People are Born Into this World as Assets, not Liabilities

Today Howard Schultz posted Transformation Agenda Communication #10 and mentioned Bill Strickland in the following way:

People Are the Outcome of High Expectations. We were all inspired by a presentation from Bill Strickland, who I met more than a decade ago. Then, he was a social entrepreneur in Pittsburgh, who had the audacity to build a training center in one of Pittsburgh’s toughest neighborhoods -- just four blocks from where he grew up. Filled with light, art, jazz, jobs, and hope, his center was producing remarkable results. Boy, what a difference ten years makes! Bill’s ideas have taken flight in nearly a dozen cities around the world, where his centers and his thinking are sparking hope and futures for thousands of youth, most of whom society considers "at risk" or "disadvantaged" Bill joined us at our three-day meeting, and he countered, "People are born in this world as assets, not liabilities. In the end, we are the product of expectation. Expect a lot, and you create amazing people"

I was recently mailed a copy of his new book Make the Impossible Possible and I have not been able to put it down.  I recommend that everyone get a copy and tell everyone you know about it. 

Here is a top CEO of a top company callingon a speaker in a time of need to inspire his top managers at an event.  Bill did not get there by making excuses but by dedicating his life to helping people.