One of my favorite traditions that we have in our department is our capstone class' pizza party. As part of that experience, each professor in the department gets to stand up and say a few words of advice for our graduates. I have posted all of mine in the past few years and I really wanted to keep that tradition alive as well.
As my transition into becoming the new Chair of the Department
comes closer, I have been thinking a lot about leadership lately. For
those of you who have taken one of my classes, you know how important I feel
that each of you take on a leadership role in some part of your life. One
of the biggest lessons that I have learned over the years, is that leadership
requires first and foremost to understand and appreciate your team. Over
the past few years, while this team has taught you theoretical foundations,
statistical analyses and financial statements. While this information is
indeed important, what was more so, is the way in which they imparted it to
you. Each of these individuals has their own approach and style that is
unique unto them and uses it for their and your advantage. If you have
watched real closely over the last few years, you will see that this mix of ingredients
bring a recipe for success...
For instance, Professor Clement brings a desire to innovate. He
looks at problems not as insurmountable blockages but rather as challenges for
growth.
Dr. McLeod creates real and lasting
relationships. If you have ever seen him 'work a room' it would be the
first time. He doesn't 'work a room' but rather hosts gatherings of
friends and colleagues. He is genuine and likable. People come to
trust and respect him because of it.
Dr. Crotts is a master strategist.
He knows how to take his ideas, break them down into components and
convince you that they are correct. He achieves his goals by
understanding the system and knowing where to implement his strategies where
they will work to their greatest effectiveness.
Ms. Green, I have to admit she frightened me a little at
first. I have come however to love and respect her. What is
impressive about Ms. Green is that she has a level of determination that is
incredible to see. When she gets an idea in her head that she feels is right,
she will run through walls to see it get done.
Dr. Pan is a man of tremendous wisdom.
In an hour meeting, everyone will have had plenty to say but the five
words stated by Dr. Pan will usually be the most memorable and insightful.
He is the best example of quality over quantity, I have ever met.
Melinda. Her ability to keep order
and organization is incredible. She has become an indispensable member of
our team because she bring order to the chaos that is academia. She is often
the voice of reason and brings a earthbound perspective to any discussion.
Dr. Litvin, who is a man who my admiration
knows no end, has gained such respect and loyalty from me because he is an
individual who stands for love and compassion. Everything he does comes
directly from the heart. He has taught me that what we do here is more
than a mere profession but rather as a chance to constantly build and grow not
only ourselves but to make a positive impact around us.
We finally come to Dr. Frash. I have
to say my first few years here, I didn't really get a chance to know Dr. Frash
all that well. Over the past three years or so, I feel that we have
become close and he has taught me so much. One of his greatest gifts of
leadership is that he is willing to tell the truth even if it is not to his own
personal advantage. He tells the truth even when people do not want to
hear it not because he is being cruel but rather because he believes you need
to hear it to become a better person. I have witnessed him many of time
be heartbroken and left feeling isolated because of what he said but knowing
that he did what needed to be done in order to lead people to success. I
only hope I can be half the leader that he is.
So my leadership lessons that I hope you
picked up from this little talk are innovation, relationships, strategy,
determination, organization, wisdom, love and truth. If you ensure you
are working towards these ends in your life, you will be successful.
With three kids in three different schools and me teaching at a university, viruses come around our house often and I am guessing most of family has built up a pretty good immunity. This week however, that immunity didn't work out so well as a cold ripped through the household. During this week of thankfulness, add white blood cells to the list. So yeah to biological sciences...
"There has been a question that has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks. I thought of the question when preparing a talk for the global tourism class and I think it is valuable thought as you venture out into the workforce. I want to pose a question to you all. How much hospitality should we trade for the business? The origins of the word hospitality comes from the Greek 'philoxenos' which means 'love of strangers.' The root of 'travel' comes from the French, 'travailler' meaning 'to work.' Combined the original intent of hospitality was to give comfort to guests because of the hardships it took to travel. Now, the question is, have we gotten away from that original intent?
Like most people, I love my mom but how I do write about her without sounding cliche? The fundamentals of my mom is that she is an intelligent, well spoken women. If she was born 20-25 years later, she probably would have been a CEO. She reads constantly. She reads a variety and a plethora of literature. She has carried a desire to learn and grow throughout her life. She actually thinks about things and has informed opinions. While she is introverted, she forces herself to become a customer service expert. She is willing to stretch herself as an individual. She is a great example of how life long learning, growth and development leads to a happy life. 
