“A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do. To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.” – Herman Bekele
A Precocious Child
Herman Bekele started making potions in his bedroom at 4 years old. By the time he had reached age 7, he was mixing chemicals to the point his parents thought he might burn down the house. Herman said, “They were just dish soap, laundry detergent, and common household chemicals. I would hide them under my bed and see what would happen if I left them overnight. There was a lot of mixing together completely at random.”
Now 15 years old, Herman is a 10th grader at Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia and recently won the Young Scientists Challenge and the 2024 Time Kid of the Year. Herman has created a bar of soap which could potentially one-day cure skin cancer. Though the product could be years away from FDA approval and mass production, the optimism is there.
A Passionate Teenager
Herman said in this Time article, “I’m really passionate about skin-cancer research whether it’s my own research or what’s happening in the field. It’s absolutely incredible to think that one day my bar of soap will be able to make a direct impact on somebody else’s life. That’s the reason I started this all in the first place.” I don’t even want to tell you about what I was really passionate about as a 10th grader but it wasn’t skin-cancer research.
A bar of soap would be the perfect delivery system for this medicinal product. Herman notes, “What is one thing that is an internationally impactful idea, something that everyone can use, [regardless of] socioeconomic class? Almost everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option.”
Herman is now working with Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins. She said, “I remember reading somewhere something about this young kid who had an idea for a skin-cancer soap. It immediately piqued my interest, because I thought, how cool, him wanting to make it accessible to the whole world. And then, by complete serendipity at this Melanoma Research Alliance meeting, the CEO of the alliance introduced me to Heman. From the first conversation, his passion was evident. When I found out he lived very nearby in Virginia, I told him if he ever wanted to stop by the lab he’d be more than welcome.”
Herman concluded the Time interview by saying, “A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do,” he says. “To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”
5 Leadership Lessons
We get five leadership lessons from his comments:
Continually Experiment
Leaders should never stop experimenting and trying new things. Hermon started out mixing everyday household products. He soon graduated to more sophisticated “potions”. Today, he works with chemicals which could one day save countless lives.
Meet Everyday Needs
Anything great in this world was birthed out of pain. Herman developed his passion for skin cancer research from watching people working in the scorching sun while growing up in Addis Ababa. His parents constantly warned him of the danger to the skin. Herman now wants to do something about it.
Discover The Most Effective Distribution Systems
Smart leaders are constantly looking for the most effective way to serve as many people as possible. Most people have access to soap and are comfortable utilizing it. Therefore it makes the perfect distribution system.
Continually Innovate
Herman said, “A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do. To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world.” We have only scratched the surface of innovation and great ideas. So how do you discover them? This leads to my next point….
Keep…..
Herman concluded, “Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.” Keep inventing, keep thinking, keep improving, and keep making. This is what great leaders, and the Time Kid of the Year, do.
I have recently developed a strategic partnership with an organization called Netline. They are an organization which gets content into as many hands as possible. Together, we created a FREE resource entitled “The Top 90 Leadership Quotes of 2024 – Part 1.“ You can click HERE or on the image provided to receive this complimentary resource.
Now a special request. This is a complimentary resource. Therefore, if you will make special note of the ads on the pages you will see. If any interest you, please click the images and learn more about their products.
Once again, you can get your FREE resource by clicking DOWNLOAD NOW.
These quotes will take 15 minutes to read and a lifetime to apply. Let’s get started. You’re about to get smarter and better as a leader! #CommissionsEarned