Leadership & Character | Manakin Sabot, VA
A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Manakin Sabot, VA on November 9, 2018 to discuss Leadership & Character.
Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:
- We discussed how many people we have seen display character did so through the common traits of selflessness, humility, vulnerability and the willingness to put the common good above their own needs.
- We agreed that doing the “right thing” or being vulnerable in front of others is very hard and requires self-confidence and emotional resilience, which are the qualities of good leaders.
- One of the salient takeaways from the dinner conversation was that people of character did not live perfect or conflict-free lives, but instead were open and willing to face their challenges- often in public, which made them role models to others.
- The distinction between “resume virtues” and “eulogy virtues”, as described by columnist David Brooks, precipitated the most thought provoking conversation, leading to a discussion of how Wake Forest could promote the traits of character in students within our achievement focused culture, in addition to making us all evaluate our current actions and their impact on others.
- Both the Wake Forest alumni and parents of WF students echoed the sentiment that Wake Forest is a special community that values character in their students as defined by their motto of Pro Humanitate.