It was a classic mistake. Despite what seemed like a really great plan.
After over a decade of experience teaching in multiple universities and departments, my business partner and I were crystal clear on the greatest academic, linguistic, social, and emotional challenges that international students faced when enrolling in American graduate programs.
We had surveyed our current international students to ask them, in hindsight, what kind of program they wished they’d had before starting their degrees, and designed an intensive summer “boot camp” to equip incoming students with the tools for success.
After all, what parent wouldn’t want to give their child that extra “insurance” boost when they were already investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in their education?
Unfortunately, we missed one crucial detail. All of the students we surveyed shared a key factor that our target market did not: first-hand experience.
After spending several weeks traveling across China speaking to large audiences of parents and students, we had achieved minimal enrollment. Why?
Because while they appreciated the cautionary tales from current students, they couldn’t meaningfully imagine what they had never personally experienced.
The parents all still thought, “My child is an excellent student here, and they passed the entrance exams to get into a top U.S. university. They’ll be fine.”
We had fallen into the quintessential entrepreneur’s trap: we built something the customer desperately needed… but didn’t want.
My guest this week on the “Speaking to Influence” podcast, Dr. Sarah Combs, CEO of University Area Community Development Corporation, knows a little something about that, but she was able to switch gears before it was too late.
Dr. Combs shares a similar experience of how she and her organization were initially poised to build housing in response to what they thought was a critical community need. They had the plans, partners, and papers all lined up.
But then came the feedback: what the community actually wanted wasn’t more housing, but a park!
As she observed, “Assumptions in community planning” (and anywhere!) “are just so dangerous.”
Dr. Combs had to pivot mid-project—a tough decision, but one that required the humility to admit they had made a mistake.
As leaders, we often feel the pressure to make decisions quickly and confidently, but Dr. Combs reminds us that the most critical leadership communication skill is the ability to actively listen. Engaging with the people we serve and seeking their input before making decisions ensures we are providing what is truly needed, not what we assume is needed.
Other key takeaways from the episode include:
- Challenges being fully present and engaged in conversations, and what to do about it
- The importance of engaging early and seeking input before making decisions
- Humility and Adaptability: Being able to admit mistakes and change course when necessary is a sign of strength, not failure
- A simple compliment can have a huge impact and increase your influence. Compliment your people often.
- Speak Up! Don’t be afraid to voice concerns or disagreements, even when you’re the lone dissenting voice.
- The importance of understanding how policies and decisions affect all members of a community, not just the people you may instinctively consider
Listen to the full episode on Apple here , watch it on YouTube here or find your favorite platform here.
