Will’s talk, “The Power of Self-Awareness,” illustrates the transformative potential of giving and receiving feedback. In his talk, he recounts his first class during his doctoral program at George Washington University when his professor gave him an “A” on his final paper, but an “F” in life. During their exchange, Professor Jerry B. Harvey introduced Will to his “Shadow” and helped him see that the dysfunction in his failed marriage had been largely brought by himself, not his ex-wife. Confronted with this reality, Will discusses the implication of understanding how our Shadow often brings about the very thing we are trying to avoid. He closes his talk with the broader implications of this exchange, and the moral responsibility we have to give and receive honest and candid feedback with those in our lives.
