relief

Done with class!!!

Colombia?

baranquilla sin inoculocion? Si, no problema para mi!

Voy a saber el futuro el Sabado.

stranded

Paralyzed by mess and indecision. Awaiting freedom from Corporate Finance tuesday eve. Should I take a traineeship working in an orphanage in Argentina or look for something a bit less hands on like a foundation in Colombia, despite the fact that I might be allergic to the yellow fever vaccine. There are TNs in the part of Colombia that is not yellow fever prone. Also, one year or one semester away from Cornell. Decisions need to be made and there isn't time to dilly dally this time.

Onwards to a quick shower and class.

thoughts

As I have finished my latest leadership role in AIESEC and see myself moving into an exchange, I've been reflecting on what it takes to achieve success in a leadership role in @US. Here are a few rough ideas, nothing too profound.

Patience: If you want things to get done quickly or efficiently, @US is not the organization for you. However this is not to say that things do not end up done or done well. People try and we have ownership of what we do, which is good and healthy, but can be futile. Anyway, to have success, this is critical.

Entrepreneurial spirit: This past year, @ was my baby. It was my start up and I led it as such. Luckily I was able to share these types of experiences with many other people around me who now own their own AIESEC and are setting their own visions for where it will go next year, and five years down the road. In @, you have a base business plan that you love, but it's up to the inner entrepreneur to make that come alive. Just like an entrepreneur, you have to raise funds, manage other people, constantly look to the future, and never rest until you are satisfied.

Never be satisfied: We must always be stretching our inner boundaries and the organization's boundaries. Our mission, vision, core work, and competencies allow us to have limitless influence and impact in the world and we cannot rest until that is accomplished in ourselves and in @ as an org.

Leadership: Although i hate the model of grooming, I like the leadership that it implies. The day you learn something in @, you must be prepared to be a model and empower someone else. A leader is not a position; it is how you look at yourself in relation to the world and in relation to others. The world needs leaders and followers, and @ is a conglomerate of leaders who come together to practice and learn how to change the world one day. Build your LC and you can build a firm. Build a firm and you can change the world. Change the world, across the world, and we can live sustain what we have and with synergy, build something better.

Failure: Failure does not exist. The only failure is the potential success that is consciously avoided out of laziness. You learn from everything you do in @ and outside of the org, but the beauty of @ is that you don't get a grade. There is no F. Failure is necessary before you can experience success.

Tired

Oh my, I am certainly ready to be done with summer classes and start conference month. While I have learned good things in my finance class, I am ready to be on real vacation. I year to feel that worry free type of freedom that only comes with summer. Also, I really hope that I can get matched to the Traineeship that I want to do this fall in Uruguay. I worry that I have not given myself enough time to be in Uruguay or where ever. Also, I'm reconsidering the commitments I have made to SSC and IC because a long term investment in Uruguay seems more attractive and a better long term investment. Alas, all of these will be great experiences, but are all very costly! We have a meeting with the Dean of Students on Monday to request funding, and I hope it does well, or else, we might be in some trouble.

AIESEC has been progressing very well at Cornell, mostly because I feel less and less needed daily, which means that transition, though informal, is going well. I feel confident in the new AIESEC leaders, I just worry that they may not have enough time to do all that they want.

I cannot wait to see their success and to help them with challenges, but I definitely can feel the beginnings of the "Yes!" sensation that Matthew Naegle described in the video we saw at Expros.

AIESEC nationally is a bit more tenuous right now. There is a lot riding on the subgroup and SSC, but many people can hijack its direction and stall progress easily. This worries me and if SSC does not go well, it does not bode well for the immediate future of AIESEC US. It is funny how humans and organizations can tread forward with blinders on and not consider the overall impact of their actions. AIESEC US needs to take a look around and evaluate its position internally and externally. No longer can a customer and user friendly design substitute for a lack of responsibility taken and a lack of information at the member level. Also, the position internationally needs to be clarified. I can no longer wait for the next discussion to figure this out. I must happen and all points of view must be heard equally. No more propaganda, no more telling someone they don't understand, and no more behind the scenes actions. I want resolution so I can feel the same peace with AIESEC US that I do at Cornell. This is a fair request and if it is not met, I don't see why changes shouldn't be made so that it is met.

There is no accountability for the righteous, and the righteous keep the masses uninformed. The only result is to break the cycle and force everyone to take off the blinders and evaluate their position. All individuals, teams, and leaders.

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Yogi Berra