Colby
Chandler isn't a huge fan of setting personal goals. He never
planned to go to college. He didn't anticipate working for a major
corporation like Kodak, and he never aspired to become its
president. Colby lives by the idea that one may miss present
opportunities if he is too concentrated on a future aim.
Colby spent a majority of his childhood
on a Farmington, Maine dairy farm and although he walked by a
teachers' college most everyday, admitted he rarely thought about
higher education. He certainly didn't have an interest in teaching,
"I could teach cows," Colby laughed, "but teaching people is another
story."
Colby practiced 'teaching' cows with the
Mosher Hill 4-H Club. 4-H introduced Colby to the art of dairy
judging and the discipline of record keeping. He worked diligently
on his projects and eventually, Colby became so talented at 4-H
dairy judging he won the 1940 County Championships. His reward was a
two-week-long visit to the University of Maine at Orono.
During his visit, Colby resided at Lord
Hall and took a condensed course in dairy husbandry. Although he
still wasn't convinced college was the right path for him, Colby was
impressed with the educational resources of Maine's University.
Colby enlisted with the Marines after
high school and fought in World War II. It was this experience, as
well as speaking with his fellow college-educated marines, that
finally pushed him to enroll in higher education using the G.I.
Bill.
Colby attained a BA in engineering
physics at the University of Maine, and started to move onto a
master's degree. A professor of his, Clarence Bennett, had other
ideas. When approached by Colby for a letter of recommendation,
Bennett offered a deal. He would write a letter, if Colby would
interview with an on campus recruiter from Kodak. Colby agreed to
the deal, and was surprised to receive a job offer from Kodak.
Colby accepted the job, although he did
later attend MIT to get his masters, and eventually worked his way
up to becoming President of Kodak in 1983.
Most would find this success story at
odds with the usual motto of "setting goals and sticking to them."
But not Colby -- he finds his success was dependant on his
flexibility. "I didn't start at Kodak and tell myself I was going to
be president," he explained. "I just did the best I could at
whatever task I got." He further described how individuals will put
less effort into a project that doesn't seem to compliment their
goal. "They can miss out on a lot doing that," he said.
Colby explained that he views life as a
set of building blocks. He could have seen his 4-H work raising
dairy cows and keeping records on their progress and financial costs
and gains as mediocre. However, his ideas surrounding making life
connections taught him otherwise. Reflecting on his work in 4-H,
Colby stated that what he learned in 4-H was a model for running his
company.
His final words of wisdom to fellow
4-Hers is to "be determined to find an opportunity -- not
necessarily just reach a goal. In today's world you can transfer to
different schools and move into different careers without much
backlash. Give every option a try -- and always do your best."
