10. I want to ask you three additional questions about your civic involvements in our community:
First, what motivates or inspires you to engage in community activities and causes?
I like meeting new people and learning from them. And I enjoy engaging them in something productive. I also have a strong desire to help others and to get things accomplished in our community. When I retired young at 55 my goal was to provide time, talent, and treasure for our community. There probably is something about personal ego as well. It’s nice to be well-known in our community and to know others in the same way. I don’t think ego is a driving force for me, but on occasion I like that side of it is because it is personally reassuring.
Second, do you feel that you are sacrificing anything in your life by being deeply involved in our community’s civic organizations?
Nope. Not with the time and energy that I have invested. I only regret that I haven’t been more successful—not that I haven’t tried. The trying has been very worthwhile.
Third, what personal benefits do you get from your civic involvements?
On occasion I get a sense of gratification—when something clicks, when I feel really good about having done something useful. But more often something doesn’t click, and I don’t feel good about that. I probably have been more frustrated and disappointed than not—perhaps because many of my visions and goals haven’t materialized.
11. One of the benefits of growing older is that we are increasingly able to reflect on our experiences and to learn from them. Have you found any patterns of personal behavior no longer useful in your leadership role? Is so, what are these and how have you changed?
In thinking back over my work life I have found I became less able to put a good face on things when I didn’t really want to. Earlier in my work I could do this because it helped me to nurture my career and advancement. If I had a bad boss, I could suck it up and live with it. And when I had a good boss, I’d enjoy being able to grow. So I went through that phase of my career where I was able to be whatever I had to be, not just to get ahead but to get the job done. After I got into my 50s, however, I became less and less patient with bad leadership. It was a good thing I retired when I did at 55 because I don’t think I could have continued to put on a good face when it wasn’t warranted.
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