ordeal was over, he asked what happened. I told him that the people we’d just met with did not want to hear from me, and I was sure they wouldn’t want to buy from me. Frustrated, my father simply asked, “What is the worst that could happen?” I responded immediately, “They could say no!”


Become a Fire-Starter at the Offi ce


By Sandi Coyne-Gilbert, MBA DM, MS Organizational Leadership Program Director, Goodwin College


celerates whatever they focus their atten- tion on with determination and persistence. Fires are dynamic, ever-changing, fl uid mysteries that challenge limits with their presence and power. There is a life force in a fi re. Fires move with cause and can’t be avoided and neither can fi re-starters.


A What is a Fire-Starter?


Fire-starters are individuals who are fl ex- ible in their thinking and fearlessly share their thoughts with others. They thrive on jumping into discussion without waiting for someone to give them a cue. Fire-starters promote the importance of sharing ideas, and empower others to open up and speak up. They’re people you respect and see value in. They acknowledge your ideas, and you feel com- fortable around them. Every day, fi re-starters harness the energy of ideas and people. They lead with passion, purpose, and potential.


Still waiting to start your fi re? How often


have you wanted to share something in a meeting, but instead kept quiet and waited for someone else to begin the discussion? Aren’t we all just waiting to start the fi re? We really want to be fi rst to speak, but subordinate our


re you ready to start a fi re at work? I don’t mean becoming an arsonist. I mean becoming someone who ac-


No is a very small word, only two letters. Don’t ever allow yourself to be defi ned by two little letters. No is a word for now, not forever.


ideas and contributions to those of others, fi nding ourselves stuck in the middle of the pack with nothing to say. But what might happen if you started a fi re?


How I Got the Courage to Become a Fire-Starter


When I was growing up, I quit col- lege — three times, actually, before I fi nally graduated. My father was pretty worried to say the least. He wanted me to be able to take care of myself and hoped I would join him in his insurance business. My father was not someone who took no for an answer, so he kept at me until he fi nally convinced me. I took the insurance exam and went to work with him. The easy part was the exam; the tough part was working with my father.


One night, we visited one of his clients. Although he had planned out what I would say, when the time came, I just couldn’t do it and he had to cover for me. Once the


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He was stunned! “You’ve never heard no before? I have said it to you many times!” Then he added something that changed my life: “No is a very small word, only two letters. Don’t ever allow yourself to be defi ned by two little letters. No is a word for now, not forever. No doesn’t matter. The people who loved you in the morning will love you at the end of the day, even if someone tells you no.” In that short speech, my father gave me the courage to become a fi re-starter: someone who takes risks, respects the contributions of others, but most importantly respects their own.


Fire-starters are the individuals being


promoted at work. They take risks based on their instincts and beliefs. If their ideas get shot down, they fi nd another way, no matter what. Their fi res are inextinguishable; no mat- ter how hard the world tries to defeat them, they keep going. Being a fi re-starter isn’t the slightest bit easy, but it is certainly worth- while. As you begin to weave your trajectory with words, actions, and dynamic participa- tion, you will grow and accelerate. Your fi re will stand tall.


What would you do if you weren’t afraid of hearing the word no? What can you do to- day that might promote the next steps in your career? Better yet, what can you do to make a difference in a project, in a conversation, in a life? Fire-starters think about these questions every day.


Sandi Coyne-Gilbert specializ- es in working with adult learn- ers and is enthusiastic about instilling a passion for lifelong learning in her students. Her work with at-risk and margin-


alized groups provided her with unique insights into the power of education for people in transition. Beyond the education- al fi eld, Coyne-Gilbert also has experience in marketing and nonprofi t leadership. Most notably, she was one of the driving forces behind the development of the Ron- ald McDonald House in Springfi eld, MA. Coyne-Gilbert brings her experiences to the classroom as program director for the mas- ter’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Goodwin College. Are you ready to make a lasting impact? She’d love to hear from you. Call us today: 800.889.3282 or learn more at www.goodwin.edu/leadership. Start on the path to a brighter, more fulfi lling future this fall. Classes start on September 9. See ad on page 21.


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