John Wood Class
Dec 2000
Loosen up to Lead
My Farm Chillicothe
Bummy Roger Fox...Teen Prostitution...Selling Yourself
Leadership.. watched young people for 30 years.. interesting to see who become leaders.
Study came out last year.. American 4th-graders are the 3rd-smartest in the world in math & science. Last year: 8th-graders were low on the list. We chew more bubble gum than any other country. Two pounds person a year. Our toilet paper was rated the best by a group of international travel writers… But in spite of our low grades, America turns out more leaders in arts, business & education than any country in the world.
IBM study.. Fortune 500.. 1998. Extra-curricular.
Knowledge is like a bunch of bananas. They’re good, but if you put them away in a drawer and don't use them, they’ll just stink and draw flies.
A leader doesn’t have to have a great brain.. but he or she does have to own a great dream.
Got to thinking about this topic in these terms.. the greatest leaders I’ve ever known personally.. what they had in common… 7 traits they all had in common
They work very hard..My Uncle Tobe.. washing machine motor, Culver..Dr. Johnson..Head of Physics Dept at Penn State. The number of our Presidents who came from large towns is very small. The small town work ethic.. still a huge factor.
They are great encouragers. They surrounded themselves with people who were encouragers.. I do the impossible.. 170 kids at Triopia.. play uses 100.. 7 weeks, 700 people a night for four night. I need people around me who tell me how something can be done, not why it can’t be done. We need encouragers.
They love their work. Teachers’ lounge… a great place for griping… One man doesn’t … Ed Anderson.. he always talks about something exciting that happened in class. Johnstone: nation’s leading architect.. age 91 “If live were a thousand times longer, there’d still be no time for complaining. The hottest places in hell are reserved for whiners and complainers.”
They think for themselves… probably the #1 thing that sets young leaders apart. And it takes a sense of humor. For most young people, who they are is determined by who other people think they are. Very damaging. Matt… has the ability go his own way…unbelievable attitude. a leader while just a sophomore… baritone. Free spirit….Jeff Westerfield.. robbed My nephew … Senior at Jacksonville.. valedictorian.. sick of teenagers who are sheep.. The accordion. … For Christmas: the bagpipes. Roger Ebert
They don’t think a lot about themselves. A test.. driving home, think about yourself for 10 minutes.. see how depressed you get. Becky E…funerals Mr. Rogers Journal Register interview of Mart Burrus Jacksonville Girl.. CFS
They’re very careful about who they’re trying to please.. Quest test: two fingers… Pick out the people you admire the most.. try to please them and your true self. Hiney the Mule
They live by the rule: Use things and love people.. not the other way around. Marie: Salt and Pepper shakers Great leaders are great lovers… of people. Dr. Albert Sweitzer… “Those among you who are truly happy are those who’ve sought and found out how to serve others.”
You’ve been given wonderful gifts... Intelligence, a good school, people who love you. Being smart and working hard is just the first step. It’s what you do with it that makes a difference to me....
When you go to bed at night, count the number of people you’ve made happy. The money you earn will rot away. Your new car will rust. The house you live in now will be gone some day. But the people you help, the people you make happy, the people who’s lives you change by making them better...That will last forever.
I’ve spent 30 years around young people. When one gets thirsty, they all got thirsty. They decide whether or not something’s a good idea by watching their friends. One girl got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of a performance and we had to hold the show as twelve others suddenly got the urge.
The world has plenty of followers. What we need are leaders. What we need is you.