Friday, July 23, 2010

Porcupines. Troublemakers.

When Paul Polak goes to events, he often writes "Troublemaker" on his name badge.


But I think he is really a porcupine. Bursting bubbles of confusion wherever he turns. He calls it as he sees it, and doesn't sugar coat his advice. Check out his new blog. You may not always agree with him (I don't), but he will often change your point of view and get you to question a few more of your overly precious assumptions. While it doesn't always feel good to tangle with him, one does recover (although you may be tender for a few days).

Porcupines and troublemakers are a rare and important part of the social enterprise ecosystem (much more important than cheerleaders). We could use a few more, and should treasure the few we have.

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet Paul, read his book and subscribe to his blog. And maybe when you meet him, his badge will say "Porcupine."

1 comment:

Isaac said...

I enjoyed the article. Made me smile! I think your right on point about the need for people who challenge us and cause us to think. We are hoping to have some good discussions on the new blog. Paul Polak is really looking forward to some lively discussions on the topics that he writes about in his blog posts every week.