Generative Generation

Yesterday two things happened that inspired this post.  First I met with my good friend and startup soulmate Carl Nordgren, also know as the Creative Populist.  By the way, if you haven't supported his Kickstarter Campaign yet, now is the time.  As we, the community, support visionaries like Carl, our young people will be armed with the tools they need.  Second, I watched "What Most Schools Don't Teach" which every parent should watch.
In our meeting Carl used the word "generative."  I've heard the word before but not in the context of how young people should be thinking about their future.  Plus, get this:  Generative comes from a root word also meaning "generous."  The short message:  Our youth must be generating or producing or creating or adding value or growing something to be fulfilled and to enjoy life.  In this process, hopefully their generosity will be the added X factor to the formula for success.

Why A Gap?

While some may figure out what they will do while they are in high school and college, I am finally figuring out what problems I will solve in the world.  Most young people simply don't understand the options for careers until they've been in the world for some time.  However, there are ways to decrease the time it takes to figure it out.  

In learning to counsel my own 3 children in the career decision process, I've read books such as Creating Innovators, spent many hours with Duke students and high school students, and spoken with other parents and education leaders.  One decision I've made is to high encourage my children to pursue a Gap Year.  

Here's why:

• Better Choice of Majors - Why did I choose information systems as a major?  I think someone told me I could get a job there and I wanted a job when I graduated.  If young people spend a year in the world before college, they will make a more educated decision on their major.  
• Higher Probability of Right Career - Imagine reaching the peak of the mountain and realizing you just climbed the wrong mountain.  This reminds me of a conversation I had with an attorney that was switching careers.  I think he would agree that he wishes he would have spent more time investigating the details of the mountains before he reached the peak of the wrong one.
• Be Student Leader as a 1st Year - Recently I spent time with several 1st year students at Duke and I was so impressed with what they had experienced even before college.  Experiences such as harvesting plants to make fuel and building water filters in Cambodia.  These will be the leaders at Duke in a couple years.
• Get More Out of Classes - A lot of grad schools require students to have work experience before they come mainly so they can both add to the class discussions and get better handle on the material presented.  What would happen if a student who had worked a year in marketing then went to school and sat in a marketing class?  

There are many Gap Programs that are valuable.  Here's one I am launching in the Fall:  Startup High GAP Program.  

How did Richard Brodhead become President Brodhead?

This morning was my first opportunity to chat with Richard Brodhead (President of Duke University) when we ran into each other at the StudentU breakfast.  We only had a few minutes together, but I came away with a feeling that this man cares deeply about students and that he has learned how to handle people.

As the President of Duke you deal with 14,000 students, 3,000 professors, 8,000 staff, and many more thousands of alumni who donate generously to make the university work.  Despite all those, he quickly asked me a very specific question about one InCube student, Fabio Berger, who took a year off to pursue a startup.  Here's our exchange:

• President Brodhead:  Did that guy Fabio ever come back (to Duke)?  
• Me:  Yes, he did.  
• President Brodhead:  I didn't think he would (smiling).  
• Me:  It's great, because he is now the grey haired guy that students go to for advice on their startups.

This exchange resonated since I am reading How to Win Friends and Influence People and one of the chapter focuses on remembering names.  Obviously President Brodhead has excelled in the academic world but most would agree that his success (and ours) comes from the ability to work with people.