Diversity and Nimbleness of Heart: Most Senior Sages are able to identify a litany of nonprofit organizations in which they are actively engaged; on average, each is involved in at least three, ranging from political action groups to arts organizations and from work with youth to work with the elderly. Senior Sage leaders are also involved in multiple sectors of community life. Lessons learned in one (e.g., the arts) are applied to a second (e.g., the environment) and to a third (e.g., politics), and the networks established with one are engaged on behalf of the others.
In many instances, the unifying factor is the interest that Senior Sage leaders have in the complex workings of Grass Valley and Nevada City. As they begin to understand the various community sectors, they come to fully appreciate the interwoven relationships that exist; and when this happens, they see the need to become involved in more than one sector. The hearts of Senior Sages are diverse, and they are nimble in their movement across boundaries as they acquire knowledge and experience in many areas. They are even more agile in their capacity to simultaneously keep many balls in the air and—perhaps most telling—deft in their capacity and willingness to engage various leadership styles and strategies in different organizations.
This passion of Senior Sages to extend beyond one sector and engage in a widely diverse set of initiatives is very impressive, especially given that these men and women are often retired and supposedly past their most productive and energetic years! Professional coaches can help their senior clients fully appreciate what they are doing and even learn about the balancing of life priorities from these remarkable women and men—the roles might even shift as a coach becomes the learner and their client the teacher!
The one lingering issue with Senior Sages’ passions and diversity of involvements is that many of the same people often can be found in different organizations, making it sometimes difficult for “new folks” to break in. This is one area where a coach can serve as a goad and challenger: encouraging their clients to be aware of ways in which they might be “dominating” their community by serving themselves on too many communities and heading too many projects. There is no room for the “newcomers” to the community or at least to the provision of services in their community.
“Island” Communities: Grass Valley and Nevada City are particularly noted for the richness and diversity of the arts. Given the extraordinary number and range of theatrical and musical events, museums, galleries, and arts fairs, these two communities are fast becoming “arts destinations of distinction.” Some of these offerings are well-known and widely publicized. Others are less widely known, yet still are of exceptional quality. These arts offerings are effectively coordinated through Nevada County Arts, and it is fascinating to see how much the community gets done when compared with other rural areas in California.
And there may be a secret to this success. The flourishing of the arts may be tied to the unique dynamics that are often found in “island” communities; that is, in communities which are at least partially isolated from major urban arts competition. On an island, you learn to do it yourself rather than traveling miles to attend a theater or gallery that is run and operated by professionals who are “in the arts business” full-time. One Senior Sage notes that Nevada County is a powerful “starter” county.
We have found this proliferation of the arts (and many other community services) in other “island communities” with which we have been affiliated. One of us, for instance, has consulted with governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Whitehorse (a Canadian community located in the Yukon Territory). This remote community is home to a substantial number of artistic organizations that provide high quality performances and products. Whitehorse, like Grass Valley and Nevada City is a “do it yourself” “self-entertaining” community.
