NextGen+ / Los Angeles – Kicks Off!

It’s a packed house for NextGen+ in Los Angeles. The festivities were kicked off by a rousing speech by Patrick Ibarra. “Reinventing Government in the 21st Century,” as his speech is aptly titled, keys in on two primary points: how Government is transforming and how you can contribute. Mr. Ibarra says, “leadership has nothing to do with titles…to be a leader, crash the party.” Government is transforming because its job is to make life better for everyone; it is on the cutting edge of social engineering. Money is not the most important commodity in your organizations, it is time. Government organizations sometimes keep the wrong types of people (i.e., “some people quit and leave, some people quit and stay). The leaner days after sequestration will push organizations to become more time efficient with the new ideas future Government leaders bring to the table.
How can you contribute? Everyone’s path will be different, but there are a few overarching principles that young people in Government should keep in mind. First, don’t apologize for being ambitious. Be bold and be noticed (in a good way). In order to change the perceptions of a “business as usual” Government be willing to, and take, risks. Your brand is your reputation and you’re constantly building it. Mark Twain said “luck is residue of perseverance” and the future solutions to our Government’s problems lay in our perseverance potential.
Mr. Ibarra is a former City Manager and Co-Founder of the Mejorando Group (“Mejorando” is
Spanish for “getting better all the time”).