Working with people and serving the public good isn’t for the faint of heart, especially these days; it takes true grit. That sounds like a funny description for what many people consider to be a soft skill, but it’s most certainly the case. Frankly, it’s easy to become discouraged when you deal with conflict all day long. My colleagues are fond of the Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” I confess that I’ve, at times, had to force my skeptical left eye to stop rolling when I read that (my right eye is much more positive) but I stumbled on a story that actually supports that notion.