These and other examples shared illustrate communities creating connections through meaningful relationships and appreciation of place. Such stories of relationships can often be overshadowed by leaders\u2019 drive to achieve results. Brooks reminded audience members that as they navigate challenges back home, it is their relationships that will sustain the work. Relationship building is a skill, Brooks said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all say we want to be good at relationship, but the people who are really good at it have gone through some sort of metamorphosis,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This metamorphosis is a narrative that Brooks has experienced in his own life, which he explained using StriveTogether\u2019s name. Of the words \u201cStrive\u201d and \u201cTogether,\u201d Brooks says he\u2019s always been better at the first. He was a striver from an early age who chose his profession of writing after reading about Paddington Bear as a child. His journalism studies have led him to a career of achievement, with multiple books and a regular column in one of the country\u2019s most prominent periodicals. But as his career progressed, Brooks found himself mostly alone, falling into a personal valley caused by a \u201clack of togetherness.\u201d His charge to the audience was to remember the second part of StriveTogether\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

As an organization, StriveTogether too has seen metamorphosis, beginning as a network of like-minded partnerships creating collective impact in more than 100 communities. After an update to our theory of action added rigor to our framework, many communities left the Cradle to Career Network. Since then, the network has strived plenty, with a total of 13 proof point communities and an ambitious goal of 24 communities reaching systems transformation by 2023. But deep in the data lies something else \u2014 the strength of the community connectivity that has made it all possible.<\/p>\n

Today, nearly 70 StriveTogether network members nationwide are creating relationships across sector, across difference and across the railroad tracks with a deep commitment to equity and closing disparities. As collective impact leaders, we are relationship builders first, and as we continue to learn and grow as a network, we take a note from David Brooks, who, as Jim Shelton noted, has not only the courage to change, but the courage to do it in public. And if individuals can change, culture can change, systems can change, and we can all keep striving \u2014 together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With his keynote at the Cradle to Career Network Convening\u2019s final plenary session, New York Times columnist David Brooks initiated a conversation about the power of relationships. Last summer, Brooks toured the country, visiting communities enriched by what he calls \u201cweavers\u201d \u2014 individuals and organizations creating trusting relationships to repair the frayed social fabric seen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":11752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-11751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-collective-impact","tag-blog","category-88","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n