Leadership | Winston-Salem, NC

 

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in the Worrell Professional Center on Thursday, October 4, 2018 to discuss Leadership.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• As we shared stories about great leaders in our lives, certain attributes stuck out: great leaders encourage us to stretch our comfort zones, lead by example, promote diversity of thought, are measured, empathetic, and humble. It was agreed upon that they often project a “it’s not about me” mentality. Great leaders see the big picture and advocate for the people around them.
• The liveliest conversation seemed to center around these questions: can we teach leadership? Is it better to challenge current leaders, or do we replace them with new options? Many folks around the table told stories of how some of the best leaders in their minds seem to be those who weren’t asking for a leadership position.
• One of the best things about the conversation were the various “challenges” respectfully issued to one another We talked about how millennials can be perceived as entitled sometimes; that notion was challenged by the idea that it is “OK to promote oneself if it can better an organization.” There was more challenging discussion around the thought that leading where you are is important, even if you’re not satisfied with your current position. A highlight of the C2C movement is affirming shared perspectives, yet also being open one another in disagreement.
• We all seemed to agree upon the simple notion that there is a “Wake Forest” way. That is, Wake Foresters look out for one another, and that we are “scholars and mentors.” And, as leaders within the law school or in our communities, whether that is a firm, marketing agency, or in a hospital, Wake Forest has helped to teach us leadership qualities that we use in our own workplaces to this day.