Dan was my first boss as a newly minted college graduate. He invited me to work with him in a nonprofit organization that he and a group of friends started several years earlier. Dan was the Executive Director of Society’s Assets, Inc. While I only worked with Dan for two years, his influence made a life long impact. Thirty years later I can attribute what I learned during those two years as key influences in how I serve as a CEO in a nonprofit organization. Now that is what I call being an effective mentor!
Here are some of things I learned from Dan:
- Lead from the heart — be passionate about the mission
- Lead by example — role model the mission
- Be persistent/patient — change happens, sometimes it takes time
- Be creative — sometimes you just have to come through the kitchen
- Be consistent — your approach matters
- Be kind — in fact, be kinder than necessary
- Be generous — include people in your life
- Be optimistic — how difficult can things be anyway?
Of all the things I learned from Dan during that time, the most important was a his view of people….especially children and adults with disabilities. He was one of the pioneers in the development of the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement for people with disabilities in the 1970’s. Even though he faced tremendous personal challenges having incurred a spinal cord injury at the age of 14, his optimistic and positive worldview enabled him to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people.
Today, Dan serves as the State of Wisconsin as the Physical Disabilities Coordinator providing oversight of eight independent living centers.
Thanks for everything Dan. You are a World Class Mentor!
