GENERATION NEXT COMMENTARY

In Honor of Black History Month: 7 Lessons of Leadership from Black Leaders

2012-02-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a student in elementary school, I have always had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a variety of amazing Black History Month programs. These programs help us to celebrate our culture and remember the leaders and ancestry of our past which has enabled us to have the privileges that we possess today. Although many African Americans will be at the fore front of these Black History Month celebrations throughout our nation, I personally believe that it's extremely important that every American embrace this amazing time of year. The primary reason why I feel so strongly about this is because like several other cultures within our nation, the African American culture has been a key ingredient to the success, prosperity, and advancement of our nation. To help us all celebrate this amazing time of the year, I would like to provide you with seven leadership lessons that we can all learn from past and present leaders within the African American culture.

Leadership Lesson #1
Dr. King teaches us that Great Leaders Create DREAMS Bigger than THEMSELVES

There are several incredible things we can learn from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a leader, but one of the greatest lessons that I have learned from Dr. King over my lifetime is that great leaders not only create big dreams and visions, but they create and pursue visions and dreams that are bigger than themselves. In essence, there focus is not just about self, it's about the present and future generation of people. As leaders, let us all embrace this amazing leadership quality of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Leadership Lesson #2
Rosa Parks teaches us that Great Leaders make an IMPACT because they have COURAGE

There were several men and women who were instrumental during the Civil Rights movement, but one of the reasons I personally believe we celebrate the life of Rosa Parks is because she had the courage to stand up for what she believed regardless of the outcome. In essence, she was able to make an impact because she did not let fear, danger, or negative threats stop her from standing up for what was right. As leaders, it is important that we have the courage to stand for what we believe is right and embrace the amazing leadership qualities of Rosa Parks.

Leadership Lesson #3
George Carver teaches us that Great Leaders must have Personal Responsibility

George Washington Carver has done so many positive things for our nation as a leader, but one of the most powerful quotes that I heard him say was, 99% of failure is because of excuses that people make. In essence, a leader that created peanut butter and several other useful things from the peanut stated that most people fail to obtain success because they are always making excuses for something. As leaders, it is not only important that we take personal responsibility, but it's extremely critical that we focus on the things we can change verses developing a variety of different reasons why we cannot get something accomplished as a leader.

Leadership Lesson #4
Harriett Tubman teaches us that Great Leaders make huge sacrifices for the people they SERVE

Harriet Tubman is not only an amazing woman but also courageous, strong, powerful, and a great leader. Although I can use her life to paint the picture of several qualities that we must all possess as leaders in the 21st Century, one of the greatest things that stand out to me about her life is the fact that she was willing to put her life on the line for the people she served as a leader. In essence, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly Ms. Tubman made sacrifices and put her life on the line for the people she served. As leaders, it is extremely important that we are willing to make sacrifices and go the extra mile for the people we serve as leaders.

Leadership Lesson #5
Frederick Douglass teaches us that adversity, rejection, and challenges are perquisites of GREAT LEADERSHIP.

There are several amazing lessons that we can learn from Frederick Douglass, but one of the greatest lessons that I have learned is, "Without Struggle, there is NO PROGRESS". In essence, Frederick Douglass teaches us that struggle is not only a part of leadership, but without it, you will not reach the progression that each of us can experience when we have the right perspective on challenges, failure, adversity, and rejection. As leaders, let us embrace the leadership lesson of Frederick Douglass by seeing every negative circumstance or challenge as a step closer towards reaching our fullest potential as leaders of the 21st Century.

Leadership Lesson #6
Malcolm X teaches us that Great Leaders must be educated if they desire to succeed in the future.

As you might know, there are several great leadership lessons that we can learn from Malcolm X. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from him is stated in one of his quotes which says, "Education is a passport to success in the Future". In essence, in order to be a great leader, it is important that we have vision, character, courage, and resilience, but it's critical that we are well-educated in our area of expertise. As leaders, let us embrace the leadership lessons of Malcolm X by making sure that we obtain the education, training, development, and expertise required to become a great leader of the 21st Century.

Leadership Lesson #7
President Obama teaches us that Great Leaders believe and pursue the Impossible

Like most of the leaders listed, there are several leadership qualities that we can obtain from President Obama. One of the greatest leadership lessons which stands out to me about President Obama is the fact that he had the faith to believe in doing something that had never been done before. In essence, not only was their never a black president in American History, but what President Obama did was something most people in America probably thought would never happen. Yet, because of President Obama's belief in the overcoming the impossible, he now sits as the first African American President in US History. As leaders, let us embrace this type of attitude that President Obama exemplifies as a leader so that we can create and do things that have never been done in American History.

