Culteral Event

On February 8 I went to listen to Jeff Johnson speak in the Great Hall of the MU. He had many imteresting things to say on the topic of leadership. He said he would focus mainly on the black community, but that the problems are not unique to only them.

In Jeff's words, a leader is someone who will address issues an work to face and change issues or make issues known to people in positions of power. It is our responsibility to hold leaders accountable for what they say and how it affects us. He said he is "vexed" with the fact that so often today, more emphasis is put on attendance and giving speeches than actually doing something. He then went on to say and enforce that WE are in charge of creating a movement of change; we shouldn't leave it up to others.

If an action is disconnected from the agenda/issue, it isn't a movement, it's an activity. A movement brings about a change for the overall agenda/goal. He then said that most organizations are "wack" because students are not trained to face issues. They focus more on positions and meetings instead of strategies to make changes and actually face the fundamental issues. We also need to challenge our ignorance of others around us, but most often we opt out of it due to "political correctness." We should learn about others who are different than us. While we often see diversity, we often miss out on community. It needs to start with individuals.

When Jeff was winding down he brought up the fact that we were created with purpose. Our degree is a tool to fulfill that purpose and not what makes us who we are. What we've been through determines our leadership ability, but so many diminish their skills because they're waiting on a position. We need to take advantage of the time we are given for preparation and use our past experiences. He then gave the example of David in the Bible. He knew he could kill the giant because his past experience of having to kill both a bear and a lion had prepared him for it.

I thought that Jeff made some really great points in his talk. It really is important to use what you've been through before to teach and prepare you for what is ahead. We don't need to be in a position of power to make a difference, but since we are being given one, we should make the most of it next fall and even after.