What Would You Do if You Weren’t Afraid?
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Jeremy C. Wilson is a Northwestern JD-MBA in the class of 2012. Through his blog, he shares information on business school, law school, admissions, careers, and leadership. |
We’ve all heard the saying before. That to be great, you have to pursue your grandest dreams. Those seemingly impossible goals that come to mind in your bravest moments. Those game-changing ideas you want to pursue when you feel like you’re on top of the world. But also those ideas that fleet faster than the blink of an eye, when the notion of fear takes over. Well, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook discussed the same issue in a recent talk she gave.
In a recent graduation talk, Sheryl Sandberg, addressed this very topic. That professionals, specifically women, need to think big when they are thinking about their careers. She talked about her experience at Facebook, noting that one thing she learned working with great entrepreneurs (Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google) “was that if you want to make a difference, you have to think big and dream big, right from day one.” And that at Facebook, they try to keep employees thinking this way all day, noting the posters around the walls.
The idea is that unless you try, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. You’ll never have the chance to write the screenplay. Create a documentary. Start your own company. Help change the world. And that message rings true for everyone, especially those with more to lose from failure.
The question also echos in the hall of Kellogg. Especially now, as graduation is lingering and students will have to make decisions not only about their jobs right after school, but also about their longer term careers. Will they risk it all to be great and to impact the world? Or will they take the route that provides more stability.
In an event with my former company, Bottlenotes, last night (CLICK HERE for my write up about the event last year), CEO, and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Alyssa Rapp said it best. She said, “You have to be brave.”
Well, I agree with Alyssa and I agree with Sheryl that you have to be brave. Furthermore, I challenge all of my readers (and myself) not be afraid. To go where no one has gone before. Try something you’ve never done before. Risk it all to do something big.
In the word of Sheryl: “Ask yourself, what would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.”
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For the best parts of the speech, I recommend you watch 16:00 until the end.
