Great leaders are wildly persistent. They just never give up, no matter what the world throws at them.
Case-in-point: This crew.
For the last 5 years, this group of community leaders and elected officials in Indianapolis has been advocating and pushing to turn the old Nickel Plate train tracks into a pedestrian Nickel Plate TRAIL.
It has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs to get to yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony.
- Studies
- Funding wins and losses
- Multiple rounds of applications
- Community Organizing
- Local and State red tape
- Long COVID delays
- and seemingly on and on...
There were days when it felt like the trail would never happen.
Yet, they all kept pushing no matter what the world threw at them.
I can tell you, standing there snapping photos yesterday, there was a deep sense of pride and accomplishment in each of them.
They earned it.
We all want the wins to come fast. Maybe I, more than anyone, want that.
Much of the time, leadership means looking five years ahead and taking baby steps toward (and a few back at times) the goal.
In the end, you and your team are better off making slow and steady progress toward a big vision than constantly jumping from vision to vision, craving quick wins.
I had nothing to do with this project, though I'm on the board of a group that did (before my joining).
Last year, I decided to move our Moonflower Marketing office to a location next to the proposed trail with no real guarantee it would happen or when.
Over the coming years, the trail will bring with it both business and residential growth, and hopefully, we'll be able to ride that wave as well by being close.
Congrats to everyone who put in YEARS of hard work and navigated the ups and downs to bring this invaluable asset to our neighborhood.
Carey Hamilton
Daniel Boots
Kevin Senninger
Ryan Harkleroad
Binford Redevelopment and Growth
Mayor Hogsett
and many, many more.
📸: Taken by me at the Nickel Plate Trail groundbreaking ceremony on October 24, 2023
#Indianapolis #communityengagement #nextleveltrails #Indiana #communitydevelopment
--Traveling Clinical Laboratory Assistant
3wCongratulations to all! I really enjoyed my time working at highland springs. Happy to hear everyone is doing well!!!!