Lessons from Mr. Gary
April 4, 2007

1. We started off the lunch with the following consult: According to Mr. Gary, "The difference between a genious and an idiot is 40 acres."
   
   
2. Timing is everything. The only thing worse than being too late is being too early. 
   
   
3. Mr. Gary really spent some time talking about how the relationship between the nonprofit world and the foundation community is changing. He views our systems as ineffective and argues that "something different has to happen." Be careful not to do the same thing over and over again. It is a sure ticket to going out of business. According to Mr. Gary "we are reinventing ourselves" and we need to think differently.
   
   
4.  Sustainability, sustainability, sustainability. Million dollar question: Do you spend the money now or do you save it for the future? What will have the greater impact? Mr. Gary spent a lot of time on this topic as well, and points to the need to reconcile short term

Lessons from Dr. Patricia Gabow
January 24, 2007

1. Times have changed a lot and there was a day not too long ago when it was unthinkable that a woman could possibly ever be a medical doctor, let alone the head of a major public hospital.
   
   
2. It is all about taking risks... and, sometimes even with the best of intentions, mentors are not 100% right. Follow your heart and your head.
   
   
3. As leaders, you bump into unexpected opportunities all of the time! Even when diving into a swimming pool and landing on your future spouse!
   
   
4. From a policy perspective, we are facing a huge deficit in leadership in this country; especially, when it comes to serving the poor. Patty has been the head of Denver Health & Hospitals since 1992. Of the 100 public hospitals in this country, there is only one other CEO who is still standing!
   
   
5. It is all about retooling and thinking not just outside the box... but way outside the box! Who, but Patty, would have ever thought it would make sense to turn to Dell Computers, Toyota and the Ritz Carlton to improve efficiency, increase quality of care and reduce costs?

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