A Look In The Mirror

The Thesis of this speech is that all leadership development begins with the person staring back at you from the mirror. Most people seek training on how to lead others. But you’re not prepared to lead anyone until you can properly lead yourself. Leadership is not a buzzword. It’s a commitment. It requires:

• An investment of time, resources, and money
• A shifting of popularly held beliefs and paradigms
• An acceptance of radical personal responsibility
• A willingness to place others before yourself

This Business of Supplier Diversity

Taken from the title of my book, the thesis of this message is that supplier diversity is more than a social program. There is a business case that when ethnic minorities prosper, their communities prosper, and all of society is lifted. I share several statistics, case studies and anecdotes from my own journey as a minority business owner to prove this claim.

Leadership At the Speed of Change

The thesis of the message is that in good times and in bad, everything rises and falls on leadership. An organization, company, nation, etc., will only be as strong as its leaders. The good news is that leaders are not always born, they can be made. Therefore, we must invest in our leaders to be competitive. We invest in leaders through:

• Training and development
• Building a positive team culture
• Mentoring and sponsorship
• Painting a clear vision of the future

Ten Steps to Effecting Change In Any Organization

The thesis of this message is that organizational change is hard. Getting it done requires courage, commitment, and a plan of action. Follow these 10 Steps (Can be as little as 5) to change the culture of any organization or company for the better:

• Recognize the need for change (For example, we’re not accomplishing our mission).
• Commit to championing the change (at any cost – even termination).
• Develop a vision for what the change would look like in your organization (E.g.: Goals: 10% by ____).
• Align that vision with leadership (Get buy-in).
• Build consensus about the change (Sell it and find out where your support lies, educate the non-supporters).
• Build an internal support group; leadership, management, rank and file (build a team).
• Build an external support group (Coaching, for example).
• Sharpen your saw (Learn).
• Have a plan (1-year, 5-year, 10-year, succession plan).
• Persist: Never, never, never abandon the cause (10 steps forward, 5 steps back, but never quit).

Corporate, Professional :The Power of Partnership

The thesis of the message is that partnership is an untapped superpower that when accessed unleashes powerful outcomes. Entrepreneurs have a vision and are tempted to go it alone, but using examples from 3 decades of entrepreneurship in my own life, I demonstrate how it was the power of partnership that lifted us to meteoric growth both professionally and in the community.

• How I grew my business through partnership with Tricom
• How we built up the community through several Oasis partnerships
• How we built a national minority-owned law firm through partnerships