As you know, there are several more leaders that can be mentioned in this month's newsletter, but these are just a few leadership lessons and things we can learn about from the amazing African American leaders of our past and present. Let us all embrace these wonderful lessons and give thanks for the amazing men and women that are communities and entire nation have been blessed with throughout the years.

DO YOU HAVE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION?

2011-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, my friend and I were having an in-depth discussion about leadership. During our conversation, not only did I take some time to discuss my upcoming leadership presentation with him, but we both began to have an engaging discussion about some of the greatest leaders of all time. As you might imagine, we talked about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we talked about Nelson Mandela, we talked about Winston Churchill, we talked about Abraham Lincoln, we talked about Mahatma Gandhi, we talked about Mother Theresa, we talked about Susan B. Anthony, we talked about Jesus Christ, we talked about Cesar Chavez, we talked about the Dali Lama, and we talked about several other influential national and world leaders that have really made a tremendous impact in the world.

Essentially, after having this intriguing discussion on leadership, we both agreed that although some of the greatest leaders of all time were rejected by others, were not the richest people in the world, were not the most popular people in the world, were not the most beautiful people in the world, were not the smartest people in the world, were not the greatest communicators in the world, were not the best dressed people in the world, and were not always the popular leadership choice during their time, they were all able to succeed as leaders because each of these men and women had the heart of a champion on the inside. In essence, their heart for great leadership and making an impact in the world on the inside was so powerful that it enabled them to make an impact in the world regardless of their position, charisma, likability, financial state, or challenge.

Like these great leaders, if we are going to really become great leaders of the 21st Century and make an impact in the world, not only is it essential that we have the necessary leadership skills to succeed, but we must have the heart of a champion. According to Jaren Davis, an author and speaker, having the heart of a champion is being someone that pushes beyond their fears, truly believes in themselves and breaks through any roadblocks or obstacles that attempt to stop them from accomplishing their goals in life. In essence, according to Jaren Davis, not only does having the heart of a champion separate the good from the great, but leaders that have the heart of a champion are people who are courageous enough to pursue things that may seem impossible or risky to the average individual.

Personally, not only do I agree with Jaren Davis, but I strongly believe there are some other key characteristics that great leaders must possess in order to have the heart of a champion as well. For instance, leaders who desire to have the heart of a champion like the great leaders of our past must have a heart that is willing to make sacrifices for others, they must have a heart that authentically loves the people they serve, they must have a heart that is committed to doing the right thing regardless of the situation or circumstance, they must have a heart that believes in the power of humility, they must have a heart to see the people that they are leading succeed, and they must have a passion to make their community, nation and world a better place.

Essentially, after having this in-depth discussion about leadership with my friend, we both learned that if we are going to become great leaders in our generation, we must possess the essential inner qualities of great leadership that are required, we must embrace the unpopular characteristics of leadership, and we must have a passion on the inside that will not allow us to continue living life without making an impact in the world.

As you prepare yourself for the next level of leadership in 2011, the question you should ask yourself is, "Do you have the heart of a champion as a leader?"

How Political Leaders Can Reach Young Voters during the Mid-Term Elections

2010-09-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

In the next few months, congressional and senate leaders throughout the entire country are going to be in the beginning stages of key political races in cities and states all across the nation for the Mid-Term Elections in November of 2010. Although many senators and congressional leaders will probably succeed at holding their seats, there will be several battles in key areas throughout the country between Democrats and Republicans.

Due to President Obama’s huge success with young voters in the Presidential Election back in November of 2008, there is a great chance that many congressional and senate leaders will be looking for this same type of impact from young voters in the upcoming 2010 Mid-Term Elections. Based on my observations of the younger demographic over the past few years, in order to duplicate success with young voters, there are seven key things that these congressional and senate leaders must do in order to win over and inspire this younger demographic in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections like President Obama did in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Understand that Young Voters Have Just As Much Power Now As They Did in 2008

In 2008 about 23 million young people, an increase of 3.4 million over 2004, accounted for almost two-thirds of the overall 5.4 million increase in voter turnout according to the Huffington Post. In 2010, not only will you have a good portion of this same demographic of people engaged with the political process, but there will be more young men and women that were not able to vote in 2008 that are now able to vote in 2010, which means this demographic voting power will likely be even stronger in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections.

