|
|
|
||||||
Make It So
|
PRINT THIS ARTICLE |
|
| Dr. Paul D. Houston Founding Partner |
In one of the Star Trek movies, Captain Picard of the starship Enterprise urged his crew to “make it so.” He was asking them to take hold of the goal and make it happen. Since none of us has a Captain Picard around to urge us on to success, we have to find a way to “make it so” in our own lives. Steve and I have called this “Manifesting Our Vision.” Or, if you prefer, you can follow the urging of Larry the Cable Guy and “get ‘er done.”
Most of us can recall times in our lives when our urge to “make it so” was so strong that it led to success—sometimes unexpected success. When I was a senior in high school I wanted badly to escape from the hills and hollows of West Virginia. One of my teachers kept suggesting that I was college material so, at her urging (and even though I had a checkered history as a student), I decided to try applying for college. At the time I was greatly impressed with President Kennedy, and I learned that he had attended Harvard. Then and there I decided that going to Harvard was something I should do also. The fact that I was ill-prepared for an Ivy League experience never crossed my mind. I applied and eagerly awaited my acceptance. In due course, I received a letter from Harvard telling me politely that I was not Harvard material. I was crushed. But I did something that, for me, was a little odd: I pasted that letter in the back of my senior memories book with a bold heading over it: “My greatest challenge.” That came at a time when my awareness of my own capabilities was beginning to blossom; I decided that even though Harvard had rejected me, I would not reject myself. Over the next few years I thought of that letter and even, on occasion, took out that book and looked at it.
Part of manifesting our vision is having a deep belief in ourselves and what we can do. Another part is rejecting the judgment of others. Over time I have learned to listen to “constructive criticism” and even to destructive criticism, but I have also learned to review critical statements and arrive at my own judgment of my actions. I never really internalize what others say or think about me. This has led others to think of me as thick-skinned, dispassionate, or just plain hard-headed. All these descriptors are probably true, but these same characteristics have allowed me the room to mark my own progress toward my own goals. We should listen to what others think about us, but we should never internalize it.
Even as I was enjoying a successful undergraduate and graduate experience in college, I never forgot that letter in my old high school book. When it came time to apply for my doctorate, with some urging from others (yes, I do listen!), I once again applied to Harvard. This time, however, I was accepted. My vision of going to the school attended by JFK and many other famous and successful people was realized. When I arrived on campus, I realized that Harvard’s initial rejection was one of the best things that had happened to me. It drove me to study harder and become a better student, and it strengthened my resolve.
Years later, after a successful career in several superintendencies in several different states, I learned that the position of Executive Director for the American Association of School Administrators was opening. I had been an AASA member since my graduate school days at Harvard and had received one of their coveted scholarships to help with my graduate degree. At the time I thought it would be wonderful if someday I could become a superintendent myself. I never thought for a second that I could become director of the organization that represented my profession. But as I gained confidence and experience, my goals grew, so that by the time that job opened, I thought I was ready. I went for it—with a vengeance. In my heart I believed that I was the best person for the job, and I set out to get it. I laid out a “campaign” that would bring me to the attention of the board, that would showcase my strengths and explain my deficiencies for the job. After months of effort and fully carrying out the campaign, I was named the new Executive Director. After 14 successful years I retired from my “dream job” at AASA with great satisfaction.
What did I learn from that experience? I learned that our visions should grow, as we grow. I couldn’t have done that job without the successive responsibilities and variety of jobs I had held up to that point. I also learned that if I want something, I have to work for it. Even though I thought I was the right person for the AASA job, I also knew that no one was going to call me up, out of the blue, and offer it to me. I would have to work for it.
Now I have shared two examples of having a vision and manifesting it. I could have also shared the times I had a vision and failed at realizing it. We aren’t always going to hit the ball out of the park. Babe Ruth usually led the league in strikeouts as well as homeruns. We can learn from our successes, but we can also learn from our failures. In fact, we need to be sure to learn from our failures. And we can learn that sometimes our failures pave the way for later success. It takes determination, hard work, and a deep belief in ourselves to manifest our vision.
View Paul Houston's Political Blog
Center for Empowered Leadership ®
Email: info@cfel.org
Phone: 1.609.259.7911