Keith Harper |Go Do It

“If you want to do great things, then you should concentrate not on what you want to be but on what you want to do. You don’t have to be anything specific thing to impact issues you care about…[assess] those things you want to impact, and then go do it.”

Keith Harper (Cherokee) is a partner at the law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. In January 2017 Keith completed his appointment as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Harper also served as one of the lead attorneys in the Cobell class action lawsuit. He appeared previously on NextGen Native to discuss his work, and he returned to share some conversation now that his post as Ambassador concluded.

Like every episode, my goal is to celebrate the success of those on the show, and make their success relatable to others. With Keith, my goal remained the same but I really wanted to ask him questions about how he thinks about career development, growth and more from the perspective of someone that already achieved significant accomplishments in his career. I think we are used to hearing these conversations amongst peers, but I am curious about how people that already achieved great results think about growth and their career progression. i

I asked what he learned about himself during his tenure, and what lessons he believes tribes (and anyone, frankly) can take away from his experience on an international stage. His insight is clear, concise, and actionable.

Keith’s career already includes several significant achievements that few others have in Indian Country, let alone the legal profession generally. We are fortunate that Keith is willing to share his time on the show, because I think his insight is valuable to anyone that wants to grow and develop, or wonders how they can make a difference.