Develop Trust with Young Voters

Although President Obama was effective at reestablishing the trust between politicians and young voters, the reality is that many young men and women still have a negative perception of political leaders. And, unlike past generations, the one thing that can destroy a politician' s success with this younger demographic is to be seen as someone who lacks integrity and trustworthiness. So, whatever political party a congressional or senate leader represents, it’s not only extremely important to develop trust with the younger demographic, but it’s extremely important to keep that trust as well.

Provide a New Vision of Change

In the 2008 Presidential Election, one of the key things that President Obama did very well with the younger demographic was to create a powerful vision of change that was fresh, unique, inspiring, and appealing to young men and women in America. The key thing for political leaders to understand about this younger demographic in the upcoming 2010 Mid-Term Elections is that a message of change will only be powerful if it’s a fresh new vision that consists of solutions and strategies that really resonate with the men and women of the younger demographic.

Connect with Young People

One of the key reasons why President Obama was able to impact younger voters in the 2008 Presidential Elections was because he was able to connect with them very effectively. In essence, President Obama did not just speak to young voters, but he visited their student governments, built positive relationships, and really connected with them in a favorable manner. For political leaders that desire to succeed with this younger demographic in the upcoming 2010 Mid-Term Elections, it’s not only essential for these leaders to speak to young voters, but it’s crucial that they connect with young voters as well on a personal level.

Speak to the Issues of Young Voters

Before the primary elections even began a couple of years ago, I knew that President Obama would be the candidate that would resonate with young voters the most if he decided to run for office. Ironically, this insight was not based on his personality, but it was based on his political stance on a variety of different issues. In essence, although President Obama was cool, personable, and favorable in the eyes of young voters, it was his political beliefs that really allowed him to win the hearts of the young voters in America. In the upcoming 2010 Mid-Term Elections, not only is it essential that political leaders connect with young voters, but it’s vitally important that they speak to the issues that really concern young voters the most right now in America.

Empower and Inspire the People

Anyone that followed the 2008 Presidential Elections knows that President Obama was not just an amazing speaker, but he was highly effective at moving crowds and inspiring them into action as a speaker. His strong ability to inspire and empower audiences through his powerful speeches not only helped him win the Presidential Election, but it helped him separate himself from other politicians as well. This inspirational and empowering skill set as a speaker is not only a positive attribute for any political leader to possess, but it’s literally a key skill set that can really help any political leader become more effective at reaching the younger demographic, because studies have shown that many young men and women are drawn to leaders who are able to effectively inspire and empower them for success! So, if political leaders want to be effective in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections with young voters, they must be able to effectively inspire and empower them!

Maximize Technology Use

Political experts suggest that President Obama was effective with young voters during the 2008 Presidential Election because he was the most tech savvy candidate with his campaign. Although I agree that President Obama did use technology effectively in the 2008 General Election, I do not believe that is the primary reason he was able to win the election, because I thought other presidential candidates used technology effectively as well. However, the one thing we can learn from the 2008 Presidential Election is that the effective use of technology is a requirement in the 21st Century, and it is a valuable tool to reach and engage the younger demographic.

Although there will be so many other factors that can impact the influence of young voters in the upcoming 2010 Mid-Term Elections, these are seven key things that any potential candidate must possess in order to effectively reach the younger demographic like President Obama!

WHAT MAKES A GREAT PRESIDENT?

2010-04-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, one of the subjects that has been most compelling to me is what actually makes a president great. In essence, after the elections are completed and the votes are counted, what makes the president of the United States, the president of a non-profit organization, the president of a business, the president of a college, the president of an association, or the president of a student body great?

According to William F. Buckley, the famous political commentator and author, “There aren’t any good presidents of the United States because the office of presidency is so staggeringly complicated that nobody, nobody, can be a good president.”

Although I agree that the office of presidency of the United States is an extremely challenging and complicated position, I do believe that there can be a good president and that there is a quantifiable difference between a good and a bad president. And, even though a variety of circumstances, situations, or beliefs can affect our individual perspectives of what makes a good or a bad president, I believe there are some solid leadership qualities that all potential presidents at any level must possess in order to have the chance to become effective and successful. After careful observation and research, I have listed below ten leadership qualities that I personally believe every president must possess in order to succeed as the leader of any organization, business, association, or even a world nation!

