Chris Myers Asch

Moment of Obligation: What experiences led to the desire to start your own organization?
The failures of our public institutions following Hurricane Katrina helped catalyze me to start the Public Service Academy, but more fundamentally, I am led to this work by the lives of my parents, two lifelong public servants who embody the ethic of service that I find largely absent among many people in my generation. My parents cultivated within me an abiding love for America and a service-oriented sense of patriotism—not the jingoistic nationalism of self-styled patriots, but a deep appreciation for the opportunities many Americans take for granted.

Gall to Think Big: What has given you the ability to dream big and take on deeply entrenched social problems in the world?
I have always had an overactive sense of personal responsibility. I can’t even walk by a piece of trash on the ground without feeling responsible for picking it up! Whether it’s something as small as litter or something as immense as changing our negative cultural perception of public service, I feel as if I have the power and thus the responsibility to do something about it.

New and Untested: What’s innovative about your new idea for social change?
The Public Service Academy is innovative not simply because no such institution exists, but also because it takes a different approach to recruiting young people into public service and developing them into civilian leaders. Instead of offering enticements that make things easier for young people to serve, the Academy would raise the bar and demand more of our future leaders. Young people want to be challenged, they want to be part of something larger than themselves, they want to make this country better. They just need more opportunities to serve outside of the military.

Seeing Possibilities: What are the most important qualities to be a successful social entrepreneur?
Confidence: You must know that you can do the job.
Persistence: You must fight on even when you feel overwhelmed.
Discipline: You must set achievable goals and pursue them consistently and methodically.

Which musical artists/albums get you going and keep you inspired?
I have been a Rush fan since I was eight years old, and I love Thievery Corporation, U2, and the Boss. I also am known to sing spontaneously from Les Miserables and other musicals. But to get myself really fired up, I pop in the soundtrack from any “Rocky” movie.

What books do you recommend?
Money Ball by Michael Lewis: Even if you don’t like baseball, this book shows the power of thinking outside the box. Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee: If you think Bruce Lee is just a martial artist, you’re missing out. The U.S. Constitution: It’s amazing how few people have actually read it. Most anything by George Orwell or John Steinbeck.

Which websites do you visit often?
The web is great for research and reference, but I most often use books, magazines, and newspapers for day-to-day information—Washington Post, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Atlantic, etc.

What advice or quote do you keep close to your heart as a social change leader?
“Do or do not. There is no ‘try.’” – Yoda.