I heard that chant 2 years ago as my son’s football team “The Wildcats” were warming up to take the field. Something they did before each practice and game. They were holding on to each other in a circle with their coach moving side to side yelling at the top of their lungs “We’re all we got, we’re all we need”! I still get choked up. In that moment, a group of 10-year olds displayed what happens when we come together “in community”. That is, when we are there for each other without the need for anything other than what we already have right here, right now, in this collective circle.
Alberta, we are all we got and we are all we need. I am not saying this to create division or separate us from our broader Canadian family and community. I am saying this because we have always been the Province the rest of Canada depends on to blaze new trails. When you look at the incredible talent, heart and determination that exists in this Province we truly have all we need to reinvent ourselves and be brilliant again! In my humble opinion, I think we just need to shift our thinking a little. We are different and that’s what makes us unique. I don’t want us to be like anyone else. I don’t want to be the “Next Silicon Valley’, I don’t want things to go back to the way they were, and I don’t think it’s throwing the oil industry out with the bathwater either. I don’t want to be like other provinces or other countries or other cities… I don’t want to be the next <fill in the blank>…
I want to be THE! THE Province that LEADS the globe in solving wicked problems like Education, Healthcare, and Renewable and Sustainable Energy. THE Province that leads the way back to human connection, community and creativity. THE Place where transformation truly happens and is driven by this community, for the global community. “The New Heartbeat of Canada”. A heartbeat that generates new “energy” into Canada.
Alberta, we are all we got and we are all we need. Let’s not pay attention to what other people think of us, it’s none of our business. Let’s just show them how it’s done with humility and create an environment where everyone is invited to come and work and play with us. We have an incredible resource of creative, artisanal, scientific and business talent; right here, right now. We just need to imagine a better future together and transform from the inside out. The answers are not out there, they are inside. Inside our homes, our organizations, our neighbourhoods, our cities, our hearts.
We have the battle of Alberta in hockey, but what if, we shifted the narrative to “The real battle of Alberta”. A rink, where all the major Cities in Alberta come together as a community to rise up and forge forward. What if we, in these unprecedented times, became THE Province that figured out how to bring creatives, scientists and business together. Thus, ushering in a second renaissance or rebirth. A perfect example of this would be Leonardo da Vinci, who was not only a famous renaissance artist but was also a scientist, engineer and mathematician.
How might we develop environments that foster creativity, curiosity and learning? What if, people came here to learn how to create high performing cultures through community, instead of political rivalry? What if, conscious capitalism thrived in Alberta as an example to the rest of the world. A for purpose, for people, for profit legacy. What if AI was just as important an element for solving these problems, as developing our creative muscle and curiosity. Look around you, what you see didn’t just appear is was CREATED!!! Innovation comes from curiosity, creation and the collective brilliance of a community.
Alberta we are all we got, we are all we need. Perhaps the leaders that got us here are not the leaders to take us forward, and we thank them for getting us this far. If we want to truly embrace this moment to reinvent ourselves, perhaps there are some different voices within our community of collective brilliance that need to be heard. My son’s team went undefeated that season, as a team and for each other. I know that through the grassroots community, collaboration, collective intelligence and creativity of this Province we can be extraordinary at solving “wicked” problems.
If you are struggling to redefine yourself or your organization. If you want someone to support you in rethinking how to move forward and take advantage of this opportunity to start over. I am ready to be part of your circle. Reach out at Tina@TinaMathas.com
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