A Sense of Responsibility...Instead of a Sense of Entitlement “What does this have to do with leadership? You see, the folks of the Ministry of Health, the hospital administrators, the doctors, the nurses…(In Ghana) they are among just 5 per cent of their peers who get an education after secondary school. They are the elite. They are our leaders. Their decisions, their actions matter…and when they fail, a nation literally suffers.” Patrick Awuah says in his TED talk that every society must be intentional in its mission to create leaders. “In Ghana... we are trying to train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders of exceptional integrity who have the ability to confront complex problems, who can ask the right questions and who can come up with workable solutions... “ We need to be able to give them the skills to engage the real world, then magic will happen. Patrick Awuah left Ghana as a teenager to attend Swarthmore College in the United States, then stayed on to build a career at Microsoft in Seattle. In returning to his home country, he has made a commitment to educating young people in critical thinking and ethical service, values he believes are crucial for the nation-building that lies ahead. Founded in 2002, his Ashesi University is already charting a new course in African education, with its high-tech facilities, innovative academic program and emphasis on leadership. It seems more than fitting that ashesi means beginning in Akan, one of Ghanas native languages. (ted/speakers/patrick_awuah.html) Patrick recalls an email message he received from one of the students in the program which was a verification that one of the objectives of the program was being achieved. I am thinking now....thank you. I understood what is happening to this young man...to be a part of empowering someone this way. Here is the link to Patrick’s TED talk. ted/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html Joe Putos, PT Chair, Leadership Division, Canadian Physiotherapy Association physiotherapy.ca/Divisions/Leadership
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 23:57:03 +0000