You all know the story of the ‘Little Engine that Could.’ Great little blue engine that pulled the big train chanting, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” It’s about the little guy overcoming odds with attitude and proving something for himself.
It’s great. But it’s not your organization’s best story.
The Little Engine story-syndrome for nonprofits looks something like this:
So?
Present a better story. The Little Engine That Could story is a narrative about confidence.
We want a narrative about PURPOSE!
No time for you to tell us you can give yourself a pep talk. With all due respect to the little engine, we’re not pulling a train full of toys; we’re SAVING lives, CHANGING lives and IMPACTING lives!
Channel Ghandi.
Inspire like MLK.
Heck, charge forward like Braveheart.
They were driven by a sense of PURPOSE, not self-discovery.
