INSIGHT: Great Expectations?
Peter Nicholson
A More Comprehensive Growth
Experience is essential. I’ve been sharing this lesson with a group of college students who for the past month have been in residence at Foresight. The value of a good internship should be greater insight and judgment about the issues at hand, as well as about oneself. These lessons often catch younger folks off guard. Becoming an effective leader is about more than mastering a particular subject. Learning to engage the unknown and manage unexpected challenges is crucial to most of the projects Foresight undertakes. Doing so, however, can present personal challenges, like overcoming a need for certainty, and learning to navigate diverse personalities. I don’t know how else I would teach my group of young, fellow conspirators these lessons other than by pursuing a project together, putting something at risk. My challenge is to coax them to a deeper understanding about themselves and the undertaking, without letting them devolve into frustration and despair. There can be a fine line between invoking growth and dejection. We ride it together, striving to find a wisdom from one another, and value in the dynamic balance between our respective perspectives.