Leadership Quality #1
CLEAR VISION

The first leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a clear vision that allows people to fully understand the direction and path that the president is following. The reason why a clear vision is important for presidents is because it not only connects people to the leader and their vision, but it provides the blueprint for their success as well. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have a CLEAR VISION!

Leadership Quality #2
SELF CONFIDENCE

The second leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is self confidence. The primary reason why I believe all presidents must possess self confidence is because they will not only be forced to make tough decisions that not everyone will agree with, but they will also have to possess the confidence needed to stand up for their core values in the midst of adversity, as well as deal with the challenging obstacles that all presidents face at times. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have SELF CONFIDENCE!

Leadership Quality #3
STRONG DECISION MAKING SKILLS

The third leadership quality that I believe all successful presidents must possess is strong decision making skills, which can be defined as being able to solve problems based on sound judgment. One of the primary reasons why this skill set is so important for presidents is because presidents will likely be forced to make tough decisions that can determine the success of their organization, business, or enterprise, and they will have to make these decisions in short amounts of time. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have STRONG DECISION MAKING SKILLS!

Leadership Quality #4
ABILITY TO DEVELOP A POWERFUL TEAM OF EXPERTS

The fourth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is the ability to develop a powerful team of experts to help support the vision of their business, organization, or enterprise. I believe this skill set is important for presidents to possess because not only does a strong team of experts help the president effectively carry out their mission successfully, but these members can often provide expertise in areas where the president may need help, these members can provide great insight or advice that the president may need, and these members can provide the support, honesty, and encouragement that every president will need at times. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have the ABILTY TO DEVELOP A POWERFUL TEAM OF EXPERTS!

Leadership Quality #5
STRONG CHARACTER

The fifth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is strong character, which I define as doing what is required in the position you have been granted. For instance, if you’re the president of a business, you will need to make sure you carry out the requirements of that position to the highest level. If you’re the president of an organization on campus, make sure you live up to the expectations that you have promised the students that provided you with the opportunity to serve as president. The reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important is because great character not only enables you to serve as a great leader, but it provides the necessary qualities that will help you impact and influence the people you have been given the opportunity to lead. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have a STRONG CHARACTER!

Leadership Quality #6
PEOPLE COMPETENCE SKILLS

The sixth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is people competence, which I define as understanding all different types of people and knowing how to connect, inspire, and bring the most out of these different types of people. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess excellent PEOPLE COMPETENCE SKILLS!

Leadership Quality #7
COMPETENCE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL POSITION

The seventh leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is competence of the presidential position. In essence, I believe that anyone who desires to be the president of any business, organization, or enterprise should be competent and knowledgeable about the various responsibilities connected to the position they are striving to achieve. The primary reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important for presidents is because being competent and knowledgeable about the responsibilities required for the success of any organization, business, or enterprise is a prerequisite for effective leadership. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess excellent COMPETENCE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL POSITION!

Leadership Quality #8
ABILITY TO DEAL WITH HUGE CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES

The eighth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a strong ability to deal with huge challenges and obstacles. I believe this leadership quality is very important for presidents because every president will face challenges, every president will face huge obstacles, and every president will be required to solve and overcome the challenges that arise while they are in the specific presidential position. For instance, although President Obama was not the primary cause of many of the challenges and obstacles facing our nation right now, he is expected to solve and overcome our nation’s most challenging and biggest obstacles. And, just like President Obama, people will expect the same out of you as president of your organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess a strong ABILITY TO DEAL WITH HUGE CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES!

Leadership Quality #9
HEART FOR THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE

The ninth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a heart for the people they have the opportunity to serve. In essence, if a president is going to succeed within any organization, business, or enterprise, they must truly care about the well-being of the people they have been given the opportunity to serve. Presidents who possess a heart for the people most of the time, not only make a greater impact, but they gain greater support from the people that chose them as the president of their organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess a HEART FOR THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE!

Leadership Quality #10
TIME FOR SELF REFLECTION

The tenth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is time for self reflection, which is allocating time out of every day to reflect how well they have carried out their duties as president. The primary reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important for presidents is because not only does it provide time for the president to rest, make improvements, and grow as a leader, but it also provides the president with special time to really think about tough decisions they may have to make concerning the well-being of their organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess TIME FOR SELF REFLECTION!

