What the World Needs Now

Closing keynote speaker Michael Sorrell inspired the audience with his presentation on The Leaders We Need Now (abstract). This session was ripe with empowering quotes on leadership and advice for all those who aspire to be the leaders that our learning communities need now. The keynote focused on his presidency at Paul Quinn College in Texas. He took the job at a time when the future of the institution was grim. The college was failing at trying to be a traditional college, and not the college that the students needed. A college that would address the issues that students were currently facing. They asked themselves, how could they use the 18 months afforded to them by COVID to change the trajectory that the college was on. 

The following is a list of quotes from Sorrell that continue to resonate with me. 

"To be a leader you must have the ability to face our fears"

"Fear of failure is merely a stumble, it is only a fall if you refuse to get up"

"Don't fear history, know history"

"History is defined by the people who stood up and said we need a different way, who said not on my watch, who said I choose A instead of B, who said I will go on this path alone until the rest of you catch up"

"Leaders must represent people whose voices are not being heard"

Live by the principles of the four L's. 

• "Leave places better than you found them"
• "Live a life that matters"
• "Lead from wherever you are"
• "Love something greater than yourself"

He closed his keynote with questions for the audience:

• "What are you going to do?"
• "Who are you going to be?"
• "What do you want history to say about you?"