The Next Generation
It's been a while I realize...some spring break plans, some getting sick, yeah, it's been pretty busy.
I was honored last week to give a speech at our chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). It was pretty cool. This was the first time I spoke for the chapter which is named after our friend Eric Thiede. Despite being sick and coughing every minute, I spoke on something I learned in Challenge Seminar, a class I took in high school. We were once asked to talk about how we honor the scholarships and awards we receive. Being that NRHH is an induction into an honorary organization my speech followed the same path.
A week later, as I've thought more about it, I started thinking of that, coupled with some other conversations I've had with young leaders here at UW Oshkosh.
When I was a student here, I really wanted to leave my mark. I think it was easy to think/do that during my time. The caliber of leader is the same but I think we all felt a heightened sense of achievement within our department. When you're always around those who are successful, I think it's easy to pick a trick or two and achieve some greatness yourself. Nonetheless, I was really concerned with wanting to leave my mark.
Why was that so important to me as a student? Really, my first vault into leadership was more because I wanted to entertain people. As I started to learn the ins and outs, I felt more compelled to seek and measure success through awards, achievements, etc. This in turn pushed my psyche to focus on wanting to achieve an opus.
Again why? I've seen leaders merely want to get their organization or students out of the driveway. And I've seen them struggle with that (again not for lack of trying, but for obstacles which one cannot easily change).
What is that drive to keep us going for that one big achievement when we can sit back and go, ahhhhh. That feels better. Is it immortality? A sense of identity? A sense of accomplishment?
It's around this time that I, along with some NCCs and some other folks here at UW Oshkosh, founded the first French Dip Conference. Really, if you knew the longer version of why and how that conference came to be, you'd find it funny that it is now a process which involves writing and presenting a bid. I'm happy we did French Dip. But the original intent behind French Dip has changed, not for better or worst, but changed nonetheless. New leaders with new visions and perspectives get involved, and find ways to make it fit what their goals are.
If it ceases to exist one day, it would not make me sad for myself, it would not make me sad for the organization of WURHA. It is, what it is. Like most things, there's a cycle to them. There are stronger moments than others, more successful times, etc.
Now is the time of year when new leaders will step up. To them I say, do not look to achieve something grand for your own immortality. Because your time ends like everyone else's...when you move on from this planet. Do not look to achieve something because you can say "ahhhh" and then relax. Because you've then robbed the planet of your talents, and we need to see them again and again. And do not worry about filling someone else's shoes or fixing their mistakes. You should know why you took the time to step up and challenge yourself. So do that, challenge yourself.
Good luck, in this time of transition, to all the folks who are trying to do something. May you experience failure to success with great passion.
pb
I was honored last week to give a speech at our chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). It was pretty cool. This was the first time I spoke for the chapter which is named after our friend Eric Thiede. Despite being sick and coughing every minute, I spoke on something I learned in Challenge Seminar, a class I took in high school. We were once asked to talk about how we honor the scholarships and awards we receive. Being that NRHH is an induction into an honorary organization my speech followed the same path.
A week later, as I've thought more about it, I started thinking of that, coupled with some other conversations I've had with young leaders here at UW Oshkosh.
When I was a student here, I really wanted to leave my mark. I think it was easy to think/do that during my time. The caliber of leader is the same but I think we all felt a heightened sense of achievement within our department. When you're always around those who are successful, I think it's easy to pick a trick or two and achieve some greatness yourself. Nonetheless, I was really concerned with wanting to leave my mark.
Why was that so important to me as a student? Really, my first vault into leadership was more because I wanted to entertain people. As I started to learn the ins and outs, I felt more compelled to seek and measure success through awards, achievements, etc. This in turn pushed my psyche to focus on wanting to achieve an opus.
Again why? I've seen leaders merely want to get their organization or students out of the driveway. And I've seen them struggle with that (again not for lack of trying, but for obstacles which one cannot easily change).
What is that drive to keep us going for that one big achievement when we can sit back and go, ahhhhh. That feels better. Is it immortality? A sense of identity? A sense of accomplishment?
It's around this time that I, along with some NCCs and some other folks here at UW Oshkosh, founded the first French Dip Conference. Really, if you knew the longer version of why and how that conference came to be, you'd find it funny that it is now a process which involves writing and presenting a bid. I'm happy we did French Dip. But the original intent behind French Dip has changed, not for better or worst, but changed nonetheless. New leaders with new visions and perspectives get involved, and find ways to make it fit what their goals are.
If it ceases to exist one day, it would not make me sad for myself, it would not make me sad for the organization of WURHA. It is, what it is. Like most things, there's a cycle to them. There are stronger moments than others, more successful times, etc.
Now is the time of year when new leaders will step up. To them I say, do not look to achieve something grand for your own immortality. Because your time ends like everyone else's...when you move on from this planet. Do not look to achieve something because you can say "ahhhh" and then relax. Because you've then robbed the planet of your talents, and we need to see them again and again. And do not worry about filling someone else's shoes or fixing their mistakes. You should know why you took the time to step up and challenge yourself. So do that, challenge yourself.
Good luck, in this time of transition, to all the folks who are trying to do something. May you experience failure to success with great passion.
pb
posted by Peter Brooks at 12:41 AM
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