it's more than a fling

i'm in houston this week for work. it's actually a leadership development session that i have every other month with Fellows in the education leadership program i'm in. They are all business school graduates, most have worked in the private sector and all are passionate and smart, talented people. They fly in from all across the country and we always have a great time together even though these are long days.

there's something to be said for the commonality that drew us to these jobs and that draws us to each other. i was thinking about how much i love working in the education industry because people like the ones at this session are just so real. people's families, beliefs, philosophies all are topics that are brought up regularly in meetings because education (and the education crisis) is just so personal and the reasons people work here are often deeply rooted and powerfully related to the core of who these people are.

in contrast, i recently went to "sell" weekend for a top management consulting firm, and don't get me wrong - these people were amazing, smart, talented, driven. but there was a sense of politeness or formality that was there - that is always there in environments like these. there is no excitement about each others' personal lives, no deeper dive into these people's beliefs or what helped them become the people that they are today because personal lives aren't as core to the jobs these people signed up to do. their jobs are challenging, and they grow as individuals i'm sure. but something was missing for me that i have found in my new job. it's the same thing that was missing when i was working at yahoo. not that there was a sense of formality so much. but it just wasn't about us, as people and why we were there - it wasn't for a common purpose - a purpose that is greater than each of us individually.

the funny thing is that the reaction i usually get from this type of crowd when i have to explain what i do (including a bunch of people i talked to at a holiday party recently) is either, "oh, how honorable of you" as though i'm sacrificing their life for this one or "so what are you going to do after the two years of this Fellowship is up?" as though this is just a fling i decided to have before i figure out what i really want to do.

in reality, it's really neither of these things. i'm excited about what i do and have no regrets about why i chose this job. and it's not a fling - i have found what i want to do. for a very long time. it's education and it's kids.

i am thankful for these leadership sessions, because they keep me feeling alive, re-energized, excited about learning and about the next day ahead and the long future before us and what i can do in my own small way for the next generations to come.

no regrets.