Planting Seeds

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This past week I received a LinkedIn message, requesting a connection.  I get a lot of those, but this person sent me an accompanying message explaining WHY he wanted to connect.

Dear Patrick, hope you are well.  I am PhD student and fondly recall meeting with you during your visit on campus a few years ago.  I would love to remain connected.  

I remember having a brilliant conversation with you when I was in a dilemma and you introduced me to the concept of 'cognitive dissonance.'  I have benefitted from knowing that.  Thank you.

How did this simple LinkedIn Request lift my heart?

When I go back to my alma mater, Purdue, I schedule as many conversations with students as I can.  I figure if I say something wise maybe it'll lodge somewhere in their psyche or soul and a small change happens.  One small change and maybe their life trajectory changes by 1 degree.  I believe a one-degree change puts you in a different universe in 20 years.

I have faith these little conversations matter.  Hundreds of conversations and hundreds of trajectories change.

And then…one person responds two years later with "I fondly recall meeting with you…"

That's enough fuel for a thousand more conversations!

Well, I asked the fellow if he's writing a dissertation

Yes, I defend my thesis next week

I asked him about his thesis topic 

It's all about building enterprise resilience so organizations can thrive and fight stall.  I'm proposing tools to employ for stronger risk management and systematic growth.  That's another invaluable piece from you right there!

Don't you want this brilliant young professional to help you and your organization 'thrive and fight stall' with world class tools to promote systematic growth?  

Oh yea!  I'm loving this LinkedIn conversation even MORE!

As we're trading texts, I'm thinking to myself, this is getting downright uncanny!  Just last week I launched my Titanic Diagnostic app in the Apple Store.  It's a tool I built to help people assess their organization, project or company on 10 factors that created the disaster of the Titanic sinking in 1912.  We learn from our history, right?  The app is out there to help executives and entrepreneurs like you MISS the icebergs so you can head toward your destination in world class style.  

For a peak at the Titanic Diagnostic app, here's a link:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/titanic-diagnostic/id1559770472 

It is a Risk Management tool for organizations.

Get this.  Here's his summary of his dissertation:

An important aspect of risk management is in knowing how risk factors link to one another.

He then sent me the link to his dissertation survey.

Here's the thing…

Two years ago, I had a 20-minute conversation with a bright young student.  One conversation of hundreds.  

Two years later, he has the courage to reach out and thank me and request to stay connected.

Brings tears to my eyes to know I had a significant impact.  

And he in turn has significant impact on my life and my trajectory.  

Our stories continue to intertwine.

This is the interconnectedness of life.  And this is my challenge for you.

Engage in 100 conversations.  BELIEVE you are having an significant impact.

Maybe, just maybe, one of those people will come back in a couple years….and you'll discover you changed their life.  And they will change yours.

This is Stewardship at its finest.

This is how you alter the course of human history

This is…Wisdom 4 Humanity!