On February 8th, the Franz Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurship welcomed Lou Radja as the first guest speaker for this year’s Bauccio Lecture Series. Named after alumnus Fedele Bauccio, CEO and cofounder of Bon Appetit Management Company, this series allows students, faculty and staff the opportunity to gain valuable insight from some of the most fascinating and entertaining speakers. This particular speech, titled “Awaken the Leader within You”, led the audience through Lou Radja’s roots in the Congo all the way to his ultimate “Be More Give More” philosophy that now spans the globe in its influence.
After my conversation with Lou, I tried my hardest to “crack the code” on what it means to be a leader and how we can work towards becoming a leader in our own life. As it turns out, there actually isn’t any code to crack but rather that there is a leader within all of us. I’ll get to this in a moment.
I did learn about some of Lou’s favorite things. Among the many works of literature to choose from, Lou’s favorite books include Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, and Drive by Daniel Pink. In addition to great reads, Lou mentioned a few other favorites worth sharing. Lou’s favorite restaurants in the Portland area include Tin Shed on Alberta Street and Abhiruchi Indian Cuisine in Beaverton. By telling me about his favorite things, Lou was able to express that you have to think like a leader, read like a leader, and eat like a leader. This may not be a famous saying, but it is definitely a phrase to keep in mind.
When Lou asked the audience whether leaders were born or made, the audience quickly responded that they are made. After smiling, Lou asked us if we have ever met an unborn leader. Lou may have made this comment out of wit, though it does bring up the valuable point that everyone has a leader waiting to come out from within. With this mindset, it makes the idea of becoming an influential leader a lot more attainable. When Lou mentioned the fact that even Pope Francis himself was a bouncer in his youth, it makes you wonder what the leaders of tomorrow are doing right now. If a bouncer at a nightclub can become the Pope of the Catholic Church, what are you capable of accomplishing?
Lou also gave me a few great tips on how to maximize our experience and time as a college student. First, find out what you are passionate about because it is the most valuable thing that you can do for yourself. You may have known your calling for a long time, like Lou has, though for the rest of us it will take some time and exploration. Lou suggests that we get out of our comfort zones as much as possible to truly grow and understand what we are passionate about. As college students in Portland, there are many resources at our fingertips and opportunities to explore different avenues. Thinking differently challenges us and develops us into well-rounded leaders.
Second, when asked what people should spend less time doing, Lou simply responded, “don’t major in minor things”. This is to say that we should not spend a majority of time doing things that will not matter in the long run or achieve our goals.
Lastly, Lou imparted his best piece of advice by confidently stating that our most valuable college experiences will be achieved by using “UP as a launching pad” and “utilizing its resources”. Be involved, be present and get to know the people around you. You will be more when you give more.
On behalf of the Franz Center, I would like to thank Lou Radja for his time and his presence here on campus. Listening to Lou was not only inspirational and heartwarming but he opened our minds to the fact that everyone has the potential to be a great leader in their community.
I will leave you with my favorite quote from his speech: “Look at a GPS system. A GPS is amazing. I mean, top technology communicating with satellite orbiting the earth. Useless if you don’t have an address. So it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how great you are, how great I am, or how great UP is. It doesn’t matter if we don’t have a why. That’s your job. No one can do it for you.”