---
title: "Willing"
id: "2793"
type: "post"
slug: "willing"
published_at: "2012-04-09T13:54:45+00:00"
modified_at: "2012-04-09T13:54:45+00:00"
url: "https://johnpoelstra.com/willing/"
markdown_url: "https://johnpoelstra.com/willing.md"
excerpt: "Many years ago, as an internal auditor, I saw this quote pinned to the cube wall of a sprawling loan processing center in Beaverton, Oregon. We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We......"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Personal"
---

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# [Willing](https://johnpoelstra.com/willing/)

Many years ago, as an internal auditor, I saw this quote pinned to the cube wall of a sprawling loan processing center in Beaverton, Oregon.

> We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing.

At the time I thought it perfectly reflected what was being expected of the employees there. It seemed then, and still is a sad reflection of the employee/employer dynamic in some companies. I saw this quote on [Johnathan Fields’ blog](http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/we-the-willing/)
 and learned that it was attributed to Mother Teresa.

Does anyone know the context that Mother Teresa was saying this in?

#### John Poelstra

John Poelstra coaches directors in finance and software. Trained through the Co-Active Training Institute, he has coached for more than 10 years, with over 520 clients and 3,150 sessions, including people at well-known Fortune 100 companies. In over 30 years of professional experience, he spent 25 in technology and finance: software testing, project management and team leadership at Red Hat and Dell/EMC, and finance as a bank auditor at Wells Fargo and a CPA at Grant Thornton. He hosts The John Poelstra Show podcast and is based in Portland, Oregon.

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April 9, 2012

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