Stay at home in your mind. Don’t recite other people's opinions. I hate quotations. Tell me what you know. Journals, 1843 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I continue to grow in this role of leadership, I find myself amused at how much I've become like my mom. Like most of you reading this, I swore that turning into one of my parents would never happen. My mom used to be adamant that I stop always telling her what other people thought and express an opinion of my own. I always assumed that if I referenced how another person felt about an issue, it would not only make me appear to be smarter, but would further validate my opinion. While trying to figure out a solution to a particular societal issue of today, I need look no further than the local evening news or global news media to provide all the answers because they do after all know what they're talking about, right? How else would you explain their ability to recite data, statistics, and historical trends as it relates to violence, healthcare, our economy, and education? All that's necesssary is to reference their solutions and set mine aside since they obviously know more about the issue than I do, correct? I'm hoping by now you've caught my poor attempt to point out how rediculous it is to believe that news reporters are the best qualified people to solve our everyday problems. While I certainly respect their profession, I do not believe they are the final authority on solutions to problems in the world. Mr. Emerson must have motivated my mom because he knew 165 years ago that those who can't use their own mind and state their own opinion render themselves useless to the discussion and meaningless to the solution.
My challenge to you this week is to speak YOUR mind and tell us what YOU know. When asked about our economy, tell us what YOU think it will take to fix it. When asked about the state of affairs in our community, state what YOU believe to be true. Much of what is wrong with our community today is that we rely so heavily on the opinion of others. If you don't have an answer for the question posed, then embrace the teachable moment and research the facts to design your own solution. Last week I mentioned that if you weren't confused you weren't paying attention. That quote applies this week as well. Leaders relish the opportunity to discover new ways to address a particular issue and meet the needs of their clients, customers, students, or consumers. How ironic is it that Mr. Emerson hates quotations but remains one of the most quoted figures to this day. Perhaps the lesson he teaches us is that leadership is hard enough as it is without having to think for everyone else as well.
Alonzo Kelly
President
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
