Apr 25, 2018
William Deresiewicz, award winning essayist, critic, and the writer
of Excellent
Sheep, joins Jim and
Jan and shares his perspective on the need for solitude in the
interconnected age, social and emotional learning, and which
interpersonal skills are crucial to moving forward in the future.
Key Takeaways
[4:33] In order to be a real
leader, you have to be able to think and create space around the
ideas.
[8:18] What William calls the
“waitress principle” emphasizes the tendency for managers to lead
without listening, and push the ideas away from those who really
are in the front lines of what is happening.
[10:54] There seems to be a push
to imply that everyone has to be some type of leader, and if you
aren’t interested in leadership you must be a follower. Good
thinkers and intellectuals don’t have to automatically be pushed
with the label as a thought leader.
[13:33] The educational system
now generally produces the type of person who is afraid of taking
risks, doesn’t know how to make decisions on their own and relies
on doing what someone else tells them to. While ambitious and
talented, students need to learn more how to take control of their
own thoughts and lives.
[20:22] William discusses how
the meritocracy from the 1960’s has now led to the present day
created creditantled arts race that puts the interest of the
country ahead of individualism.
[29:57] We have come to believe
that education is all about the job market. While that is clearly
important, social and emotional learning is also crucial to
developing sound future leaders.
[37:50] It’s not fair to say
kids these days don’t work hard or have an interest in leadership.
They they have been thrown into an economy with no stability and
security, and under the lead of employers that may not show
commitment or leadership principles they can follow.
LinkedIn:
@William Deresiewicz
Facebook:
@WilliamDeresiewicz
Website: billderesiewicz.com
Twitter: @WDeresiewicz
Quotable Quotes
- Solitude is the essence of
leadership.
- “My
only experience in leadership has been resisting other people’s
efforts to exert it on me.”
- In
order to really think, you have to be able to be alone.
- We
don’t all have to be leaders.
- Successful adults do not lead linear
lives.
- I’ve
learned to agree with being disagreed with.
- Ask
yourself why the term and concept of leadership is important to you
in the first place.
Bio
William Deresiewicz is an
award-winning essayist and critic, a frequent college speaker, and
the best-selling author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the
American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life.
Books Mentioned in this Episode
Excellent Sheep
How to Raise an
Adult
Kids These
Days
On Political Correctness