Interview with Dr. Jeffrey A. Olsen, President of Nightingale College: “Learn, Adapt, and Evolve”
Nightingale College President Dr. Jeffrey A. Olsen was recently interviewed by Adam Mendler, an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and host of the top-rated podcast Thirty Minute Mentors. Here are five key takeaways from the wide-ranging Q&A, which can be read in its entirety at adammendler.com.
On Nightingale College’s impact on U.S. health equity:
“Nightingale College is a nationwide nursing school with remote learners in every state, both busy metro areas, remote rural regions, and even places considered educational deserts. I can travel to those areas and witness firsthand the impact our curriculum, nurse educators, and technology, like customizable VR simulations, are having on our students. Nightingale graduates will take their skills back to their hometowns, ultimately serving their neighbors who might be traditionally underserved.”
On the challenges of higher education:
“There is no comfort in the growth zone and no growth in the comfort zone, so I am always trying to look at obstacles as opportunities to challenge the status quo and expand my thinking. Higher education has always been a space for growth, but for many decades it has begun to settle into comfort zones. Our focus in this shifting landscape is to ensure that our learner population can see the value of what Nightingale College can offer in their professional journey.”
On expanding personal leadership skills:
“I think it’s vital that leaders approach each new situation with a growth mindset and know they are surrounded by brilliant people who can support understanding, ideas, and their own personal development. Every person you are going to meet is smarter than you in something, so don’t be afraid to engage people at all levels of the organization in your growth as a leader and a person.”
On moving forward in business:
“Learn from the past, but don’t be married to it. We have been conditioned to look to the past to better understand what lies ahead, and while it can be helpful to understand how we got here, it is not necessarily a model predictive of the future. Just because something has been effective in the past does not mean it will always be effective in the future. Learn, adapt, and evolve.”
On the best advice he’s ever received:
“Don’t tear down the fence before you know why it was put up.”
Read the full interview with Dr. Jeffrey A. Olsen at adammendler.com.