Obviously, there are many other leadership qualities that any president must possess in order to succeed as the leader of their respected organization, business, enterprise, student body, or nation, but these are ten solid leadership qualities that every person must think about as they move forward toward their goal of a presidential position.

WOULD SOMEONE CONSIDER YOU TO BE A RACIST LEADER?

2010-03-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, various college students from all over Southern California have been traveling to the campus of UC San Diego to protest against an event held by a few students from UC San Diego which they called "The Compton Cookout". "The Compton Cookout", according to various media sources, was a ghetto-themed party organized by a few fraternity students to mock Black History Month. Invitations for the event urged participants to wear chains, rapper style urban clothing, speak very loudly, bring gold teeth, wear cheap clothes, have nappy hair, and bring chicken, malt liquor, cheap beer, and purple sugar water. As you will discover online, if you go to you tube and type in "Compton Cookout", you will learn about how this event caused great division among the students on campus, affected the image of the university, and raised questions about the effectiveness of campus leadership.

Many people will conclude that the organizers of this event were racist, and in addition to this possibility, I would also conclude that these individuals lacked cultural competence as well, which can be defined as the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. In essence, it is very possible that these students acted the way they did because they did not really possess a positive perspective about African American culture, and they apparently did not know how to positively interact with members of the African American community.

Whether they were racist or simply culturally incompetent about the African American community, the reality is that if student leaders possess this type of mentality in the 21st Century, not only will they fail as successful leaders, but the image of their companies and organizations will be viewed in a negative manner. The reason why I feel this is so important for future leaders to understand is because various studies have revealed that not only will 50% of the workforce be minorities in 2050, but 85% of the new workforce will be made up of minorities, immigrants, and women.

In order to avoid unfortunate situations like the one that happened at UC San Diego, to destroy any thoughts of anyone perceiving you as a racist leader, and to succeed as an effective and inspirational leader in the 21st Century, it's not only crucial to possess cultural competence, but it's equally important to understand how to effectively lead a diverse group of people in a diverse world. To this end, I have listed below four key leadership principles that I believe will help both emerging and seasoned leaders become more effective at leading a diverse group of people in a diverse world.

Create An Inclusive Vision

In order to lead anyone effectively, you must have a vision. However, when you're leading a diverse group of people, it essential that you possess a vision, and it's important that your vision is big enough to include all of the people. In essence, you want to make sure that the vision created for your organization, company, or club can be something that a diverse group of people can support and believe in. Most great leaders who have impacted the world were able to execute this leadership concept very well.

Develop Cultural Competence

As emerging leaders of the 21st Century, it is vital that you possess people competence skills, and it's crucial that you possess cultural competence as well. According to various experts on this topic, the best ways to grow in cultural competence as a leader are to identify any personal stereotypes you may have of other cultures, learn about other cultures and recognize the value of other cultures, embrace the differences of other cultures, and commit towards maintaining a positive relationship with members of different cultures. If you can fully execute these steps, I am totally convinced that you will be more effective at leading a diverse group of people in a diverse world.

Be Courageous

Although we can talk about many different ways that courage enables men and women to serve as effective leaders, the reality is, if you're going to lead a diverse group of people in the 21st Century, you must be courageous. The reason why you must be courageous as a leader is because you may have to step out your comfort zone sometimes to understand others different from you, you will have to trust others different from you, you will have to stand up for diversity at times when others disagree with it, you will have to overcome the fears some people have concerning diversity, and you will have to be able to overcome any negative experiences you may have had with various cultures in the past. If you can act courageously in these areas, it will help you immensely as a leader of a diverse group of people in a diverse world.

Be Ethical

There are many definitions of ethical leadership, but the definition I prefer the most is that ethical leadership is leading with values such as integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, equality, fairness, and compassion for others. In essence, it's being a person of your word, it's being someone others can trust, it's being a fair person, it's being someone who believes in equality, and it's being someone that cares about others. The reason why this is so important for leaders who desire to lead in a diverse world is because if you are viewed as an unethical leader, it will be almost impossible for someone that is different from you to believe in you. So, if you are going to become an effective leader of a diverse group of people in a diverse world, make sure you are ethical.

These four key leadership principles are just some of the leadership qualities that will help leaders effectively lead a diverse group of people in a diverse world.

Leading in Turbulent Times

2009-10-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Over the past year, one of the most popular themes in various leadership discussions across the country has been "Leading in Turbulent Times". I believe this is a timely message for leaders that needs to be discussed in every professional industry, because most professionals in America are facing some sort of crisis within their respective career-fields.

