My mind this morning is on a quote from the mesmerizing poet and prophet Maya Angelou: “Most people don’t grow up,” she said. “Most people age.
“They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children and call that maturity. What that is is aging.”
I’m 52 and have spent the past couple of nights with my wife, Leslie, reviewing applications for high schools and colleges.
When I began writing about our industry, Ari was not yet born and Daniel was a fancy. Today, they are 17 and 13, a high-school senior and an eighth grader, respectively.
Both are transitioning to the next stage in their educational and personal growth. And the questions they are asked, whether it be for college or high school, are introspective and meaningful for all of us who value life as a gift and see a moment as an opportunity.
The questions generally target a few main areas of a person: achievements, influences and goals. Here are a few under each:
Achievements:
- How have you demonstrated leadership ability both in school and in your personal life?
- Describe a personal quality that emerged from the achievement that you were previously not aware you possessed.
Influences:
- Share an experience and explain how it influenced your development.
- What role has your family and community played in guiding your views and values?
Goals:
- Describe your goals for your four-year college experience and post-college.
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- How have you arrived at your goals?
- Are your goals flexible? Could new experiences lead to new goals?
- What contribution do you hope to make to better society?
Thinking Young
Reread those questions and replace school/college with “my business.” Where do you want to be in 10 years? How did you reach your goals and have you set new ones? What contribution are you making or hope to make in society?
During a recent vacation, Leslie, Daniel and I went biking along the coast of New Hampshire. Reaching an overlook, we saw an elderly couple walking briskly as waves ripped against the rocks.
“I’m 87 and we’ve been married for 65 years,” the husband said. “We love these walks. It lets us talk about the past and think about the future.” Wow!
In recent years, I’ve met 30-year-olds whose thinking has fossilized, their imagination salted and stilled. I’ve also met those of retirement age and beyond who are training to run their first marathon, starting a nonprofit or opening a bookstore.
It’s not about age, it’s about a sense of wonderment.
In 2008, Vineet Nayar, a prominent Indian business executive and author, wrote a fascinating piece in the Harvard Business Review titled “What Leaders Can Learn From Children.”
“Unlike children, we adults draw comfort working within predictable boundaries,” he wrote. “The sudden turn that used to delight us when we were kids raises our guard as adults.”
I remember as a 10-year-old playing ball at the park with my best friend, Dennis Chin. We would alternate between hitting flies and playing the field. Suddenly, a few raindrops descended. Moments later, we were caught in a full-fledged downpour.
And we continued to play.
So I was particularly struck when Nayar continued, “Have you seen a child’s eyes light up when it rains and he or she is caught outdoors? They soak in the wetness and the smell of the thirsty earth, they splash in the water and find new games to play in the rain.
“There is a forgotten lesson we leaders can learn here as we deal with the thundering rain in the world of business right now.
“Once you are wet, the fear of getting wet is over and you start enjoying the rain. With the fear gone, you return to your work with unmitigated enthusiasm. However, if you freeze indoors because of rain, there is no way you will reach anyplace.”
So, as we now embrace the autumn months and approach the season of holidays, let’s ask ourselves the questions of our children’s high school and college applications.
And let’s most certainly enjoy the rain.
Mitch Morrison is vice president and director of Winsight’s Retail Executive Platform. Reach him at mmorrison@winsightmedia.com.
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