Leadership & Character | Oakland, CA

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Oakland, CA on March 15, 2019 to discuss Leadership & Character.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• Many examples were shared on who we see in our lives as exemplifying character, ranging from a colleague, teacher, family member, or friend. We discussed at length how this can play out very differently in the SF Bay Area, in comparisons to other locations, particularly due to the technology aspect of the community.
• Character can be the recognition of priorities, either professionally or personally. Character was described as “a non-negotiable core of inner principles,” serving as a guiding light. This sense of character can begin at a young age and be learned or taught through a sense of social consciousness. At young ages, kids are a mirror of ourselves, so we need to set the example. We all walked away thinking of the Golden Glove exercise – do unto others…
• “I didn’t hire the stable, but the racehorse.” This shows the importance of another notion that part of leadership is the capacity to lead. It doesn’t always take a big act but it can be a smaller thing that makes a larger impact.
• Great leaders have staying power and compassion is the glue that keeps us together. Relationships and people coming together in a trying time can make the community stronger.
• One participant shared this phrase that closed our evening together: “Wake Forest is a place of the heart and the mind.”