Learning to fly: Disabilities train leaders to cultivate other skills

“People with disabilities need a lot of support. They can’t be productive employees, let alone great leaders.”

People may not say this explicitly, but such misguided belief still permeates many organizations, imposing false constraints on what those with a disability can achieve.

Yet the incredible journeys of leaders we commemorate on the International Day for People with Disabilities (which was celebrated Sunday) prove otherwise. Leaders such as Jim Platzer, visiting instructor of organizational leadership at Purdue Fort Wayne, have not only navigated successful careers in the corporate sector but also serve as deeply impactful educators for students of leadership.

Though visually impaired, Platzer leads by example: piloting aircraft; delivering inspirational speeches for companies such as Audi, Lincoln, The Cheesecake Factory and Sweetwater; and, most rewardingly, guiding generations of students aspiring to be leaders to unleash their potential.

Read the story in The Journal Gazette (subscription required)