Learning from good and bad examples has been important all my life. I’ve had innumerable role models: parents, grands, mentors, teachers, friends… Learning from the mistakes of others has been an important part of my lifelong learning; I prefer to make my own mistakes, not repeat the mistakes of others.
Years ago I observed an organization that preferred to be an island unto themselves. They didn’t want to collaborate much or co-own anything. Granted, it’s easier to control things when you don’t have partners, but that path is narrow and limiting.
That experience led LSC and me to go the other way, to collaborate and partner every chance we get. LSC partnered forty years ago with two Lutheran churches in Hickory to create Lutherhaus, providing 50 apartments to low income elders. LSC has partnered in the formation of four of the state’s only 12 PACE programs, and has 7 partners in those four PACE programs. LSC is partnering to provide administrative support to the Tsali Care Center, owned and operated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, and to one other NC nursing facility. LSC administers a community benefit fund for Searstone Retirement Center in Cary. Building Independence apartments for people with developmental disabilities in Raleigh, Raynor Street Apartments in Durham, and Trinity Rehab are all successful partnerships for LSC.
Partnerships create synergy. I just read the most inspiring explanation of synergy on the internet, so it has to be true! The story: A draft horse can pull up to 8,000 pounds. You’d think two could pull 16,000 pounds, but they can pull 24,000 pounds! Now that is synergy, 1 + 1 = 3! But it gets even better. Two horses that train together and work together can pull up to 32,000 pounds! 1 + 1 = 4!
LSC creates a more abundant place to work and live through synergy. And LSC’s partnerships take us four times as far than we could go alone. Get ready for more!
