Larry D. Lauer

As I looked out over my class of undergraduates in London this year I found myself thinking: “How many, if any, will go from here determined to make a real difference with their lives?

It’s common knowledge that many current college students come from families where their parents made success easy for them.  These so-called “helicopter parents” meant well as they helped their children excel with class assignments, sports competitions, social relationships, and even with getting into college.

But now, these kids are about to face the most complex and confusing economy, changing job market, and threatening social and international issues one can imagine.  So in this international setting I could not help but thinking: “Who among them will be both motivated and capable of stepping up to these challenges?”

I went on to tell them: “You will need to find and live your special personal strengths. You will need to persist and stay focused day and night. Yes, you can play hard and have a strong family life, but to make a difference in this complex world you will have to be able to carry a dream of achievement with you day and night.”

In the last two years I have been able to witness this kind of successful integration of professional and social life among the very smart and talented people in the Washington think-tank and association world. These are driven people, to be sure, but most also have strong families and know how to have fun!

So, I went on to suggest: “Find an enterprise or industry related to your strengths.  Make it your cause. Take on an innovative attitude. Embrace truly smart and creative people and put yourself around them. And learn to love the politics related to building support for your passion.”

Even so, as I said goodbye to head back to the USA, I was really worried that all of us, parents and professors, may be leaving them unprepared for real personal achievement, and for what it will truly take to make a significant difference in this complex and perplexing world.