Senate Journal: Page 2: Monday, January 12, 1998

  So what is our opportunity - and our challenge?

  We will work together in this beautiful room for about 100 days . . . .

  We all are sent here by our friends, family, colleagues, constituents, to
  make
  a
  difference.

  All of us desire thoughtful, appropriate legislation as we work through the
  issues
  together.

  Let me share what I believe are the basic principles of good working
  relationships:
  First - focus on issues - not on personalities
  Work to maintain positive relationships
  Take initiative to make things better

  In this chamber, grace - decorum and civility are valued and valuable.

  As is leadership . . . every Senator has the capacity for leadership and the
  opportunity to exercise that capacity.

  But, if we are unwilling to take risk - if we put forth only old ideas,

  We will not be deserving of the opportunities we have been given.

  Fear of failure; demands for all or nothing; limit our achievements.

  Willingness to risk and to fail are the price of leadership . . . who is
  prepared
  to
  lead?

  There is much talk about the sense of community in this chamber.  I would
  suggest
  that belonging to a community asks us to reach into ourselves for an
  emotional
  connection that comes from things we experience together.  Community
  building is
  about a container that is strong enough to hold all that is possible -
  conflict - the
  extremes of diversity, honesty, authentic communication . . . nothing is
  excluded.
  Members of a community recognize they are part of something larger than
  themselves.

  In comments delivered as she accepted an award from the National
  Conference of
  Christians and Jews, my great friend and mentor Mary Louise Smith said,
  "Public
  leaders must often act in difficult or unprecedented ways - as they become
  aware of
  a
  higher responsibility of a 'wall of insistence' from the people themselves.
  What
  could
  we not accomplish if our strength was harnessed, our energies not diverted
  and
  diluted,
  we let the beauty of diversity shine through, we spoke and acted with
  tolerance and
  civility, how high could we soar?  What new heights could we achieve?"

  A wise and caring leader - Mary Louise.

  Community requires the capacity for great conversations about things that
  matter.

  Constructive dialogue - focused on important ideas.

  Let the great conversations begin!

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (77th General Assembly: Session 2)

© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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