Letters from the CEO: January 2007
Dear National Council Member:
Re: Our Time to Lead
The American people spoke last November, and the system is responding with significant change in Washington as Democrats have regained control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives for the first time in a dozen years.
New leaders are ascending: California's Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S history, New York's Charlie Rangel as Chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, Michigan's John Dingell as Chairman of the important House Energy & Commerce Committee, Nevada's Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader and Montana's Max Baucus as new Senate Finance Committee Chairman, to name just a few.
President Bush and other Republican leaders have acknowledged the voice of America's voters and stated their intention to accept the enhanced leadership role of the Democrats, who will now more fully participate in governing.
Meanwhile, leaders of both parties are already laying the groundwork that will determine who will capture the Democratic and Republican nominations for President of the United States in 2008 ? Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John Edwards, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or others yet to emerge.
How will these politicians lead us? Will we solve or improve the Iraq dilemma? Will we again place emphasis on top domestic priorities? Will we find a balance between the interests of businesses and the interests of struggling Americans? Will we raise the minimum wage? Will we sacrifice ? drive less, air-condition less, go green ? so we can be free from the tyranny of oil and our great grandchildren can grow up in a healthy world?
Will we seize SCHIP reauthorization and guarantee all children health coverage? Has the time for parity finally come? Will returning soldiers and their families get the services they need? What will be the impact of national policies and spending on community behavioral healthcare, on treatment for mental health and addictions?
The answers to these questions will depend on you ? on all of us ? not on the President and Congress... that is, of course, if we assume our own responsibility to lead.
Democrats in Washington have generally been more supportive on many of the issues we care most about. However, their assuming control of Congress means nothing in terms of assuring that all Americans in need of mental health and addiction treatment services actually receive those services if we don't step up to the plate and help shape those policies.
It is our job to lead... to participate in shaping national policies related to our enterprise and the people, families and communities that we serve. If we don't, who will?
Tom Peters – aptly crowned the "über-guru" by The Economist – has a small but important book on leadership, one of his four quick and to the point books in the Tom Peters Essentials series.
His two major points on leadership are contained on the inside flap and on the back cover so they jump out ? points that I want to underscore for you as we begin this new year:
Leadership Point #1: A key ? perhaps THE key ? to leadership is the effective communication of a story.
Leadership Point #2: "...nobody gives you power, you just take it..."
Do we have a story? Of course we do. We have a compelling story of tremendous success and tremendous unmet need.
In every town we see the successes ? men and women who 50 years ago would have languished a hundred to a ward; and children and families that just a few years ago would have been separated by residential placement and left to struggle alone under the weight of guilt and confusion.
And in every town we see the unmet need ? young pregnant women with untreated depression; the elderly living alone, isolated, anxious and at risk for suicide; seriously mentally ill men and women released from jails and prisons without housing and into a community mental health and addictions treatment system that desperately needs to be expanded and better funded.
What about our "just taking power"? Isn't that a bit presumptuous? Isn't it unrealistic perhaps? Can we really help steer the course of the greatest nation in the history of the world on matters we care about? You bet we can ? and with your help that is exactly what we will do.
That's where you come in. We have to get a lot more serious about our involvement in the public policy process. Every one of us needs to get to know our U.S. Senators and Congressmen and their staffs personally and develop ? "cultivate" - ongoing relationships with them.
We need to do a better job of reaching out to others - state and local elected officials, community leaders, the medical profession, business, clergy, academe, law enforcement, etc. - and developing them as allies.
It's our job to inform and educate them on subject where we have standing, expertise and something to contribute. As one Senator once said, "If I haven't learned, it's because you have not taught me."
The National Council is placing the highest priority on helping you do your job as a leader in the field of community behavioral healthcare. Your dues are paying the salaries of the most talented staff we can recruit and the most experienced political consultants we can hire. And in 2007 we are taking it to the next level ? new communication tools, increased emphasis on involving you in ongoing liaison with national decision-makers, and policy and research support for your efforts.
I urge everyone reading this letter to please take this message to heart. At the end of the year, I hope that you will be able to say yes to the following:
Our time to lead has come. All we need to do is get in there and do it!
Best Regards,
Linda
P.S. We're going to be covering public policy and grassroots advocacy extensively at our 37th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, March 26?28, 2007 (with a special Public Policy Academy on March 25). I hope you're planning to be there, along with your key staff and board members.
Re: Our Time to Lead
The American people spoke last November, and the system is responding with significant change in Washington as Democrats have regained control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives for the first time in a dozen years.
New leaders are ascending: California's Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S history, New York's Charlie Rangel as Chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, Michigan's John Dingell as Chairman of the important House Energy & Commerce Committee, Nevada's Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader and Montana's Max Baucus as new Senate Finance Committee Chairman, to name just a few.