Even though many leaders and individuals may be impacted immensely by the negativity that swirls around during times of crisis, the powerful thing to understand about these times of crisis is that great leaders somehow always seem to emerge. For instance, during the Revolutionary War, George Washington emerged as a great leader, and during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln emerged as a great leader. During the times of inequality for women in America, Susan B. Anthony emerged as a great leader, and during a tough moment at AOL Time Warner, Steve Case emerged as a great leader. During the years of inequality in America, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks emerged as great leaders, and during World War II, Winston Churchill emerged as a great leader full of courage and strength.

Essentially, people have always faced tough challenges and great crises, but it was during those turbulent times that powerful leaders rose to the top to help communities, organizations, and nations overcome the issues and problems that threatened our forward progress. As we go forward into the 21st Century, not only do I believe that great leaders throughout our ownnation will rise to the top to deal with different challenges and obstacles, but I believe we can be instrumental in the development of these leaders by providing solid insight and wisdom into how leaders can be effective during these turbulent times. For this week's newsletter, I want to provide you with six key things that leaders can do to be successful during these stages of crisis within their organizations, community, nation, and the world!

LEADERS MUST HAVE A TIME OF HONEST REFELCTION

Although truth is not something that people always want to hear, the reality is that there are certain challenges and obstacles in life that we will not be able to overcome unless we are honest with ourselves. And quite frankly, a lot of the problems facing our organizations, communities, and nation today are only going to be solved when leaders are honest about the mistakes they have made over the past five, ten, fifteen, and twenty plus years.

LEADERS MUST BE OPEN TO CHANGE

One of the main reasons why people are unable to overcome various challenges or obstacles in life is because they either are not open to change or they never make the necessary changes to get out of a bad situation. With the advancement of technology, the explosion of knowledge, the pace of change, and globalization within our nation, being open to change is not only essential, but it's one of the key prerequisites to overcoming the unique challenges and obstacles of the 21st Century.

LEADERS MUST BE SOLUTION-FOCUSED

During times of crisis and challenge, most people will focus on the problem and be consumed with all the negativity that surrounds the different problems within an organization, community, or nation. Although I do believe it's smart to identify the problem, in order to overcome the negative situation, it's essential that leaders focus on solutions to the problem rather than dwell too long on how bad the problem is. When you think about great leaders of the past, one primary reason why they succeeded was because they developed solutions to the problems that arose rather than allowing the problems to consume and destroy them.

LEADERS MUST HAVE A VISION BEYOND THE CHALLENGE

Throughout the entire country, one of the things I always tell every audience is that you will not succeed as the leader of any organization, company, or group if you do not have a vision. In essence, vision is the foundation for any great leader who desires to succeed. Ironically, this principle is even more important during times of crisis and challenge, because it's the vision that provides the hope, passion, direction, expectation, and strength needed to overcome the obstacles that attempt to destroy us in life.

LEADERS MUST HAVE COURAGE

Courage is essential during tough times because it takes courage to stand up and overcome fears, doubts, uncertainties, and various other negative situations that leaders may face during these rough times. Also, courage is essential during turbulent times because it takes courage to make tough decisions, take calculated risks, and bring about the change needed within an organization or company that may have a tradition of doing things a certain way for 50 plus years!

LEADERS MUST HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

I know we hear about the importance of having a positive attitude all the time, but it's essential that leaders possess this attitude during turbulent times, because most people probably will not have a positive attitude. When a leader possesses a positive attitude during challenging moments, it will not only impact the leader, but it have a huge affect on others that are positioned to support the leader during the tough moments within an organization, community, nation, or world as well!

There are definitely more key concepts that leaders can utilize during these turbulent times, but I strongly believe that these six key principles are essential in helping leaders emerge as great leaders during these challenging moments within their organizations, communities, nation, and the world!

Leadership Lessons we Can Learn from Michael Jordan

2009-10-08T22:49:00.001-07:00

It was just approximately three to four weeks ago when Michael Jordan was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. This special ceremony for Michael Jordan seemed to draw more interest from sports fans and experts across the country than usual because many basketball experts and fans alike consider Michael Jordan to be one of the greatest NBA players of all-time. Although this on-going debate among fans and experts about whether Michael Jordan is truly the greatest basketball player of all time will go on for many years to come, the one thing that many can agree upon is that Michael Jordan was a great leader on the basketball court. And like many of the great lessons of leadership we can learn from great leaders outside of the world of professional sports, I believe that there are seven key leadership principles that can be learned from Michael Jordan’s career that can help anyone in their specific area of expertise.

