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Post date: Sep 9, 2017 12:26:50 PM
As students of UWC ISAK Japan, we feel that it is our duty to give back to our wonderful school by grasping on to any opportunity presented to us, and make good use of it by learning new things, and spreading the name of our school all around Japan. Our first opportunity to do such thing was during the first Saturday of September, when I had the privilege to travel to Tokyo, alongside a teacher and thirteen of my peers to listen to a talk given by Noble Peace Prize laureate Mr. Jerry White. Obviously, the process of being chosen to attend the talk was really competitive, and I am glad that I got selected
Now before I dive into any details about the talk, I would just like to talk briefly about the life of Mr. Jerry White, and why I consider him to be an inspiration of mine. People are often remembered by the prizes and awards that they have won throughout their lives, and while this may not necessarily be a negative thing, I just believe that there is more to be learned from listening to the past experiences of people rather than just recognizing them by the titles/awards they have won. I could talk about the fact that Mr. White is currently the CEO of a an impacts strategy company, or the fact that he is a Co-Chair of Global Covenant Partners, but what amazes me about Mr. White is not his high rank/status in different companies, but the mentality that he had in recovering and driving to make change from a trauma that he suffered earlier in his life. At the age of 33, Mr. White suffered from an experience that no human being should ever endure by losing his leg in a landmine accident. What came after his full recovery was a total shock and a true example of a person that displays leadership in his life. Instead of just lying down and giving up, Mr. White fought his way back to the world and with the help and support of Diana Princess of Wales, he aided in the launching of an International Campaign to Ban Landmines which ended in an UN resolution ratified by countries around the world. He ended up saving lives of people who could have possible faced the same horrific experiences that he did. Truly remarkable!
Towards the end of the talk, Mr. White encouraged us to share the most important parts of the talk with the world. He asked us to share our experiences and what we learned, in order to further disseminate his ideas to the world. I will now share the most important points of the talk.
- Strategy is the "art of creating power".
- You can't save huge worldwide problems by using technology (outside of the box creative thinking is required).
- There is no straight line in life.
The Main Hallmarks of Victim-hood:
- Being stuck in the past
- Self-pitying
- Resenting
- Blaming
- Taking
The Main Hallmarks of Survivors:
- Face facts
- Choose life
- Reach out.
- Get moving
- Give back
The Main Qualities of a Leader:
- Courage
- Humor
- Humility
- Perseverance
- Generosity
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