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A message from: Carolyn Barnhart, EdD,CFCS National President of Phi Upsilon Omicron, 2006-2008 Local Advisor, Tau Chapter, University of Wisconsin-Stout-Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back. – Chinese Proverb

It is important to advance our learning every day. On occasion it does seem like we are rowing upstream. However, one can also learn by rowing carefully downstream. In fact, one can be fooled by the signs of the water. For instance, a “V” in the water can mean very shallow water or deep rushing water. Shallow water moving over rocks and sand can also form a “V”. The same river can create a “V” when water is rushing in a deep area. In the deep rushing water one learns to row into the “V” and in shallow wa­ter one rows away from the “V”. One’s perception of the flow of the water can either capsize a canoe or beach a canoe.

I share these insights because learning and leadership are like canoeing. On the same trip one can paddle smoothly, capsize or become lodged in the vegetation on the sides of the river. The
important fact is one must have the courage to remain with the canoe and the flow of the river. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

The early pioneers in Phi Upsilon Omicron may have felt like they were rowing upstream or carefully maneuvering the flow of a river. However, their combined vision of what an honor society should be kept them moving. Their tenac­ity and perseverance advanced the honor society from one chapter (Alpha Chapter at University of Minnesota) to our current sixty-one collegiate chapters and twenty-eight alumni chapters. With the welcomed addition of the Gamma Lambda chapter on September 16, 2007 at the Univer­sity of Maryland we continue to grow in numbers and quality.

It is now our turn to “imagine a future” for Phi Upsilon Omicron. We need to row into the deep waters of leadership and push ourselves to new levels of accom­plishments. We may encounter challenges but the end result is worth all the effort.

As leaders we need to be attentive to the present and also imagining new possibilities for the future. We need to be authentic and connected with our purposes, values and the people we serve and lead. As we earn the respectof others and ourselves we need to keep our paddles in the currents of feedback and remain open to new solutions. If we reach wholeness in life and leadership it will be because we are able to ride the current or actively paddle upstream by weaving together a life of worth based on our multiple levels of contributions in meeting multiple levels of need.

Leadership is a process and not a destination. Our Honor Society prepares us for the future. Our professional projects challenge us to remain connected and authentic as we serve others. Our combined scholarship is needed to weave logical solutions in a tapestry of overwhelming needs. Our best work will be our daily attempts to paddle the streams, rivers and oceans of life. The legacy we leave will be measured by our ability to connect with real people and real challenges while having the inner drive to imagine new possibilities for ourselves, our friends, our families and our world. Yes, “learning and leadingare like rowing upstream, not to advance is to drop back.” To live and to lead is to connect with the needs of people and find collaborative solutions resulting in multiple gains. As Phi Upsilon Omicron members we can generate a new proverb.

To make a positive difference is a humble goal in the creation of a stellar legacy!
Thoughts for this article were influ­enced by reading:
Ruderman, M., & Ohlott, P. (2002). Standing at thecrossroads: Next steps for high achieving women. San Francisco, CA.
Byrne, R. (2006) The Secret. Simon and Schuster, New York, NY.