Leadership Nebraska · Class XVII

Step Up to the Mic

Class XVII,

If you're reading this, it means you survived a year of bus rides, Nebraska wine tastings, endless tours, hotel lobby games, and at least one very thorough shower tutorial. Congratulations. You made it!

When we started this journey, most of us walked into a room full of strangers with some version of the same plan: stay quiet, don't take up too much space, figure out where you fit. Some of us were terrified of networking. Some of us were planning our exit strategy before the first session even started. And some of us were already asking about the origins of the pyramids.

But then people started showing up as themselves. Someone would say something honest, or funny, or a little weird — and it just opened things up for the rest of us. That happened over and over this year.

We watched each other give passion speeches about Neanderthals and ancient aliens and missile silos and interior design. We sang karaoke for the first time. We played Monikers like we'd known each other for decades. We celebrated birthdays in towns we'd never been to. We learned about water systems and hydroelectric plants and the leaders who bravely shaped this state long before any of us got here.

And somewhere in all of that, between the cult initiation food questions and the sketchy Ubers and the Pink Pony Club sing-alongs on the bus, we became something. Not just a class. A crew. Supporters, cheerleaders, and coconspirators spread across every corner of Nebraska.

That doesn’t end tonight.

You have people all over this state who know your voice and want to hear it. Who've seen you step up and will be the first ones cheering when you do it again. In your communities, in your workplaces, in rooms where you might be the only one thinking what you're thinking — step up to the mic.

The world needs the kind of leaders who've been in this room together. People who lead with empathy and curiosity and connection. People who show up not just to solve things, but to learn. People who love other people for their differences.

So here's your reminder: you've got a whole class behind you.

With love and a lot of gratitude,

Chris and Kristin

Your People