President Bush and other Republican leaders have acknowledged the voice of America's voters and stated their intention to accept the enhanced leadership role of the Democrats, who will now more fully participate in governing.
Meanwhile, leaders of both parties are already laying the groundwork that will determine who will capture the Democratic and Republican nominations for President of the United States in 2008 ? Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John Edwards, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or others yet to emerge.
How will these politicians lead us? Will we solve or improve the Iraq dilemma? Will we again place emphasis on top domestic priorities? Will we find a balance between the interests of businesses and the interests of struggling Americans? Will we raise the minimum wage? Will we sacrifice ? drive less, air-condition less, go green ? so we can be free from the tyranny of oil and our great grandchildren can grow up in a healthy world?
Will we seize SCHIP reauthorization and guarantee all children health coverage? Has the time for parity finally come? Will returning soldiers and their families get the services they need? What will be the impact of national policies and spending on community behavioral healthcare, on treatment for mental health and addictions?
The answers to these questions will depend on you ? on all of us ? not on the President and Congress... that is, of course, if we assume our own responsibility to lead.
Democrats in Washington have generally been more supportive on many of the issues we care most about. However, their assuming control of Congress means nothing in terms of assuring that all Americans in need of mental health and addiction treatment services actually receive those services if we don't step up to the plate and help shape those policies.
It is our job to lead... to participate in shaping national policies related to our enterprise and the people, families and communities that we serve. If we don't, who will?
Tom Peters – aptly crowned the "über-guru" by The Economist – has a small but important book on leadership, one of his four quick and to the point books in the Tom Peters Essentials series.
His two major points on leadership are contained on the inside flap and on the back cover so they jump out ? points that I want to underscore for you as we begin this new year:
Leadership Point #1: A key ? perhaps THE key ? to leadership is the effective communication of a story.
Leadership Point #2: "...nobody gives you power, you just take it..."
Do we have a story? Of course we do. We have a compelling story of tremendous success and tremendous unmet need.
In every town we see the successes ? men and women who 50 years ago would have languished a hundred to a ward; and children and families that just a few years ago would have been separated by residential placement and left to struggle alone under the weight of guilt and confusion.
And in every town we see the unmet need ? young pregnant women with untreated depression; the elderly living alone, isolated, anxious and at risk for suicide; seriously mentally ill men and women released from jails and prisons without housing and into a community mental health and addictions treatment system that desperately needs to be expanded and better funded.
What about our "just taking power"? Isn't that a bit presumptuous? Isn't it unrealistic perhaps? Can we really help steer the course of the greatest nation in the history of the world on matters we care about? You bet we can ? and with your help that is exactly what we will do.
That's where you come in. We have to get a lot more serious about our involvement in the public policy process. Every one of us needs to get to know our U.S. Senators and Congressmen and their staffs personally and develop ? "cultivate" - ongoing relationships with them.
We need to do a better job of reaching out to others - state and local elected officials, community leaders, the medical profession, business, clergy, academe, law enforcement, etc. - and developing them as allies.
It's our job to inform and educate them on subject where we have standing, expertise and something to contribute. As one Senator once said, "If I haven't learned, it's because you have not taught me."
The National Council is placing the highest priority on helping you do your job as a leader in the field of community behavioral healthcare. Your dues are paying the salaries of the most talented staff we can recruit and the most experienced political consultants we can hire. And in 2007 we are taking it to the next level ? new communication tools, increased emphasis on involving you in ongoing liaison with national decision-makers, and policy and research support for your efforts.
I urge everyone reading this letter to please take this message to heart. At the end of the year, I hope that you will be able to say yes to the following:
- I talked personally with my two U.S. Senators and member of Congress in 2007
- I invited my two Senators and my Congressperson to visit my organization in 2007.
- I met the Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, District Director and Legislative Assistant responsible for mental health and related issues for my two U.S. Senators and member of Congress in 2007
- I participated in the special executive development sessions on participating in the public policy process at the 37th Annual National Council Conference in Las Vegas, March 25-28, 2007.
- I participated in the National Council's Capitol Hill Day on May 2, 2007 along with one or more Board members of my organization.
- I maintained contact with appropriate staff of my two U.S. Senators and member of Congress throughout the year.
- I volunteered for at least one campaign and made a contribution to the campaigns of at least one of these officials of my choosing during 2007.
Our time to lead has come. All we need to do is get in there and do it!
Best Regards,
Linda
P.S. We're going to be covering public policy and grassroots advocacy extensively at our 37th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, March 26?28, 2007 (with a special Public Policy Academy on March 25). I hope you're planning to be there, along with your key staff and board members.
