The Future of your Future is Servant Leadership | Anthony Perez | TEDxColoradoSprings

Summary

The speaker, a former Navy rescue swimmer, recounts his challenging journey of learning essential skills at a young age. He emphasizes the importance of physical fitness, mental toughness, and deliberate practice in mastering tasks. Drawing parallels to life, he discusses how we often recognize our growth opportunities through challenging circumstances. The speech advocates for servant-leadership, highlighting the need for genuine connection, active listening, and empathy in today's digital age. The speaker challenges the audience to improve their individual commitment to group efforts, suggesting that the future relies on our ability to balance new technologies with traditional human values.

Takeaways

• 🏊‍♂️ The importance of physical fitness, mental toughness, and swimming skills for a Navy rescue swimmer.
• 👓 The realization of a lack of knowledge in using dive gear and the necessity to quickly learn these skills.
• 📈 The need for deliberate practice to develop essential abilities for achieving goals.
• 🌱 Growth opportunities often arise from challenging circumstances that reveal our deficiencies.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The comparison of life's challenges to physical training, emphasizing the need for targeted effort.
• 🤝 The concept that individual commitment to a group effort is crucial for a team's success.
• 🔮 The uncertainty of the future and the multitude of potential societal changes that could occur.
• 🌐 The call to re-embrace human connection and relationships in a digital age.
• 🛠️ The idea that servant-leadership is key to positive transformation in society and personal growth.
• 👂 The significance of active listening and empathy in leadership and personal relationships.
• 🌟 The challenge to improve individual commitment to better support and serve others.

Q & A

What year did the speaker join the Navy?

The speaker joined the Navy in 1990.

What was the speaker's age when he joined the Navy?

The speaker was about 20 years old when he joined the Navy.

What was the unexpected task the speaker's chief asked him to do?

The speaker's chief asked him to jump into the ocean and deal with bad situations without giving much detail.

What was the first realization the speaker had about the Navy rescue swimmer school?

The speaker realized that he needed to be physically fit, mentally tough, and a great swimmer to complete the course.

What was the main deficiency the speaker identified in his swimming skills during the training?

The speaker's main deficiency was his lack of experience with dive gear and not knowing how to properly clear his mask.

How did the speaker prepare to overcome his deficiency in using dive gear?

The speaker spent extra time practicing with the help of his teammates to learn how to clear his mask and use the dive gear effectively.

What is the main similarity the speaker draws between the Navy rescue swimmer school and life?

The speaker draws a similarity in that both situations present growth opportunities that become apparent only when faced with specific challenges.

What is the concept of 'servant-leadership' as discussed by the speaker?

Servant-leadership is a long-term, transformational approach towards life and work that focuses on creating positive change, helping others achieve success, and being significant over personal success.

Why does the speaker believe society should fall in love again with the human element?

The speaker believes society should fall in love again with the human element because of the disconnection and lack of genuine relationships in the digital age.

What is the speaker's view on the future?

The speaker views the future as one that depends on servant-leadership and a return to valuing human connections and relationships.

What is the challenge the speaker issues at the end of the script?

The speaker challenges the audience to improve their individual commitment to those they support and serve.