Advice to Young Leaders at Arkansas Boys State

Image courtesy of Arkansas Boys State/Noah Bryan

Chancellor Robinson spoke to delegates at Arkansas Boys State on May 26, 2024. Over the years, high school juniors who have participated in Arkansas Boys State have gone to become state, national and international leaders including President Bill Clinton, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator John Boozman and Senator Tom Cotton. 

 Excerpts from Chancellor Robinson’s remarks: 

“We talk about public service, and it seems self-evident, but strong leaders have a desire to help others. Now, you might think that's simple, but it's not because each and every one of us has a problem of being very selfish. To be a strong leader, you have to learn how to be selfless, to put someone else's thoughts above your own and to focus on what they might need. That requires practice. That requires effort. That requires sympathy and empathy for others.”  

“Leaders are dreamers. They're visionaries, they're people who can see things well before they happen. They are people who have energy in their dreaming so that their dreaming is infectious. When Americans dream, we dig into the granite of the impossible and unearth precious stones of new possibilities…When we dream as Americans, there is literally nothing too hard for us to do.”