The third entry in our series of posts from LeaderShapers working on TEDx Events:
Hello, LeaderShapers!
My name is Lindsay and I am a senior double-majoring in Psychology
and English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I attended UT’s first session of the
LeaderShape Institute in May of 2011 and it changed my life to say the
least. I developed a vision for how I
want to see the world change—“For every individual to have access to an
education and sustainable livelihood so they can live safely, healthily, and
happily.” I am so passionate about making this vision a reality that I have now
decided to pursue a career working with nonprofits instead of psychological
research. I truly believe we can make this vision a reality!
One of the goals I set for myself was to host a TEDx event, an
independently organized TED-like event.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a national nonprofit that
hosts annual conferences where the biggest and brightest experts in their
field—like Al Gore and Bill Gates—share innovate ideas about how they are
changing the world. Committed to sharing
“ideas worth spreading,” TED posts each “TEDTalk” to www.ted.com for anyone around the world to view free of
charge, creating a global community of passionate doers and thinkers. TEDx events are smaller versions of the TED
conference that engage local individuals in this global conversation and
network of world-changers.
So how does hosting a TEDx event at UT support my vision? I think one of the first steps to changing
the world is hearing from others who are creating that change now in their own
unique way. TED is fully committed to
spreading ideas that are changing the world and inspiring each individual to
take that knowledge and make a difference.
If we could bring TEDx to UT, we could educate and inspire a group of
people in Knoxville—a group that could then begin making a difference. The University of Tennessee has never hosted
a TEDx event before, and I believe it is crucial to create a network and forum
for individuals to engage with one another here in Knoxville, the surrounding
area, and consequently, the world as a whole. Imagine what a group of passionate and engaged
individuals could do!
With that dream in place, I started planning a TEDx event shortly
after I returned from LeaderShape in May.
We set a date of February 17, 2012 for TEDxUTK and have
been working hard to make a great event since then. Now I generally feel pretty comfortable
planning events like this, but I have really grown and learned so much during
this process. Let me share with you a
few things I’ve learned so far. As you
work towards making your own vision a reality, keep these thoughts in mind.
1. Plan
for everything to not go according to plan. When I first received
approval from the university to host TEDxUTK, I made a timeline. I made a month-to-month action plan of what
our planning process should look like: what we should be working on, when we
should be working on it, and when we should meet our deadlines. That is a really great idea in theory, but everything
rarely works out exactly the way you think it will—regardless of how much you
plan. There have been so many things
that have come up that I didn’t anticipate (e.g. not having the budget I
expected, not being able to secure the venue we wanted, etc.). Now it is very important to plan and I
strongly advise thinking about all the logistics of your event ahead of time,
but learn to be flexible as you manage the unexpected curveballs that will
undoubtedly be thrown your way.
2. Keep the
end goal in mind. I would be lying if I said there weren’t
times while planning that I thought, “Why
am I doing this? Why did I think this
was a good idea? Is it too late to call
the whole thing off?” Working towards
your vision is scary and sometimes, it can be downright terrifying. It’s all well and good to come up with goals
and visions at LeaderShape, but making those happen in reality is scary! You set yourself up for frustration, failure,
rejection, disappointment, and the list goes on and on. I have felt so overwhelmed during periods of
this process and so afraid that while all of these people are depending on me,
I am going to fail miserably and create nothing more than a train-wreck. It is so important during these moments to
re-visit your vision and remember why it is that you are passionate about
achieving it. Embrace that fear as part
of the process and use it as a vehicle for action—if you didn’t feel some sense
of fear, you wouldn’t care about reaching your goals successfully.
3. Surround
yourself with others who support you and your vision. This
is key. Being a leader is lonely and downright
depressing at times. While you are
working towards your vision, it is easy to isolate yourself and dwell in that
loneliness if you don’t have a strong support system. LeaderShape is such a unique experience and I
think having the support of other LeaderShapers is an integral part of reaching
your goals. My friend Christine has been
a life-saver for me. She attended a
different session of LeaderShape, but she understands having a vision and the
trials that come from working towards it.
Whenever I share my struggles and fears with her, she is so incredibly
encouraging and helps me find that motivation I need to continue planning
TEDxUTK. Reach out to people within your
family cluster or other LeaderShapers you know, and really rely on each other
for support. Passion and motivation come
and go sometimes, and it’s so important to have others who can encourage you
along the way. Even a short chat over
coffee can be enough of a kick-start to help you overcome that obstacle and
take one step closer towards your goal.
I can’t wait to update you all after TEDxUTK! Join our community and start making a
difference in your part of the world along with us. And if you are working towards your vision,
I’d love to hear about it! You can tweet
me anytime at https://twitter.com/linzy_marie. Let’s support each other as we make our
visions a reality!
LeaderShape Love,
Lindsay
