I read a great article in the Financial Times this morning written by Michael Skapinker titled, "How poor students become top scientists." Over the past 2 weeks, I have had some incredible experiences that have pushed me in a direction of reaching out to youth.
1. I recently spent a morning with Frances Hesselbein in New York City. Actually, it was just 30 minutes...And, that one meeting has really encouraged me to move further toward my own personal best. After we sat down and shared stories of working with students (she the former CEO of the Girl Scouts of America, and me a high school teacher - teaching US History and Spanish Language), I realized that there is something more for me to do there. So, within 6 days, I had found, signed up for and contributed to a Career Day series of presentations at a local high school in Santa Barbara. Jodi and I shared our experiences of starting, building and enjoying our companies over the past 16 years of working, growing and living together.
Reading Mr. Skapinker's article, I realized we're not alone in wanting to help students. Reading this article, I learned about The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. A group that I've got to find out more about! A general purpose of this group is to identify what students are doing and can do to rise above where they are...this sounds great.
2. Our online community, Mastering Workplace Performance Online, is growing. Reading the article in the Financial Times today, I saw this line: "What distinguished high achievers from poorer backgrounds, apart from spending longer in the classroom, was their attitude."
Reflecting on this community of just about 100 members, I realize that the one characteristic that we ALL share is an attitude of improvement. Though we all come from different backgrounds, industries and experiences we are all considering the future and our possibilities from a perspective of (a) possibility and (b) accountability.
What are you thinking about, as you move toward your best?
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