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The University of North Dakota’s Memorial Union recently hosted the first 18:83 Speaker Series session of the semester, featuring Brian Pappas, Dean and Professor of Law at UND.
The series, named for UND’s founding year, mimics the style of TED Talks, with each presentation lasting 18 minutes and 83 seconds. Held every Wednesday at 2:30 pm, it invites university and community leaders to share leadership and personal development insights. Pappas’s talk attracted a considerable audience, drawn by his extensive academic experience, including roles at Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, and Boise State University. His experience ranges from developing mediation programs for prison inmates to leading a conflict management department.
Pappas’s talk was titled “Pick Up the Pepperoni.” The speech emphasized the theme that “leadership is not a position, but a value.” It revolved around five key leadership lessons. Filled with personal anecdotes, quotes that Pappas relied on his leadership journey as he peppered the talk with lighthearted humor.
His first lesson, “Be Friends with Your Weaknesses,” highlighted embracing one’s flaws. Pappas shared his own evolution of growing from a poor listener to a proficient mediator in his career, treating past mistakes as growth opportunities.
In the second lesson, “Be Resilient,” Pappas explored the dichotomy of “deflectors” and “absorbers” in handling criticism. He described deflectors as individuals who evade responsibility and blame others, while absorbers internalize criticism to a detrimental extent. Advocating for a balanced approach, Pappas highlighted, “Strong leaders engage their critics and make themselves stronger. Weak leaders silence their critics and make themselves weaker.”
The third lesson focused on being a team player, with Pappas downplaying status differences. He shared Joe LaPorte’s story, a janitor crucial to the law school, humorously noting his own replaceability as Dean compared to LaPorte’s significant presence. Further praising LaPorte in never missing a day, Pappas emphasized that true leadership goes beyond titles.
Pappas’s fourth point was on decision-making consistency, emphasizing clear, fair judgment even when making exceptions.
The final lesson revolved around listening. Pappas quoted Steven R. Covey, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” In this point Pappas underscored the importance of understanding over simply replying. As “people will tell you what you need to hear.”
To end his presentation, Pappas shared a symbolic anecdote about encountering a piece of pepperoni on the law school stairs. He referenced the frequent use of pizza as a student incentive at the school. Despite initially passing it, Pappas decided to pick up the pepperoni, a task neglected by others. His action prompted queries about why a Dean would engage in such a menial task. Pappas explained that his role extended beyond administrative duties; it was about fostering a positive environment and demonstrating individual accountability, attention to detail, and teamwork.
Pappas’s presentation, encompassing lessons in self-awareness, resilience, teamwork, consistency, and active listening, left a lasting impact on the audience. Attendees and colleagues of Pappas enjoyed his speech, such as the Events & Marketing Coordinator, Dalton Erickson, for the School of Law, praised it as a “fantastic speech,” while Academic Advisor Melanie Schindler commended his “humility and desire for growth.”
Pappas’s presentation set the tone for this year’s series. The next speaker, CEO of the EERC Charles Gorecki, is scheduled for January 17th, 2024.
Davíd Moreno is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at daví[email protected].
