How much more could we accomplish if we thought a bit differently on how to better reach our purpose and best serve our veterans and families?
That question was posited to the attendees of the annual PwC Charitable Foundation grantees’ convening held last week. Hosted by Columbia University’s Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, the convening served as an opportunity for thought leaders to share best practices and insights to make our organizations more effective at supporting military members, veterans, and military families.
Retired Admiral Michael Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Simon Sinek, New York Times best-selling author, guided the discussion about this year’s theme, “Leading with Purpose.” They emphasized the importance of creating purpose within an organization – and connecting all team members to it.
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These two speakers emphasized that purpose-driven organizations are best when they challenge conventional thinking. They realize that successful disruptive ideas don’t always come from the top; rather, they frequently surface from individuals within teams and communities.
In addition to Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, the convening’s grantees consisted of Four Block, Hire Heroes USA, Team Rubicon Global and Team Rubicon USA, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Bunker Labs, and Student Veterans of America. These non-profits were reminded of the Dixon Center philosophy that every veteran can succeed where he/she lives, and urged by our founder, Colonel David Sutherland, U.S. Army (Ret.) to be disrupters in this space in order to address the ever-evolving needs of veterans. Colonel Sutherland encouraged creating networks of purpose-driven organizations within communities who, collectively, could serve veterans’ essential requirements.
We thank Frank Gaudio, Veterans Chairman, and Charlotte Coker-Gibson, Executive Director, both of the PwC Charitable Foundation, for challenging us to think differently about serving our noble purpose – supporting military members, veterans, and their families.
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