CSM Leadership Summit: Lessons for Compassion by the Book

Yesterday, I had the privilege and honor of attending the 3rd Annual Colorado School of Mines Leadership Summit. Having attended the Summit twice now, I have learned that leadership is such a broad topic with so many lessons that attending a day-long conference is like "drinking water from a fire hose." The keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and table conversation were thought provoking and inspiring, so before the experience fades to memory, I thought it best to record some key lessons for Compassion by the Book.

     1. Importance of Vision

In the morning, keynote speaker Craig Valentine gave everyone the assignment to "write down your perfect day." To me, this exercise is the crucial first step to leadership: defining vision. What do you want to do and where do you want to go? Writing out your dreams makes your vision clearer and stronger, kick starts your endeavors, and serves as a measure of progress. Once you have a clear vision, you can share it with others and bring them along for the journey - that is where leadership comes in.

My vision for Compassion by the Book: To empower students at every college and university in the U.S. to make a positive impact in the world through their resources and skills and to see their minds and hearts open to the needs in their communities and the world.

      2. Importance of Planning

According to Mr. Valentine, one minute of planning produces four minutes. If that is true, you cannot afford not to plan. I must admit that planning is one of my most difficult challenges. I am excited about the operations of Compassion by the Book, but I would rather be fulfilling plans than creating them. In a breakout session on "Delivering a Successful Strategic Plan," Andrew Flynn noted that for a corporation, strategic planning can take four to six months. Understandably so, because there are so many aspects of business to consider. In the case of Compassion by the Book, we have to file paperwork, develop the brand, establish values and the mission, and define standard practices, in addition to setting the model of operations, recruiting volunteers, developing systems, marketing and organizing events.


Planning for Compassion by the Book: With so much to plan for, it is probably best to start with a list - and not just a mental list. To manage so much information without documentation means that some will probably fall through the cracks. I am committing myself to write a detailed list of all that needs to be done before operations can truly begin and assign priorities and deadlines to the tasks (because "you master what you can measure" - Mr. Valentine).


     3. Importance of Partnership

You have a vision and you are committed to achieving it, but you cannot do it alone! Both keynote speakers had people in their lives who pushed them to be greater and encouraged them in their dreams. I am lucky to have such people in my life too. I have reached a point where my vision requires more participation. I have to give more responsibility and entrust my idea to others, which can be a scary prospect. I was encouraged by the afternoon keynote speaker, Mr. Robert Waterman, who said that working as a team means you must relinquish some control, but the team can do much more than you alone. Finding the right team, spreading the vision, developing buy-in, building accountability, communicating, and giving value back to team members will add to Compassion by the Book's work and its effectiveness.

Partnership with Compassion by the Book: The purpose of Compassion by the Book has always been to spread the idea of the college student's potential to make a positive impact in the world. It is natural that as many students and others should be involved as possible. In spreading this idea and placing power in the hands of students, Compassion by the Book must provide the right tools and leadership to maximize the results.

What did I learn about leadership? Leadership starts with your dreams, makes a plan to achieve them, and empowers and engages others.


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