About Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY)
The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) is an international organization dedicated to the recognition and development of leadership potential commencing with high school sophomores.

» Frequently Asked Questions
» The Freedom to Choose
» Origin and History
» Mission Statement
» Core Values
» Iowa HOBY Corporate Board
» Iowa HOBY Leadership Seminar Planning Team
» HOBY Quotes: What World Leaders are Saying

The Freedom to Choose
I do not believe we are all created equal. Physical and emotional differences, parental guidance, varying environments, being in the right place at the right time all play a role in enhancing or limiting individual development. But I do believe every man or woman, if given the opportunity and encouragement to recognize his or her potential regardless of background, has the freedom to choose in our world. Will an individual be a taker or giver in life? Will he or she be satisfied merely to exist or will he or she seek a meaningful purpose? Will he or she dare to dream the impossible dream? I believe every person is created as the steward of his or her own destiny with great power for a specific purpose to share with others, through service, a reverence for life in a spirit of love.

Origin and History
In 1958, actor Hugh O'Brian returned from Africa highly inspired by his visit with Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Later that year, he established the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership to seek out and develop leadership potential in America's youth. The HOBY Leadership began locally in California. Today there are 100 seminar sites located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Japan and Jamaica. Over 14,000 students worldwide benefit from HOBY seminars annually. In Iowa, as elsewhere, the seminars have enjoyed considerable support among high school principals and teachers-the people who know the needs and aspirations of our youth.

Mission Statement
Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership provides lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower individuals to achieve their highest potential.

Core Values

» Volunteerism - Volunteerism is the heart and soul of our organization.  We appreciate the myriad contributions of our volunteers, and recognize the power of thank you.  We seek to promote and encourage volunteerism among our stakeholders.  We recognize and value the power of good that volunteers can achieve working together.
» Excellence -  Excellence defines who we are and how we conduct our programs, and run our business.  We proactively examine our performance and strive to improve in a never ending quest to continually raise our programs and business to new levels of excellence. We pursue excellence with a passion in all we do. 
» Organizational Integrity – Organizational integrity forms the foundation of our organization.  We demand the highest level of ethics and grow our organization based on interactions that promote mutual trust and respect with our stakeholders.  We strive to ensure the highest level of organizational effectiveness by continually reviewing our programs and processes to improve quality and efficiency.
» Diversity – We value and embrace diversity.  We seek out views that reflect all walks of life, and reflect those views in our programs.  We are sensitive to the special needs and diverse backgrounds of individuals.  We give all individuals an opportunity to be heard and to benefit from our programs.
» Innovative Thinking – Our organization grows through innovative thinking.  We are not constrained by fixed ideas.  We learn from the past, but are not limited by it.  We proactively approach challenges and opportunities with innovative thinking to develop creative solutions.  We value innovative thinking that has the potential to expand our programs and better serve our stakeholders.
» Community Partnership – We value community partnerships.  We recognize the importance of working with our community organizations to reflect the diverse backgrounds of the individuals we seek to serve.  We value the input we receive from our community partners, and strive to work together cooperatively and constructively.
» Lifelong Learning Leadership Opportunities – We never stop.  We believe that leadership skills can and should be continually improved and refined.  We provide programs and services to foster lifelong leadership learning opportunities.