LEAP UPDATES
Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes. 
--Peter Drucker
Welcome to the archive of monthly Leap Updates from Mario Morino and Lowell Weiss. The final Leap Update was published in March of 2022.
The Good Kind of Bad News
As bad news goes, it doesn’t get any better than this: So many great leaders are addressing the challenge of high performance that we’ve had to apply a brutal filter to keep this month’s update to a manageable length. No room for throat clearing. Let’s just hit it: As we reported last month, in February…
Coming Soon: A Sleeves-Rolled-Up Companion to Leap of Reason
We have great news for the many members of this community who have been asking for practical insights for boards and executive teams that are ready to take the leap of reason. In February, we will be joining forces with Leap of Reason essayist David Hunter, one of our sector’s true experts in sparking this…
A Leap Across the Atlantic
Immediately after the Thanksgiving break, we signed an agreement that added to the holiday spirit for me as well as the small but mighty Leap of Reason team. Here’s the backstory. Last March, I met Tiziano Tazzi, the president of Milan-basedFondazione Lang Italia (FLI), in Washington, DC. We learned that Tiziano had established the foundation…
New Models are Overrated
You probably didn’t expect to get an email from me with a title like this, given my penchant for breaking the mold. But I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the many conversations in our sector that celebrate wonderful new models or reforms but ignore what it really takes to bring new ideas to fruition: the talent,…
One Small Step, One Giant Leap
On September 20, this aging Italian took a small step (through an intimidating Secret Service security gauntlet) to join a distinguished group of social sector leaders at theWhite House Forum on Philanthropy Innovation. I shared an idea that, if brought to fruition, could represent a giant leap forward for our sector. I challenged all the…
Quotes From Leaders Like You
“Managing to outcomes is not about simply counting things or gathering information. And it is not about satisfying funders. It is an internal effort aimed at figuring out what works and what doesn’t, so that the organization can provide the best possible services to its clients”
“You have to have undying passion for the population you’re serving. We can spend time patting ourselves on the back for the 85 percent of the kids who are doing really well in our program. But we need to be as concerned about the 15 percent who aren’t succeeding and learn how we can improve for them.”
“Through a process of self-reflection, our board members asked themselves fundamental questions: How can we improve? How can we make a greater impact?”
“Every day, you have to say, ’How can we do this more efficiently and more effectively?’ It’s in our DNA.”
“Any school in the country can do this. And it breaks my heart that we’re not [all] doing this!”
“Stories substituting for facts is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me!”
“You’re taking someone else’s money to get into somebody else’s life to try to make a difference. You better be showing you can make a difference!”