I'm not sure what sort of format I'll be going for with this... Maybe the presentation will lend itself to a live blog, during which I'll post every few minutes. Or maybe I'll write up a summary afterward. We'll see. Stay tuned.
Event begins at noon in the SPH lecture hall on the first floor.
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12:09 - The presentation is underway. Dr. Corbett is glad to be back. She's astounded by the changes. "The building is huge!" she says.
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12:17 - "Aren't we just tired of hearing that word, 'diversity'?" she asks.
"Probably so," Dr. Corbett answers her own questions.
Dr. Corbett says that there is more emphasis in our nation now to preserve culture and identity. Scholars are concerned about the blurring of culture in the height of diversity in America. She says that the increased acceptance of minority participation in sport, tension has risen.
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12:19 - How many minorities and African Americans have you seen in the winter games? An interesting question she poses. Although minorities are more prominent in baseball, football and more traditional sports, where are they in new age sports?
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12:23 Consider that it is time to select a world leader, and your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates:
CANDIDATE A: Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He had two mistresses. He also chain smoked and drank eight to ten martinis a day.
CANDIDATE B: Was kicked out of office twice, slept in until noon, used opium in college and drank a quart of whiskey every evening.
CANDIDATE C: He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, didn't smoke, drank an occasional beer and did not have extramarital affairs.
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12:26 - CANDIDATE A: Franklin Roosevelt.
CANDIDATE B: Winston Churchill.
CANDIDATE C: Adolph Hitler.
Diversity is a commitment to variety of perspectives that spurs intellectual and creative work and learning, where men and women of diverse racial, social and economic groups play a major role... in a spirit of mutual respect...
Time to take some pictures. I may miss a few minutes of her presentation.
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12:35 - A quote (though probably not verbatim) I caught while taking pics: "Leadership is the ability to influence. Nothing more. Nothing less." She also recommends The 360 Degree Leader, of John Maxwell, an author that a good portion the room seems familiar with.
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12: - Dr. Corbett addresses the leadership myth. There are actually three methods of leading, she says: (1) leading up; (2) leading across; and (3) leading down.
Leading up - exemplified by those employees, those students with a "whatever it takes" attitude. Those who will reach the destination when there is no prepared path.
Leading across - those who get out of their comfort zone to embrace cultural and social differences. You have to keep learning and growing when you don't feel like doing go. Be inclusive. Put others ahead of yourself, and cut out the fan fair. "The principal of leading across and reaching out is to be a friend," Dr. Corbett says. Be friends with people who are different, because friendship is the foundation of influence. Be a friend by listening. Find a common ground.
Leading down - You're not perfect. Don't lead down. Lead across. Not everyone across the world has the same perspective about America as we have about ourselves. Not every minority has the same perspective we have about ourselves. Be real by admitting our faults.
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1:00 - In conclusion: We are the generation to make a change, to advance social justice. We are the generation to be those leaders to make it happen.
Thank you, Dr. Corbett, for visiting your alma mater.
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