Won’t you be my neighbor?

You know that ice breaker/interview question, “if you could have dinner with one person, who would it be?” My answer…hands down…is Fred Rogers. We all know him as kind and a visionary in youth programming, but it’s so much more than that. Mr. Rogers was a leader who was extremely strategic. 

We’re often told to lead and to get ahead, we have to be a “shark.”  Or we have “to play the game” or bend to the politics of the situation. But Mr. Rogers was able to achieve monumental progress while using kindness and just doing the right thing. Well, that and strategy and partnerships and emotional intelligence…and all those other things I hold of value and try to pass on to my clients. 

A few of my client relationships allow me to spend time in Latrobe, PA…his hometown, and I feel such a sense of honor being there. Sometimes I work out of the GLLV Chamber of Commerce and in their office, they have memorabilia including one of his sweaters and a pair of his shoes. I’ll often take a moment to look at those items and reflect on the progress he made and the potential we all have. (They also have some really neat Fred Rogers items you can buy.)

So here’s hoping you “make a snappy new day” and remember, “there’s only one person like you in the whole world.”

Did you know: St. Vincent University in Latrobe, PA has a free Fred Rogers Archive that feels like a museum of Fred’s life and approach. It includes school notes, papers, television scripts, and all kinds of cool stuff.