Leadership Lesson #1
Great Leaders Have a Championship Mentality

One of the most powerful attributes about Michael Jordan on the basketball court was the fact that he possessed a championship mentality. In essence, he not only knew what type of attitude he must possess in order to succeed in his area of expertise, but he knew how to apply that attitude and use it to his advantage on the basketball court. He provided insight into this championship mentality when he was quoted as saying, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

Leadership Lesson #2
Great Leaders Have a Strong Work Ethic and Strive to Become Better Everyday

Although Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player on the planet during his years in the NBA, he was still considered to be one of the hardest working athletes in professional sports and was known to strive to become better each and every year. The powerful lesson that we can learn from this great leadership attribute is that great leaders must have a strong work ethic and must always strive to become a little better each and every day!

Leadership Lesson #3
Great Leaders Have a Passion and Will to Succeed in Their Area of Expertise

One of the key things that people always talk about when it comes to Michal Jordan was his passion and will to succeed on the basketball court. In essence, regardless of how difficult the challenge or situation seemed, Michael Jordan had a passion and will to succeed on the court so strong that he was able to overcome many of the challenges and obstacles that attempted to stop his success. And like Michael, if we’re going to overcome the challenges and obstacles that we face as leaders on a daily basis, we must have a passion and will to succeed!

Leadership Lesson #4
Great Leaders Lead by Example

If there was one primary leadership concept that Michael Jordan utilized to help others succeed, it had to be his ability to lead by example. I mean, you had young kids throughout the entire country wanting to be like Michael Jordan because he was so effective at leading by example. As leaders, it’s not only essential that we tell others what is right or wrong, but it’s important that we show others what is right or wrong by our actions!

Leadership Lesson #5
Great Leaders Make Others around Them Better

Personally, I believe this is a leadership quality that Michael Jordan had to develop over the course of his career, but once he developed this leadership attribute, it not only helped him succeed on the court, but it enabled him to lead his team to win multiple championships. The lesson that we can learn from Michael Jordan in reference to this leadership principle is that making others around you better not only makes life easier for you as a leader, but it can be the very thing that elevates your career, organization, or company to the next level!

Leadership Lesson #6
Great Leaders Have the Courage to Deal with Tough Situations

One of the toughest situations a basketball player can face is to take the final shot of game when the outcome of the game is on the line. Michael Jordan not only had the courage to take that shot every time, but he was willing to be the person responsible for the loss if his shot did not fall. As leaders, if we are going to be great, we must have the courage to deal with and be responsible for the tough situations and circumstances that many people try to avoid!

Leadership Lesson #7
Great Leaders Always Have To Overcome Some Obstacle

Imagine this, one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history was cut from his sophomore basketball team in high school. In the midst of this horrible situation, Michael Jordan not only refused to give up on his dream of playing basketball, but he overcame the obstacles and used the challenge as fuel for his future success. As leaders, we are always going to face challenges that try to kill our dreams. Whatever you do, don’t give up, but use these very challenges as fuel to become that much better in the future!

Are You An Effective Leader of Generation Next?

2009-08-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, for the past few years I have not only been an avid researcher on issues and topics related to Generation Y (those born between 1977-1994), but I have listened to many different perspectives from men and women who serve as experts on generational issues within the workplace. Although I believe this generational workplace discussion is vitally important, one of the key solutions to many of these generational problems within the workplace is effective leadership. In essence, I believe that seasoned leaders who understand how to effectively influence, lead, and develop leaders of this younger generation will not only solve many workplace issues amongst the different generations, but they will create more effective and powerful companies and organizations as well.

Ironically, after researching, reading, and listening to several generational experts, there are very few of these experts that talk about the importance of seasoned leaders being able to effectively influence, lead, and develop leaders of Generation Y. After a few months of promoting my newest leadership book on this subject matter with seasoned leaders, there are four key leadership concepts that I believe all leaders of this younger generation must possess in order to become more effective at influencing, leading, and developing leaders of this younger generation in America. Although I do not have time to go into great detail with these four leadership concepts, I would like to give a brief glimpse of these four leadership concepts that I strongly believe all leaders must possess with this emerging generation in America.
Leadership Principle #1
Leaders of Generation Y Must Be Ethical

If there was one leadership concept that I believe is vital for today's leaders to understand and practice when interacting with Generation Y employees, it would be ethical leadership, which I define as a leader who leads with values such as integrity, honesty, equality, fairness, and compassion for others. The reason why I feel so strongly about this leadership concept is because not only do members of Generation Y value this aspect of leadership highly, but I have seen many organizations and companies fail immensely because of unethical leadership. As a leader of Generation Y, make sure you are an ethical leader!

