Life's a Pitch: Gaining Fresh Perspectives at Leadership Huntington
What am I even doing here?
Last September, I walked into our first Leadership Huntington session not really knowing what to expect. Our inaugural class is filled with lawyers and leaders, movers and shakers…people way smarter and way more important than I am. I don’t think it would be fair to say I was intimidated. I’m fairly confident in my professional and leadership abilities. But I do have to admit that a bit of imposter syndrome was welling up as I sat myself in the back corner of the room and people watched this impressive group of humans.
I’ve tried to reflect on my time in Leadership Huntington as it starts to wind down. The highlight for me has been getting to know the other members of our class. I’ve been challenged, encouraged, and motivated by their stories and their expertise. I’ve laughed more than is probably appropriate. I’ve built relationships with people I can already truly trust.
In just the last two weeks, I’ve reached out to at least 3 other members asking for insights on different problems I have been facing. There’s another dozen people I would feel completely comfortable reaching out to as well. And I wouldn’t hesitate to provide any help I could offer to any of my peers…although, admittedly, I think most of them could probably figure out how to save a PDF without my professional help.
Lasso level wisdom from the hometown Soccer Coach
Our latest session was a trip to Marshall University. In the midst of the several great sessions, speakers, and panels of the day, one quote struck me because I felt like it perfectly summed up what has made Leadership Huntington such a great experience.
Toward the end of the day, Chris Grassie, the National Championship winning head coach of the Marshall Men’s Soccer team, said this:
“I’m always stuck looking at the world through my own eyes.” Chris Grassie, Marshall Men’s Soccer Coach
It’s a simple, almost cliché piece of wisdom. We often talk about “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes” and trying to see from other people’s perspectives. Maybe this just seemed more profound because of Coach Grassie’s awesome accent or the fact that he talked about getting different perspectives from the “lads” on his team from various countries. For whatever reason, the wisdom hit differently for me this time.
I think the biggest reason this piece of wisdom stood out to me in that moment was that it is the perfect picture of why Leadership Huntington has been such a great experience.
A fresh perspective of Huntington
In the sessions, we’ve gotten to stand in air traffic control towers and hear from the top leaders in our area. We’ve learned about the great things the great people in our community are doing from big time manufacturing to small, boots on the ground non profits. We’ve learned about the importance of sports tourism to our region and listened to various viewpoints of what we need to do to improve our workforce.
Leadership Huntington has been a great opportunity to see our community through a lens many of us never get to see. It has been fascinating to hear passionate people share their work and talk about what they’ve learned about leadership. It has provided a fresh perspective on Huntington and the story we tell about the Jewel City and the leaders within it. (Side note: this is one of my favorite things about my job. I got to meet, learn from, and help tell the stories of some of the best people in our community every day)
Not only have the sessions provided glimpses into other people’s perspectives, the other members of Leadership Huntington all have really different perspectives than I do. Our group is filled with smart and insightful people that are honestly just really good humans. Getting to spend this year learning and growing with them has been enriched by getting to see the world through small bits of perspectives about their life and leadership we get to share.
In short, whether it’s been the sessions or the people, Leadership Huntington has been a rewarding experience because it has allowed us to see, ever so briefly, our community through the eyes of others.
One of these things is not like the others…and that’s a good thing!
But listening to Coach Grassie and going through Leadership Huntington has challenged me in one other area. Not only is it impossible for me to really see the world through someone else’s eyes, but no one else can see the world through MY eyes either.
I bring a unique perspective to the world. I come at problems in my own unique way. I think about life and leadership in a different way because of my own special blend of past experiences and core values. Yes, I should always approach life like “everyone else knows something I don’t” and try to figure those things out, I also need to remember that I also know things in ways that no one else does.
I have a special view and voice in the world. I have a special view and voice within Leadership Huntington. I have a special view and voice on my team, in my family, and with my friends (just ask them! 😂). When I don’t share my perspective, I’m actually robbing the people around me of one of the most special gifts I could give them…a peek at the world through my eyes.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anaïs Nin