Why America's Young People Need The Try

For young people today, the idea of America as a land of opportunity increasingly rings hollow. They are coming of age in the toughest economic times our country has seen since the Great Depression, with no swift recovery in sight.

For students from the wealthiest families—those we’ve recently come to think of as “the 1%”—the path to adulthood will be smoothed by prep schools, SAT coaches, unpaid internships, and family connections. But for the 99%, especially those in poor families and America’s shrinking middle class, prospects are dimmed by a climate of stubbornly high unemployment, struggling businesses, and declining real household incomes.

One effect can be seen in the numbers of young people who drop out of school, whether because they need to help support their families, or because they don’t know where they’re headed, or because they think the deck is stacked against them whether they graduate or not. While some studies suggest that the U.S. high school graduation rate may be improving slightly after years of decline, it’s still estimated that 25% of students nationwide fail to graduate. Among minority populations and in poor school districts, high school dropout rates of 30%, 40%, or even 50% are not uncommon.

Some say these problems are structural, and that it will take massive, top-down programs to address them. But, regardless of whether or not you believe government is the answer, it’s clear that no major policy initiative proposed today could possibly come on line soon enough to improve conditions for this generation of young people.

This does not mean there is no hope of upward mobility for young people who have grown up poor, or no chance of life and career success for those who come from typical American homes. What it does mean is that it’s up to each individual to make the most of his or her God-given potential.

That has always been true, but in this economic climate, understanding that reality is more critical than ever. In a recent New York Times op-ed column, author Thomas Friedman succinctly explains why:

“In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius. Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra — their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment. Average is over.”

As Friedman suggests, these days the advantage lies with those who will do what it takes to rise above the crowd and be the very best at what they do. In other words, in a very real sense, we are all entrepreneurs now. The Try makes that case in a positive way, empowering young people to find the ingredients of success within. Based on our experiences to date, we have no doubt that success can indeed be taught.

The Great Experiment: Can Success Be Taught?

Getting equipped for the workplace and launching a career have never been easy.  But for today’s young people, the climb is tougher than ever. they can be ambitious, work hard, earn a college or university degree, and still find themselves stuck in a dead-end, minimum-wage job—if they can find a job at all.  

And what about the millions who can’t afford college? Or those who drop out without even finishing high school? shockingly, an estimated 30% of american students who enter ninth grade fail to graduate from high school, and among minority and lower-income students, the percentages are even higher. what chance do these young people have in today’s über-competitive job market?

For decades now, students have been taught that success is a function of intelligence, academic credentials and strong basic skills. Important as these elements may still be, it seems they are no longer sufficient. some hold that family connections are the sine qua non for building a career. But how many young people are socially linked to captains of industry? and while personal networking belongs in every job seeker’s tool kit, LinkedIn is no panacea.  

The question is, what does it take to succeed in America today? and is this recipe something that can be taught…not just to a handful of students at a time, but at scale?    

I’ve got an answer to the first question, and it’s one that every entrepreneur will understand. I’m convinced that success today depends even more on qualities of character—like grit, guts and heart—than on I.Q., credentials or connections. what’s more, there is a growing body of research to support the view that character trumps cognitive skills when it comes to career and life success.

I believe the critical ingredient in success is the constellation of character traits that cowboys call “Try.”  Through my foundation and its community partners, we’re showing that these qualities can be taught. If you’d like to learn more, and perhaps even become part of the solution, please download the white paper, and read on.

- Jim Owen

Cowboy Ethics Business Workshops in Action

Folks in Wyoming have been enthusiastic early adopters of the Cowboy Ethics programs.  From the great work that Ashley Bright and his team are doing with Wyoming Youth, to the state legislature itself, which recently adopted the Cowboy Ethics as the official state code, people in Wyoming seem to immidiately grasp the potential Cowboy Ethics has to change our country for the better.

While the inspiration that Cowboy Ethics offers has spread for beyond Wyoming, folks there continue to innovate and build upon the Cowboy Ethics foundation.  We want to share an article from the Wyoming Business Report about the efforts of the Kent Noble and the University of Wyoming School of Business to show that Cowboy Ethics are good for business too.

We've posted a expert from the article below and you can read more about what Cowboy Ethics can do for business on our website.  We call it, Standing Tall in an Upside-Down World.

Training course seeks to turn business right-side-up
By Business Report Staff

September 27, 2012 --

LARAMIE — An advanced three-day executive business training course will seek to make sense of the upside-down economy for participants.
...
A new course this year will use the "Code of the West" as a basis for business ethics "in an upside-down world."

"Adding a track highlighting the University of Wyoming College of Business 'Standing Tall in an Upside-Down World' business ethics initiative is a real advantage for our participants," said Business Council CEO Bob Jensen. "Not only will participants receive high-level training from UW professors grounded in real-world business experience, they'll also have the opportunity to learn more about business ethics based on Wyoming values."

You can read the full article at the Wyoming Business Report.

Helping Our Teenagers Succeed

The start of a new school year is a good time for teenagers to work with their teachers, parents and mentors on setting goals for the year. In a competitive society, it takes more than academics and skills to succeed. Developing qualities of character - like grit, perseverance and heart are essential for success. The Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership has been putting these ideas into action through our Be Somebody! program. This program works with teenagers on goal planning and discovering their true potential. 

We have also released a white paper, The Great Experiment: Can Success Be Taught?, designed as a resource for teachers, parents, mentors and students. Please be sure to review the paper and contact the Center if you are interested in getting Be Somebody! in your community or school.

We believe success can be taught and every young person in America can succeed. 

More Businesses using Cowboy Ethics

Cowboy Ethics has developed a common-sense approach to business ethics called Standing Tall in an Upside-Down World. This approach was designed to support small and medium-sized businesses and organizations in creating a culture of doing the right thing. We are excited when we discover that businesses are doing just that.

Kelly Bullis is the owner of Bullis and Company, CPA's which operates out of Carson City, Nevada. Kelly uses Cowboy Ethics principles with his company as he discusses in the video below.

You can implement Cowboy Ethics into your business or organization just like Kelly. More resources and information on workshops can be found here.

Lynne Cheney Dedicates Cheney Cowboy Ethics Club in Casper

Lynne Cheney took part in the dedication ceremony for the new Dick and Lynne Cheney Cowboy Ethics Club last week in Casper, Wyoming. The new 3,500 square-foot space will provide the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming greater space and tools to work with local teens. The club is built around the code of Cowboy Ethics.

Lynne Cheney during the opening ceremony of the Dick and Lynne Cheney Cowboy Ethics Club.

Read more about the new ethics club here. Thank you to the Casper Star-Tribune for reporting on the story.