The Tipping Point ... for Good
November 1, 2007 — Speech given by Ralph Shrader (Booz Allen Chairman & CEO) at National Capital Philanthropy Day held in Washington, DC.
On behalf of the 10,000 Booz Allen employees in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, I’m honored to accept the “Outstanding Corporate Partner” award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
And, on behalf of all of us at Booz Allen, I want to extend sincere congratulations to John Delaney and April McClain-Delaney, Edward Cohen, Nicholas Simmonds, and the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation for their much-deserved recognition today.
As many of you know, Booz Allen Hamilton is a consulting company and one of the first things I learned about consulting when I joined Booz Allen 33 years ago is that the key to doing really good work—is having really good clients. Clients who have important missions, who have smart people, who demand the best, and who work side-by-side with us in true partnership get the best.
The same is true in corporate citizenship. That’s why it’s so rewarding for us—and so beneficial for our community—when we have the privilege to work with partners like the American Cancer Society, the Neediest Kids, the Children’s Inn at NIH, Northern Virginia Community Foundation, Northern Virginia Family Service, and the Wolf Trap Foundation.
Thank you for nominating Booz Allen for this coveted award, but even more importantly, thank you for being the kind of partner that inspires us with your mission, brings great expertise to the table, and demands the best of us. Together, there’s no question we are making a difference.
I’ve been asked what propels Booz Allen to be so engaged in the community, and I believe the answer is we see corporate citizenship as a tipping point for making a difference.
The concept of a tipping point was introduced decades ago, but it was popularized more recently by the best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell. In his book, The Tipping Point, he describes it as “that magical moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely-targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate.”
I was trained as an engineer, and therefore tend to think in quantitative terms. So, I always subscribed to the mathematical logic that it takes a percentage greater than 50, or a heavier weight on one side of a scale, to decide an outcome.
But, the tipping point says otherwise. It subscribes to a different formula—a magical formula if you will—where little things make a big difference. It doesn’t take a majority of people at Booz Allen, just a strong, passionate group to foster a culture in our firm of the spirit of service. And, those of you in this room don’t represent a majority of the citizens in the greater Washington area. But, you are making a big difference for our entire community, spanning health and human services, education, and the arts.
Philanthropy is the tipping point for good in our community. I see that so clearly in my own involvement with the Neediest Kids. It doesn’t take a major grant program to make an impact. Little things like a warm coat, a pair of eye-glasses, school supplies, or money for a field trip—make such a big difference.
So, that’s what propels Booz Allen to be involved. We have the opportunity to work with exceptional organizations like yours. And, together, we create the tipping point that makes good things happen here in Washington.
Thank you.
