Brenda Zimmerman, Getting to Maybe

How do we change the world? How do we make the impossible happen?

These are the questions addressed by Brenda Zimmerman, associate professor at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, a partner at Change-Ability and co-author of the fantastic book, Getting to Maybe. I love the description on the front cover of her book: “This book is for those who are not happy with the way things are and would like to make a difference. This book is for ordinary people who want to make connections that will create extraordinary outcomes. This is a book about making the impossible happen.”
That’s really what Great Work is about, and the best part is, the book lives up to this promise. Part of what’s wonderful about Brenda is that she uses the lens of chaos, hysteria and complexity to look at change and social innovation.

In the interview, Brenda and I discuss:

• How it’s impossible to be a perfectionist and do Great Work
• Brazil’s brilliant response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and how it inspired a personal and professional breakthrough for Brenda
• Creative destruction and learning to let go (and what we’ve learned from complex ecosystems)
• Cold heaven: the paradox of despair that comes with change and opportunity
• The time and place for shallow vs. intense relationships

You can check out Brenda’s website at www.change-ability.ca.

Listen to my interview with Brenda Zimmerman

If you enjoyed this post, you'll also like:

1. Jeffrey Ford, Organizational Change that Works
2. Jody Thompson, Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It