My Leadership Journey – The Concordia MBA (Part 3)

Father, husband, employee, MBA student, family man, friend, volunteer, and the list goes on.  These are just a few words that I would use to describe myself today. What made me start thinking about this list was my Critical Thinking professor. Dr. Elise Brazier, on the night of my October 30, 2012 class, asked the students, “How is everyone feeling? Are you treading water?” She hit the nail on the head with that second question, because that is exactly how I have been feeling lately.

That phrase ‘are you treading water’ got me thinking about my undergraduate days when my sole responsibility was school. I was not married, did not have a child, worked 15 hours a week, and luckily had the financial support of my parent’s throughout the process. Life was simpler during that time. 

My wife, Christie, and our son, Ryan

Now that I am going through the Concordia MBA program my life is in a much different place. I am going on four years of marriage, have the most amazing 2-year-old son, work full-time, go to class every Tuesday night, volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, am on different boards, am on panels from time-to-time, am going through the Leadership Belton program, and recently I even rode 20 miles in the LIVESTRONG Challenge. The list goes on and on.

Why do I do all of this? How do I stay motivated? The answer to those questions is simple; I want to be the best person that I can be! My number one priority will always be my family. That is the one part of my life where I do not want to tread water. I am going through the MBA program to better my career in order to be a better provider for my family. I volunteer to give back to the community and set a good example for my son. I am on boards and panels so that I can learn from my peers, become a better person, and to hopefully give my peers a chance to learn from me. I compete to stay active and motivated, and I go through Leadership programs to continue to develop myself into a better leader.

Even though it sounds like I have a lot on plate, I carry an important message with me that SOS Leadership Partner, Amber Fogarty, has taught me in the past “You Can HAVE it All… Just not all at the same time.” I have written down my goals, which I have learned is extremely important. I have both short range and long range goals. Some of the long range goals are really long range. But, it was three years ago that I set a goal (and wrote it down) to get my MBA. It was important to me, but three years ago was not the right time. I needed time to establish myself and discover my identity. I also needed time to find the right program for me.

Paul J. Meyer stated, “Writing Crystallizes thought, and thought promotes action!” I encourage everyone to make a list of goals for themselves, and turn those goals into a reality. You become successful the second you start working on a goal.

Even though at times I do feel like I am ‘treading water’ I know I want to accomplish the goals I have set. I know I want to continue to be a better father, husband, employee, student, and leader. I am excited about the journey. I have not been disappointed with the Concordia MBA program yet. It has been just what I imagined and just what I needed.