to Further Your Practice
Invitations & Announcements:
BOARDS Consultants: This is for you
What does it take to transform boards into a source of strength for organizations, and a force for change in their communities? That’s what we’ll be unlocking in the next class in our consultants-only webinar series: Unlocking Board Potential with Catalytic Thinking. These times call for boards to step into their potential. And you can be the one to help make that happen. It all starts here…
Catalytic Thinking Exercise:
Seizing this Moment: Copeland’s Change Equation
This week’s Catalytic Thinking exercise is a bit of a diversion from our normal newsletter. And that is entirely thanks to Dr. Phillipe Copeland, the latest guest in the Creating the Future podcast series.
In this episode, Dr. Copeland shares his observations about the factors that are present when significant social change happens. Here is the formula he shares:
- Confidence
- Skill
- Opportunity
- Solidarity
First, we cannot recommend enough that you listen to the podcast itself. Dr. Copeland is clearly a teacher by nature. You can hear the joy in his voice as he invites and encourages us to rethink some meaty subjects. This one is a must-listen.
As a sneak preview, let’s break down the list he shared:
Confidence: Do you have confidence that you (as an individual) and/or your organization (nonprofit, social enterprise, government office) can actually be part of a force for change? Or are you more often thinking, “I’m just one person” or “We are just one small organization?” In Dr. Copeland’s words, “Self-efficacy is contagious.” What would it take for you to have that confidence?
Skill: Do you know what it takes to actually create the kind of visionary change we all wish to see? Are you asking questions that lead to that change? Have you studied theories of what has created change in the past? Dr. Copeland notes that skill is something we can all acquire. (That’s actually why we publish this newsletter every week!)
Opportunity: Because you read this newsletter, we know you are working in situations where the opportunity to create significant change is all around you. Are you recognizing those moments and seizing them? Or are you so focused on the day-to-day that you’re not seeing the power in those opportunities? Dr. Copeland’s stories of seizing a moment make clear that we are in one of those moments right now.
Solidarity: Are you working together with others who care about what you care about? Or are you still seeing those “others” as “competition?” As Dr. Copeland put is, “Change is a team sport.”
What, then, could all of that look like in practice for your own day-to-day work?
Try This
This week’s exercise is simple.
- Listen to Dr. Copeland’s podcast episode.
- Think about the list we’ve summarized above.
- Now focus on just one of those aspects of change for your own work.
So many people listen to our podcast for inspiration. And we so appreciate your letting us know that you do, indeed, find our guests inspiring.
The real change happens when you turn that inspiration into action.
Catalytic Thinking encourages us to ask, “What would it take?” So this week, take a listen. And consider, What would it take for you to add more confidence, more skill, and more solidarity into your own work, as we seize the opportunity of the historic moment we are living in?
Resources to Further Your Practice:
- LISTEN: If you haven’t added Creating the Future’s podcast to your list, you are missing wisdom from some of the most thoughtful change leaders in the world. Get started here…
- READ: We’ve recently updated the Catalytic Thinking page at our website. New videos, more resources. That’s all here…
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