Let’s start with a simple thought: try to escape your own ethnocentricity. Take airlines for example. The next flight you take, have a look at the airline maps. United Airlines depicts their worldly connections as originating from America. Lufthansa depicts maps originating from Germany. Each culture puts themselves at the center of their own map. But no matter where you go, if you ask each culture just one question: What is your dream for your children? They will all say the same thing, “a hope that my kid’s life will be better than my own.”
These were the words of Secretary Bob McDonald on Saturday evening at the McDonald Cadet Leadership conference. For the past four days, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself with both world leaders in business and entrepreneurship, as well as the brightest millennial minds from around the world. Together, we asked ourselves what exactly will it take for the millennial generation to give a better world to our children. Our generation has inherited the gift of information. Like no other generation before us, we have power of information. The internet allows us to connect, express our opinions, and learn from other’s ideas. But with this power comes the humbling realization that the leaders of tomorrow must use it correctly. Those who will lead tomorrow’s world will be individuals who recognize the importance of cultural relativism. Our generation is sitting in the middle of a proverbial teeter totter, we can tip towards ethnocentrism and continue to take enough “selfies” to cement ourselves with our own ideas or we can tip towards the understanding that the information at hand can teach us new ideas like never before. Tomorrows leaders will recognize that time has become delineated and fleeting; the organizations we are responsible for are no longer solely are own and we must plan for the long term future with integrity and vision in order to assure a better life for our children.
The McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference (MCLC) at the United States Military Academy in West Point New York was a truly remarkable experience. Each day was filled with challenging conversations with leaders from around the world addressing themes of global economy, education, connectedness, and stewardship. Speakers included Stan McChrystal, General (Retired), Bob McDonald, Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Donna Shalala, President Univ. of Miami; Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and recently announced future chief executive officer of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Randall Wallace, Screenwriter, director, and producer (including Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, Pearl Harbor, Secretariat), Bekele Gelata, Secretary General Emeritus of the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and several others.
Lucas Fass authored this article based on his attendance at the McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in April. Fass, a senior in the pharmacology-toxicology undergraduate program, was one of two UW-Madison undergraduates selected to attend the noteworthy event. The conference is intended for top undergraduate student leaders from diverse backgrounds to participate in a team-based, experiential and analytical exercise that bolsters leadership skills, fosters critical thinking and collaboration, and develops potential strategies for addressing pressing global issues. Fass is a pre-medical student from Middleton, Wis.