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Big Problems = BIG OPPORTUNITIES!!
Posted by The Stewards Staff on Jul 01 2009
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Recently, my Sansa Fuze MP3 died on me.  So, upon researching and comparing (between an iPod and a Zune), I invested in the Zune 120 G.  Talk about excited!!

Well, now I have the opportunity to subscribe to various Podcasts.  One I subscribe to is the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders, from Sanford’s Technology Ventures Program.  The latest Podcast was The Art of Teaching Entrepreneurship and Innovation by Tina Seeling.  Tina began by explaining that she has a very diverse base of experience.  Though she earned her Ph.D. in Medicine, she was not in the medical field, she has worked in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and she has owned her own companies.

Immediately, I identified because: my degree was in education and I never taught, and I've worked in the same sectors.

Anywho, she then shared that she teaches her entrepreneurial students through presenting a series of big problems, throughout the semester.  Dr. Seeling explained that she found that presenting students with impossible tasks better prepared future entrepreneurs than having them solely create business plans.

Additionally, Dr. Seeling finds that having students attack big problems leads them out of their comfort zones; thus equipping them with real life experiences that will help them become more comfortable with attacking real issues once they enter their ventures and/ or careers.  Also, this enables them to tap into their creative juices.  She teaches that entrepreneurs are more apt to create their own luck...ponder that!  She suggests that, in any room, there is a million dollars awaiting you--you simply have to find it.

So, how does this relate to youth development and empowerment?  Does our society encourage youth to solve life problems, or does society teach our youth to avoid problems?  Do we empower youth to think critically, or do we teach them to find the shortest route away from their problems, no matter the cost? 

I believe we must re-introduce risk-taking.  Why do we keep our youth from failing?  Any entrepreneur will tell you they have earned their greatest life successes by learning from their biggest failures.  I consider myself a successful entrepreneur, and I am POSITIVE The Steward's Staff would not be what it is had I not experienced economical down-turn, loosing key employees, being fired or handling changes that were completely sudden and TOTALLY out of my control.

As a community, we must encourage our youth's creative juices.  We must observe their failures and help them to realize the lessons they encountered along they so they can better navigate through their future experiences.  Embracing these challenges surrounding our youth are not for the purpose of ensuring a successful career in their future, but empowering youth to better navigate through life challenges will ABSOLUTELY better equip them through character development, by way of critical thinking and analysis.

These are just my thoughts...what are yours?

...Leading by being Led

Last changed: Jul 01 2009 at 1:07 PM

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