At 21, He Decided to Run for Mayor. Why?

If you keep waiting for somebody else to change something, who exactly are you waiting for? What makes a 21-year-old look at one of the biggest leadership roles in his city and think: “Why not me?” Jacob Méthot is 21 years old and running for mayor of Peterborough, Ontario. We invited Jacob to BreakingViews 1on1 because we wanted to understand the mindset behind making a decision this big at such a young age. Jacob says the idea began when a professor at Trent University told him he should run for mayor. He laughed. She wasn’t joking. Eventually, watching things happen around his city and repeatedly thinking “someone should do something about this” became a different question: Why couldn’t that someone be me? Throughout the conversation, MJ and Jacob explore what experience actually means, whether age should determine readiness, and why curiosity, empathy, connection and the ability to listen may matter just as much as having years behind you. Jacob describes leadership not as telling people what to do, but as listening to different perspectives, keeping the door open even when people disagree, and finding ways to move forward together. "young people are often underestimated precisely because of their age." He argues that being young can also mean bringing energy, curiosity and a willingness to question why things have always been done a certain way. --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Jacob Méthot on: Instagram: -- https://www.instagram.com/jacobmpeter... Facebook: -- https://www.facebook.com/share/1DVp1q... For more information, questions, or to connect with Jacob, feel free to message him through social media or email: Methot.Jacob@outlook.com Related reading -- Peterborough Currents: --- https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/news/... --------------------------------------------------------------- About BreakingViews1on1 Jacob's Episode BreakingViews1on1 is about understanding how people think; not telling you what to think. This conversation focuses on Jacob’s experiences, ideas and mindset as a young person stepping into an unusually large challenge. BreakingViews1on1 does not endorse political candidates. --------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters 00:00 Why Run for Mayor at 21? 01:13 The Professor Who Put the Idea in His Head 03:01 Stop Complaining—or Do Something 04:15 Learning as You Go 06:55 Meet Jacob Méthot 08:17 Rapid-Fire: Getting to Know Jacob 10:34 Is Experience Really About Age? 11:58 What Does Leadership Actually Mean? 13:52 BreakingViews Chef Special 15:30 The Ugly: What Matters Most? 16:13 Integrity, Empathy, Courage or Vision? 17:55 What Makes a Good Life? 19:28 What Makes a Strong Community? 23:08 What Gives Young People Confidence? 25:15 The Moment Things Became Serious 29:11 Being 21 in an Uncertain Future 31:07 The Gap Between Students and the Community 35:40 The Bad: The Butterfly Effect 35:46 What If Every 18-Year-Old Got $10,000? 38:22 Are We Wasting Immigrant Talent? 40:08 What If Social Media Disappeared for a Month? 41:54 What If Everyone Got a Year to Learn Something New? 42:55 What Has Running for Mayor Taught Him? 45:30 Are Young People Underestimated? 47:02 Why Being Comfortable Can Be Dangerous 48:17 The Good: Dilemma 48:42 Comfortable Life or Meaningful Risk? 49:23 Tell People the Truth—or What They're Ready to Hear? 50:36 Influence or a Title? 52:34 Win Every Argument or Change One Mind? 53:31 Smartest Leader or Best Listener? 55:03 Does AI Change What Experience Means? 58:37 Does University Prepare You for Real Work? 01:01:05 Can a Broken System Be Fixed by Better People? 01:07:17 What Jacob Keeps Hearing Door-to-Door 01:14:46 Why Should Young People Try to Change Anything? 01:15:28 “If You're Young, You're Ready” 01:16:53 Building Community Starts With You 01:18:05 Final Thoughts 01:19:44 Off-Camera Moments & Bloopers --------------------------------------------------------------- Music Right: Cold Funk - Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- #JacobMethot #PeterboroughOntario #YoungLeadership #Leadership #Mindset #YoungPeople #PersonalGrowth #Community #BreakingViews1on1 #Peterborough #funnypodcast #funpodcast #lifeaftergraduation #canadianpodcast #selfdevelopment