Attending the seminars at the 2011 World Business Forum was truly rewarding. The Forum opened up a person’s mind to issues involved in various areas of business management. What impressed me the most included the following:
1. ‘’The Key to leadership in twenty-first century is to empower people” – Bill George. He suggests that “self-awareness and legacy impact people” and “we shall never doubt a small group of people to change the world”. As an educator of Business and Finance, especially given the recent turbulence and crisis of the financial market, I had been advising all students in and outside of classrooms how the knowledge and skills gained in Finance can not only aid their and their families’ lives but also influence others in our community. More important, leadership is crucial to success, students at Elizabethtown shall have a strong believe that their actions could turn our troubled economy around, and thus act now!
2. “…It’s about teaching yourself that everything is interesting.” – Malcolm Gladwell. Being a lifelong learner myself, I always set examples using my own experiences to tell my students that school is not only a place to get a degree for wall décor but more important a learning experience that would carry them for the rest of their lives. Obtaining the techniques and enhancing the capability of learning and studying are more important than simply agreeing with whatever being taught in class and the text book. In addition, Mr. Gladwell highlighted one key attribute of a successful person, that is: the willingness to take social risks. Indeed, we all face the moment of saying to ourselves: "I know this is right, but if I proceed… How would my friends, family, others in the community perceive my actions? How would they respond to it?” Quite often, we end up giving up the action even if we think is right. This is not only a barrier to our personal success but also deter the advancement of our society.
Dr. Neuhauser was one of three Elizabethtown College faculty members and two students attending the 2011 World Business Forum in New York City, sponsored by The High Companies.
