Stepping Up

How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything

More people need to step up. When we take responsibility for making change wherever we can, not only does it make our companies, communities, and the world better, but we are happier and more successful and have more fulfilling relationships. But all too often, we stop ourselves before we start. The problems seem too daunting, it’s another department’s responsibility, other people are the issue and we can’t change them, and so on. And so nothing ever changes. With his distinctive mix of inspiring storytelling and practical advice, John Izzo compassionately demolishes the most typical excuses, helps us see a way through common roadblocks, and enables anyone, anywhere, anytime to effectively bring about positive change by simply stepping up. Through numerous examples, Izzo shows that when one person steps up, it creates a wave of energy that encourages others to join in. Take Silvana Fucito, the middle-aged shopkeeper who fought back against the Italian Mafia, leading her neighbors, and eventually the national government, to do the same. Or the teenagers in Nova Scotia who decided to stand up to bullying when a classmate was beaten for wearing a pink shirt, ultimately spawning “pink shirt” days around the world. Or Joanne Beaton, who took over a business division in danger of being outsourced away and, by challenging her people to step up, turned it into a service provider other companies outsourced to. Rather than regaling us with stories of extraordinary people and extraordinary deeds, Izzo tells us about regular people who see problems and decide—sometimes hesitantly, often uncertainly—to take that first step. Like them, each one of us can claim our power to change the world.