NextUp

A short time ago, my grandmother told me about this leadership program running here in Vancouver thinking that I'd be interested. I looked into it and she was right: this kind of thing is right up my alley.

I decided to apply, which was a rather complicated process. It involved a reference letter, a resumé, and a series of open-ended questions, so I've had my work cut out for me in my off hours lately.

The real problem for me is that while I already have a long list of reference letters and an extensive resumé, neither of these are really geared toward a program like this. Thankfully, Stephen came through with a wonderful reference letter, and a few hours with Open Office saw me through updating my resume.

The fun part was the series of questions. I had the option to choose from a list, and I thought I'd share this one:

Q: Is there anybody that has had a particular influence on your way of working and thinking? Who and why?

A: When I was roughly ten years old, my mother asked me: "If you could have either power or influence, which one would you choose?" It was a difficult question for a young child, but it didn't take long for me to realise that while power is transitory, influence has lasting effects, becoming part of the cultural fabric.

It's with the above thinking in mind that I chose Gene Roddenberry in answer to this question. He painted a picture of humanity's future, and his hard work had considerable influence on my development. I came to understand the importance of diversity in a society, and embraced the idea that we can learn to direct our energies toward bettering ourselves rather than exploiting others for personal gain. This is all Gene's fault, and I intend to thank him by doing everything I can to get us all closer to his vision.

That's right, I picked Gene Roddenberry :-P Who better to inspire you?

I'll let you know if I'm accepted.