Play to win, stay humble and finish strong

DUBLIN – “Play to win,” “Finish strong,” and “OMG – he ran a Boston.”

Just a few phrases from a man who, according to the always famous “book jacket biography” and where you will learn that William A. Keyes, PhD, has lived in Washington D.C., where he worked on Capitol Hill, first as a White House Senior Policy adviser.

Although his work there has been legendary – Keyes himself will tell you that it was learning experience that brought the wisdom he would need to establish the Institute for Responsible Citizenship in 2001 which has been a benchmark of his life.

He is humbled by the fact that he has been called to be an adviser and mentor to more than 300 young men and his institution has produced more African American male Rhodes Scholars than any other institution.

You can find perhaps, many things in a back-cover bio, but the lessons that this man teaches and the hidden treasure of what he has found and has shared to make young men successful can only be discovered as you delve deep into the pages of his book, “The Stories They Hear – Expecting Greatness As The Key To Success.”

Keyes, a renowned author spoke on Oct. 2, at Bladen Community College’s Library. This gathering lived up to the promises of engagement, inspiration, and how to empower themselves and the community through the power of storytelling.

Dr. Keyes, shared his insights on the vital role narratives play in shaping our identities and motivating personal growth. His work is particularly focused on the experiences of young African American men, making this event especially relevant for those interested in community leadership and empowerment.

Although there were many nuggets to be picked at the book signing and motivational session, one of the things that really spoke to the audience was response to a question dealing with mentors.

“Don’t pick a perfect person to be your mentor,” he said. “One of the things I do is let my students see my failures as well as my successes. I have learned much through each experience. Also, if one of my students fails in an area, he won’t want to come back to me if I’m perfect.”

Dr. Keyes talked about empowering and owning mistakes and failure. He mentioned that if a student comes back to me as human instead of perfect, they will come to me more easily.

Dr. Keyes will provided many valuable perspectives on how positive storytelling can foster resilience and greatness, encouraging attendees to recognize the power of their own narratives. His stories went well past his time and realized that the teaching was so important to the group there. He would start a sentence with, “Just one more story,” and everyone knew there would be more.

And they were glad. Students as well as leaders, teachers and administration hung on every word and even at the book signing, something would remind him of a story and he would share it to the delight of those waiting in line.

The event offered an opportunity to engage with fellow community members, share experiences, and foster connections that can lead to collaborative efforts for positive change. In a question and answer session at the end of his talk, we saw a very candid Dr. Keyes who addressed some very insightful questions.

Attendees had the chance to ask questions and participate in a dynamic discussion, making this an interactive experience that enriches understanding and encourages dialogue.

Following the discussion, Dr. Keyes held a book signing where copies of The Stories They Hear was available for purchase. It was truly a unique opportunity to get a signed copy of his impacting work and engage further with the author.

This event was cosponsored by The Friends of the Bladen County Public Library and Bladen Community College.

“I have tremendous pride in what we have achieved at the Institute for Responsible Citizenship,” Keyes said. “Our success is measured by the achievements of our scholars and alumni.”

He started his oration with praise to God and one of the main points he brought forth was how important sincere acknowledgement was – and to remember and thank those who lit flames in the times of darkness. Gratitude. Simple, sincere gratitude he wrote in his book was a way to finish strong.

A strong caution that also spoke volumes to his students are in simple terms – never grow to big in your own eyes. Although he didn’t mention Marcus Aurelius specifically, but as the historical story goes, “Aurelius hired an assistant to follow him as he walked through the Roman towns square. The assistant’s only role was to, whenever Marcus Aurelius was praised, whisper in his ear, ‘You’re just a man. You’re just a man.’”

It was almost as if he were teaching the same thing to his students as he writes in his book, “The Institute scholar should resist the temptation to see that moment (where people are singing your praises) as a victory lap,” He emphasized, “Don’t rest on your laurels… there is so much more to do.”

Playing to win, humility, flawed pasts, facing giants and finishing strong. If only those things were the essence to planning an outline for a life, it would be enough, but Dr. Keyes offers over a decade of experience and never stops growing boys to men.

Better because of him.