Wk4 Reading: Find your Fuel for the Spark

In this month’s reading I am brought back to week two when we were introduced to the two weary shoe salesmen in Africa. One salesman saw that the occupants of that land had no shoes and was convinced he could not do his job in that land and left. The other salesman saw that lands residence had no shoes and believed that they had not yet been given the opportunity to test out the benefits shoes would have for them. He believed that the African people had a spark in them which needed to be let out, and he was the one to free it. This is a perception that all performers, lecturers, and teachers should have when it comes time to connect with an audience. You have to believe that the spark you carry is going to be able to catch fire with the audience in which you are presenting to. This is the practice I believe in and has fueled my fire in an ever growing board classroom. I cannot blame the student for being board; rather I have to blame myself for not using the correct combination of ingredients to spread my spark to the interests of my students. Just like fire needs, fuel, oxygen and heat to create a spark, a teacher needs to test out many different combinations of ingredients to catch the interest of their students. This is what we must understand as we are creating our leadership presentations; it may not work on the first try. If you truly want to become a great presenter you must be willing to fail, before you succeed. Michael Jordan said it best “…I have failed many times in my past; this is why I succeed today.” Find your spark and find away to spread it across the globe.