People who know me know I am attracted to difficult challenges – ones others shy away from. In my experience, many of the hardest challenges fall into two categories: creating something that does not exist or changing something that is not working.

Both challenges require a clear and compelling description of the future sufficient to inspire others to contribute to making it happen. But if you’re changing something that already exists, there is an added difficulty. Some portion of the impacted group will feel more comfortable with the way things are than the way they might be. If that portion is large, it can threaten the ability to make meaningful change.

Change is about how people feel, not only ideas and positions. The same future described by two different people will not be equally likely to come to fruition. Who advocates change matters. What motivates them to champion change matters. The one who seeks change for the greatest common good is seen much differently than the one seeking change to generate advantage. And we can tell. Even in this day of sound-bites and over-simplification, we can tell. The time is ripe for Oregon to be led by someone who is clear in purpose and steady in intent to affect change for the greatest common good.