Leadership & Character | New York City, NY

Group photo from the Call to Conversation Signature event in New York City on May 9, 2018.

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in New York City on May 9, 2018 to discuss Leadership & Character.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

  • Key themes about witnessing Leadership & Character were: Openness, Dependability, Empathy, Kindness, Selflessness and Generosity.
  • When considering how to teach leadership and character, anecdotal stories seem to be effective.
  • “You can tell the strength of someone’s character by how they treat someone that they don’t need to depend on.” “Easy to be ethical when you have nothing to risk.”
  • People make decisions based on the value gained. Can we help frame decision making through teaching better questions that are grounded in integrity, character, empathy and leadership?
  • Effectiveness vs. Empathy – How does today’s society and environment acknowledge / reward these two things?

What students need to know:

  • Learn from failures
  • Vulnerability is important to understand
  • Adversity is a good thing
  • Be self reliant
  • Learn the importance of balance
  • Perfection is not always needed
  • We thought “Work Forest” has a more negative connotation than beneficial