A crowd of engineering students gathered in the newly minted Business Education Complex Auditorium on Friday to learn how to become better leaders.
Chris Hogan, former All-American football star and member of Dave Ramsey’s Speaker Group, educated students on three things every leader must have to be successful: direction, connection and reflection.
“You have to have a clear vision of where you are going,” Hogan said. “Not everyone will like what you want to do. You have to have thick skin. Everybody smiling in your face may not want you to succeed.”
He continued by suggesting that students create a database of people that matter, such as “professors that take interest in your work.”
But it wasn’t all business — Hogan also took time to describe his own experiences.
“The first three jobs I had weren’t even about what I knew; they were about who I knew,” He said. “One of the most important things is to have an attitude of gratitude.”
After completing graduate school, Hogan received a job with a consumer finance company.
Despite his charisma, Hogan didn’t become successful overnight. He worked in the business world for several years before meeting Dave Ramsey. In fact, his original plan was to become a member of the FBI.
“I really enjoyed the team- and goal-oriented atmosphere that the FBI has,” Hogan said. “I worked for a little while before meeting Dave. He had some friends that were getting taken advantage of in the business world. He asked me how I advertised and talked to my clients, and ended up offering me a job out of the blue.”
He spends most of his time working, but also enjoys playing golf, although he described his golf game as “losing a few golf balls on a regular basis.” In addition, he said he is appreciative for every moment he is able to spend with his family. He reiterated this point to the crowd — be appreciative for everything. A simple, heartfelt thank you letter can go a long way, Hogan said.
“I know what you guys are going through,” he explained. “I have been in class watching the clock too, sometimes it feels like time is moving backwards. The clock might say that it is one-thirty, but you swear that it was just two.”
The final characteristic of a successful leader was reflection.
“At the end of the day, you have to take a look in the mirror and ask yourself ‘Is this really me,’” Hogan said. “Just stay true to yourself. …If you stack the deck in your favor eventually you will have all of the cards.”
