How Seven Young People Influenced My Life.

Alli, Alex, Anna, Erin, Erica, Riley, and Will.
Seven high school sophomores between the ages of 15 and 16 years old that taught me, their 48 eight year old Facilitator, about Leadership. I got involved in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, (HOBY), by being an Optimist Club member. I wanted to see if I was up to the challenge of mentoring young people. I have been in business for 23 years as a Manufacture’s Representative, National Accounts Manager and National Sales Manager. I have been to dozens of Management Institutes and Leadership Conferences. I have read dozens of books, watched DVD’s and listened to motivational and leadership tapes. Nothing really impacted me like the four days I spent with these young leaders.

These Ambassadors were selected by their high schools to participate in HOBY. This leadership program is designed to motivate tomorrow’s leaders today. The premise of the program is to teach these young people how to think, not what to think. The HOBY program provides lifelong leadership development opportunities that challenge these Ambassadors to achieve their highest potential thorough self-identification and self development.

The four day event was held at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado in the spring of 2007. Over two hundred and thirty young people participated from all over the state. The Ambassadors interface with leaders in business, industry, government, and education through seminars and workshops using a question and answer format on topics like the Genocide in Darfur, Business Ethics, Immigration, Volunteerism, Worldwide Hunger, Media and Education. My seven Ambassadors would then gather and discuss in depth these topics and look at all sides of the issue. The crown jewel of this program is the enthusiasm these young leaders will bring back to their communities and the changes they can make, in their country and throughout the world.

I received way more from these young people than I gave. I received hope for the future. I regained my optimism. I can see how these Ambassadors will be the important leaders of the future. One of the most rewarding portions of the whole experience was that I had a small hand in helping to select one of my Ambassadors to attend the World Leadership Congress in Washington DC. This is the highest honor an Ambassador can win. Over 500 participants will gather including Ambassadors from 30 countries and the heads of state and business to do this same type of event on an international scale.

I found the true meaning of leadership by working with these Ambassadors. Listening, learning, planning, taking action, going with the flow, the reevaluation of assumptions and beliefs and having fun. The biggest take away I received is everything starts and ends with us as individuals. It is our personal responsibility to be informed. I lived up to my own challenge to make a difference in a young person’s life, so can you. For more information on Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, contact them at http://www.hoby.org/