Leadership: Academy Lecture 4

Sofie Sonner

Leadership: Academy Lecture 4

Jessica Cox: Thinking Outside the Shoe

This week, the Academy for Leader Development had the honor of listening to a lecture by Jessica Cox, a woman known internationally as a speaker. She was born without arms but lives a fulfilling life flying planes, driving cars, and even doing tae kwon do using her feet as her hands. Listening to her speak changed my perspective on how life would be more difficult in this situation and caused me to think more about the ways that people approach challenges.

While speaking at Baylor, Cox said that “I can’t” isn’t in her vocabulary. As we look at the obstacles in our lives, it’s all about the mindset that we’re in. She never saw herself as a victim, just a bit different from everyone else. In having such a can-do perspective, Jessica Cox has opened herself up to different opportunities and accomplishments. She travels the world, has been on the Ellen show, and has a black belt in tae kwon do and a driver’s license with no restrictions. She says that she accomplishes so much for her own enjoyment, not to prove to others that she can. At first, she had difficulty dealing with the difference of having no arms. Our world is made for people with two, so many ordinary tasks are harder for her than they are for most people. When her parents first saw her at the hospital on the day she was born, they were shocked to see the birth defect and her parents were scared about the future for their child. One woman in the hospital exclaimed that they must have been such special parents to be blessed with this child, and Jessica’s parents were supportive and gave her hope and strength. They acted as a guiding factor to why she’s so optimistic, and allowed her to learn and grow individually despite her disability.

One main point from Cox’s talk was that there’s always more than one way to accomplish anything. She demonstrated this by tying and putting on a shoe, drinking soda with her feet, and explaining how she buckled her seatbelt in a plane. Because she has no arms, her whole life Cox has been making things work for her in unique ways. She remarked that desire is 80 percent of success, and once someone is motivated enough they are usually able to accomplish what they want. “Thinking outside of the shoe” was a common theme in her speech and she emphasized having a positive perspective in the face of challenges. She asked the audience “what’s stopping you from doing what you’ve always wanted to do?” Once a problem is looked at this way, it becomes easier to achieve. Jessica Cox also explained that “how we react has a bigger impact on our lives than our physical restraints”.

In each of our lives, we use the words “I can’t” too often. We should be persistent and go beyond the expectations that other people have for us. Language becomes our reality, so we should use this to our advantage instead of allowing it to limit us. Roosevelt said to “identify your greatest fear and walk directly at it”. This is the approach that Cox took when learning to fly airplanes and not allowing her fear to stand in the way of her opportunity.

This session impacted my understanding of leadership because it made me understand the differences that individuals sometimes possess and how they work around challenges to achieve. As a leader, we should be aware of the small things that might not be easy for everyone to handle. In a normal day, most people don’t have to worry about how they’re going to tie their shoes, buckle a seatbelt, or open a door. These tasks are very different in Cox’s world because she’s had to figure out how to do them using only her legs. A good leader should be aware of the disadvantages that others have, whether they’re as drastic as missing limbs or as small as an individual not having a skill that everyone else has.

However, Cox remarked that we shouldn’t assume that disabled people need our help. Often times people will offer to help her with something that she can easily do on her own. She doesn’t wear prosthetics because she feels lighter and more empowered without them. Overall, I learned a lot about the disabled community through Cox’s lecture on her own experience living in a different way than most people. I will apply what I’ve learned from her to my leadership practice because now I’m more aware of the challenges that others face and can better understand people that are physically disadvantaged.