First reaction to Deeper Learning in Leadership

I just had a particularly exhilirating moment - the first conversation with someone who's read Deeper Learning in Leadership. It was a Washington University staff member who was looking for ways to both broaden and deepen the leadership learning opportunities for Wash U. students. She contacted me last week to set up a conference call; I told her that she might want to order the book, read it, and then give me a call. Interestingly enough, Deeper Learning in Leadership had arrived earlier the same day and she was ready to start reading.

I know it may seem that I was a little self-absorbed to be so interested in someone else's reactions to what I've written but I couldn't help myself. I was extremely gratified when her two first reactions were being overwhelmed by the possibilities while being relieved by my message that all we have to do is start somewhere, don't sweat the small stuff, learn from what we do, and approach the opportunities of leadership learning as a journey in discovery.

I hope that Deeper Learning in Leadership serves as a summary and a catalyst for more substantive work. I also desperately hope that it reminds us that sometimes our organizational models don't serve us well. If we really want to reach students, we may need to look at ourselves at the same time - critically analyzing our way of approaching each other and the way we foster learning in students.

Deeper Learning in Leadership - It's out!

Deeper Learning in Leadership is finally out! I got my copy yesterday (9-20-07) which will go down in history for me as a day of relief, accomplishment, and fulfillment. It was a bit strange not knowing what to do with the knowledge that this journey was finally over. This book has been a dream for at least a decade and having it out allows me to turn my attention to other things - most importantly to my work in Qatar, an opportunity that will allow me to use the ideas I espouse in the book in practice.

I am still utterly amazed by how the upcoming opportunity in Qatar provides a potential alternative organizational model for student development work. Who would have thought that encountering Esther Lloyd-Jones in 1985, digging into her different view of student personnel work, and then writing a book to remind contemporary student affairs workers of her contribution would have led to this moment? I could not see that this 20+ year path could bring me to this point and place and I'm not sure it matters. As an example of the "conviction in action" that I advocate in Deeper Learning in Leadership, the growing and deeper understanding of our purpose in work and in life may not always be understood. However, trusting our intuition and being patient as the purpose emerges makes all the difference. I know that I have pushed at earlier points of life to do things that, in retrospect, may not have been a good fit for the grand plan of my life. The consolation is that even the detours taught me important lessons that I've ultimately incorporated into who I am. I don't always remember the lessons and I don't always actualize the things I know are right, but I'm getting closer. "Progress not perfection" is a mantra for people who struggle with various addictions in life. Maybe progress, not perfection, is a pretty good philosophy for us all and it may just capture a core truth of life's experience...

Museum of Islamic Art

One of the most amazing things about Qatar, and Doha specifically, is that it not only seeks to be an educational and scientific center in the Middle East, it also strives to be a cultural center. The new I.M. Pei Museum of Islamic Art (picture to left) is set to open in the near future and is reported to hold the most significant collection of Islamic art ever assembled. The Pei-designed museum reaches out into the Gulf and shimmers in the twilight of day or evening lights of the city. It is a stunning place and one that is likely to set the art world afire with reviews.

Another thing I heard, which has my juices pumping, is that Qatar is about to launch recruitment and selection for a Qatar national orchestra to have its home in Doha. Ads will run in major cities around the world inviting orchestral musicians to audition for this new, phenomenal ensemble.

Before you know it, Doha will have a world-renowned museum and who knows what will happen with the orchestra. You can count on my being there!

Qatar - 2nd visit

As I prepare to move to Qatar, I'm doing lots of things like filing visa papers, doing medical exams and treatments, trying to figure out what I'll take and what I'll leave behind. All of these are gradual steps on the path to my November 4 departure to the Arabian Gulf. They don't feel overwhelming yet but I know that the clock is ticking.

I was in Qatar for most of last week. I went over to get more deeply acquainted with colleagues and to get some things started in preparation for November. If I didn't have things to tie up in Ohio, I probably would have sent for my personal things and not returned. There are many things that I want to still savor but my thoughts keep drifting to the opportunities ahead. Don't get me wrong, I don't seek to walk away from anything; it's just that there is so much to look forward to discovering. Most of that discovery is in understanding new perspectives and people and in seeing ideas I've believed so deeply come to fruition. I'll share a couple of examples.

A surprise rediscovery in myself is realizing that my childhood and undergraduate focus has come back to front and center in my life - music. As I continued to get more acquainted with colleagues, particularly faculty who serve in administrative roles in the branch campuses of Education City, I have found artistic connections with literally every one of them. In some cases it has been sharing joy in a favorite composer, in other cases it has been seeing music as a pathway to learning. The Dean at Georgetown saw the arts as a gateway to understanding world politics. The Dean of VCU saw music as a stimulus to break-through creativity in design. Not only am I glad that I've maintained my musical commitments over my lifetime, I now realize that music (or any art) makes us educated, interesting, and culturally competent to converse with others. Regardless of what I studied in my advance degrees, it is my undergraduate degree in music that created more connections than anything.

Another moment of awakening occurred when I asked for names of staff who might be interested and available to work on planning a retreat for our staff. I'm used to having to work to identify a diverse group of people who reflect the breadth of cultural perspectives in an organization. At the Qatar Foundation, I simply asked for 3-4 people and received suggestions for professionals from Brazil, Qatar, Jordan, and the U.S.A. They are all of different backgrounds, perspectives, and talents and we're all right there to work with and learn from each other. The struggles we have in diversity in the U.S.A. are usually about getting people to the table; the opportunity of diversity at the Qatar Foundation will be meshing our various voices for positive change.

The last example was one that really stunned me. I was talking to a Qatari woman who wanted to work with the Faculty and Student Services area. She wanted to have the opportunity to pursue advanced graduate education and then to work for the Foundation. I started off by asking her what she had in mind. I'm convinced that she initially thought that she had to give me the answer I wanted. However, something called me to ask her what she really cared about. She immediately lit up with excitement and started talking about writing books for children that would teach them the importance of leadership, and teaching them that they are capable of leadership. Hearing her real passion allowed us to connect and to pursue something that she really could do for Qatar Foundation that would make a real difference. I can hardly wait to return to see her proposal which is likely to include working with college students who will work with youth to help them understand the importance of high quality education and the need to prepare themselves for leadership.

These examples are about what we bring to this moment (perhaps our latent talents), how we tap the potential of all those around us, and how we dig down deep to find something we really care about. Combining these three things are simple, concrete examples of the "Deeper Leadership" model I espouse in my book. Discovering leadership potential isn't magical; it's just a matter of looking within and nurturing the insights that are already in most of us. I have a feeling that my work in Qatar is going to be filled with such examples.