My Foundation: Personal Background & Context
I grew up in rural Oklahoma. While this place was rich with local cultural heritage and history related to Native American populations and Land Run settlers, at first glance it might seem an unlikely place to begin a journey towards understanding and practicing leadership that aligns with a commitment to community and the growth of others. I was 1 of 4 children growing up in a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom trailer house located in an area the locals referred to as the ‘Brewer Bottoms.’ Imagine a countryside of rolling hills, fields and trees for miles, and more ponds than most lakes have fish – all of this served as my backyard, my training grounds. What I lacked in financial resources, trendy clothes, and indoor space was made up for in natural resources, imagination, and exposure to the micro-communities made up of families who had grown up, together in those Bottoms for as long as anyone could recall. You see, even at an early age, within a microcosm of culture, I was exposed to concepts like cultural nuance and community respect. Many of us in that community relied on one another at different times in order to make ends meet.
These experiences in small-town, rural America prepared me in ways I had not imagined. That imagination was tested and further developed when, at the age of 10, my family and I moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. I refer to these five years as the best decision I never made. These experiences tested me and shaped my worldview in ways I still visibly see in my decisions, approaches, and values as a leader today. The greatest lesson I gained from my time in Dhahran came from the observations and reflections I have since made regarding my relationships with others. Today, I recall the remarkable similarities between my best friends from Oklahoma and my best friends from Dhahran, even though at first glance they were more different than similar. There were different colors of skin, foods, religious beliefs, languages, homes, and cultural nuance at play, but for me, upon reflection, at the core and in their heart, they had more in common than not. These differences and similarities began to prepare me for the world we live in today, and in turn serve as the foundation for the career I have chosen to pursue. I started to discover that sometimes the best ideas live in that space between shared values and different perspectives. This was a formative time for my own personal leadership foundation and served as the seminal moment that led me to becoming the first person from my family to graduate from university.
I began to develop a heightened sense of awareness during my time in Saudi Arabia, and it was upon my return to Oologah, Oklahoma that I realized that there is a world waiting to be explored and that there were two ways to heed this call of exploration: 1.) To be an un-tuned, voyeur or spectator of the people, cultures, languages, and geographies around me, or 2.) To be an engaged observer, learner, teacher, and leader of the nuance within our local communities and wider world. The second path provides the opportunity for me to be true to my personal values and engage others. For me, it was my early experiences as a boy in rural Oklahoma and urban Dhahran that serve as the foundation for the leadership work I do today. My life experiences continually shape the person and professional I am today and those based in culturally disparate contexts have consistently challenged and shaped me into a better version of myself.
These experiences in small-town, rural America prepared me in ways I had not imagined. That imagination was tested and further developed when, at the age of 10, my family and I moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. I refer to these five years as the best decision I never made. These experiences tested me and shaped my worldview in ways I still visibly see in my decisions, approaches, and values as a leader today. The greatest lesson I gained from my time in Dhahran came from the observations and reflections I have since made regarding my relationships with others. Today, I recall the remarkable similarities between my best friends from Oklahoma and my best friends from Dhahran, even though at first glance they were more different than similar. There were different colors of skin, foods, religious beliefs, languages, homes, and cultural nuance at play, but for me, upon reflection, at the core and in their heart, they had more in common than not. These differences and similarities began to prepare me for the world we live in today, and in turn serve as the foundation for the career I have chosen to pursue. I started to discover that sometimes the best ideas live in that space between shared values and different perspectives. This was a formative time for my own personal leadership foundation and served as the seminal moment that led me to becoming the first person from my family to graduate from university.
I began to develop a heightened sense of awareness during my time in Saudi Arabia, and it was upon my return to Oologah, Oklahoma that I realized that there is a world waiting to be explored and that there were two ways to heed this call of exploration: 1.) To be an un-tuned, voyeur or spectator of the people, cultures, languages, and geographies around me, or 2.) To be an engaged observer, learner, teacher, and leader of the nuance within our local communities and wider world. The second path provides the opportunity for me to be true to my personal values and engage others. For me, it was my early experiences as a boy in rural Oklahoma and urban Dhahran that serve as the foundation for the leadership work I do today. My life experiences continually shape the person and professional I am today and those based in culturally disparate contexts have consistently challenged and shaped me into a better version of myself.
I lived in New Zealand from 2008-2012. During that time, my partner created a website to track our journey. If you are interested, click here:
https://sites.google.com/site/laneandaprilperry/
Learn more about my partner, Dr. April Perry, here: https://aprilperry.weebly.com/
https://sites.google.com/site/laneandaprilperry/
Learn more about my partner, Dr. April Perry, here: https://aprilperry.weebly.com/