Dear editor,
In class today, two of the students chose not to follow my instructions to stand while they were making project presentations. The reason I asked students to stand while making presentations is that 40 years of public speaking experience has taught me that people more likely listen and take you seriously when you stand to talk. It made me wonder if they had read Meghan Farr's Thursday column about not following instructions. I disagree with her on this point especially: "This inability to follow directions and do everything exactly how we're told might be the biggest strength some of us have." I doubt it.
During my 20s, I used to think I knew a lot more than many people in positions of authority. So I chose to follow those instructions I agreed with while ignoring those I didn't. That attitude led to several embarrassing failures, including being fired from a job where my failure to follow instructions was cited as the main reason. The larger lesson I learned from these experiences is to respect those in positions of authority. I learned that I could never become a leader until I learned how to follow. I learned to follow instructions I did not understand because those who gave them usually knew more than I did. That doesn't mean they were always right. All great leaders I have known displayed humility and were as willing to accept advice and suggestions from others as they were to give it.
Farr's column contains a grain of truth. Many studies have demonstrated a low correlation between college grade point average and success in later life. But her comments assume that the only determining factor behind GPA is a willingness to follow the professor's instructions. Creativity, drive and ambition, inherent intelligence, integrity and goal-setting all play a role in life success. So does a willingness to learn from others, which is what following instructions is all about. College is your best chance to learn that.
David E. Sumner
Professor of Journalism
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