In recent years we’ve seen the power of movements. They can bring people together in support of a common cause and drive meaningful change in the social good community. But how do they start? What gets a movement started, and once a movement has been started, what causes it to grow and accelerate? 

To help us answer those questions and more, joining Steve on this episode is Henry Timms. As president and CEO of the 92nd Street Y in New York City and a co-founder of GivingTuesday, Henry is familiar with the powers that drive movements. He has also co-authored the book New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World--and How to Make It Work for You

together with co-author Jeremy Heimans, co-founder and CEO of Purpose. Listen to this week’s episode to hear what Henry has to say about new power and how it is shaping and affecting modern movements for social good. 

Topics Discussed in This Episode: 

• The differences between old power and new power
• How movements like GivingTuesday, the Ice Bucket Challenge, and MeToo represent a fundamental change in the way that power is harnessed and used
• The importance of mobilization
• How new power is giving more people more agency to get involved in causes and make change
• Why people are more loyal to causes than to specific organizations and how that’s disrupting old models of power
• How Henry’s organization is embracing change and doing things differently with Giving Tuesday
• What Henry thinks movements will look like and how they’ll change over the next decade
• Which old power values are still important
• What can be learned from established movement-builders 

Links and Resources: 

Henry Timms

New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World--and How to Make It Work for You

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Quotes from This Episode:

“When you start to look at the world, you start to see these themes emerging, which is that the people who are coming out on top are the people who understand mobilization.” 

“We’ve all realized now that the assumptions of the 20th century, that if truth was on your side you’d come out on top, we know that’s no longer true.” 

“The key to a movement is that it’s only a movement if it moves without you.”