Leadership Principle #2
Leaders of Generation Y Must Adopt the Servant Leadership Model

If there was any major shift that today's leaders need to make within various organizations and companies across the country with members of Generation Y, it would be the adoption of a servant leadership model. The servant leadership model consist of leaders being people who care about their employees, are willing to make sacrifices for their employees, listen to their employees, desire to better their employees, and lead from the standpoint of a servant rather than a high and mighty boss that everyone in the workplace is scared to interact with on the job. Although there are many great leaders who have become great leaders because of this leadership style over time, until leaders of Generation Y adopt this leadership style in the workplace, they will continue to talk about common problems with this younger generation and will have a very difficult time influencing, leading, and developing leaders of Generation Y.

Leadership Principle #3
Leaders of Generation Y Must Be Inspirational

When you think about the 2008 presidential election, one of the main reasons why President Obama became the first African-American President of the United States was because he was able to inspire the youth of America. In essence, he was able to motivate, encourage, and challenge them to make history. Like President Obama, if any leader desires to be effective with men and women of Generation Y, they must be inspirational leaders who are able to motivate, encourage, and challenge their employees on a daily basis to become the best that they can be. One of the main reasons why this leadership strategy is so important is because studies have shown that 80% of Generation Y desire to make an impact in the world!
Leadership Principle #4
Leaders of Generation Y Must Be Exceptional Team Leaders

The final key leadership concept that I truly believe all of today's leaders who desire to be effective with this emerging Generation Y in America must possess is exceptional team leadership skills. Personally, I believe a leader who possesses exceptional team leadership skills is a person that has a vision, is effective at bringing different people together for a common cause, is effective at selecting the right people and positioning them to succeed, and has a strong ability at developing future leaders to carry out their tasks when they are away from the job. This concept is very important because studies have shown that men and women of Generation Y have a stronger desire to work in teams’ verses working independently.
Obviously, there are many other key leadership concepts that all leaders must possess, but if a leader is effective at applying these key leadership strategies, I believe they will be effective at influencing, leading, and developing leaders of Generation Y.

Is Jesus the Greatest Leader of All-Time?

2009-07-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Throughout the past few weeks on the road in different cities and states as a leadership speaker, I was not only fortunate enough to speak with several different audiences on the topic of leadership, but I noticed an interesting trend in all of my presentations. When I asked these different audiences who they believed was the greatest leader of all-time, I often heard people from different places shout out the name "Jesus!" The unique thing about this response shared by many people was the fact that I was not speaking in a church, but I was speaking at different leadership conferences geared towards student leaders in business and government.

As a Christian myself, I personally believe that Jesus is the greatest leader of all-time, but instead of just stating this opinion because I am Christian, I decided to think about this reality from the perspective of a leadership expert verses an individual that believes in Christ. Although this was different for me as a Christian, I began to learn some unique things about Christ from a leadership perspective that helped me better understand why so many people believed Christ was the greatest leader of all-time.

For instance, as a leader, Jesus Christ not only impacted billions of people with his message, but he impacted the lives of many people when he was alive, he inspired men and women that walked with him to carry out his message unto death, he is valued as a great leader by people who do not even believe in his message, and his message and life story has been passed down and advanced from generation to generation for the past two thousand years.

After learning about these unique qualities about Christ from a leadership perspective, not only can I make a strong argument about him being the greatest leader of all-time, but there are several different leadership concepts that we can all learn from Jesus as well. For the next few moments, I want to share with you the following key leadership qualities that we can all learn from Christ.

Leadership Principle #1
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Leaders Must Have Courage

When you read about the life of Christ, you not only learn about an amazing man, but you see a leader who had the courage to speak the truth with it was not popular, stand up to any challenge or obstacle that came his way, and give his life for the betterment of mankind. These three experiences in the life of Jesus Christ reveal to us how powerful we can become as leaders when we have courage.

Leadership Principle #2
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Leaders Must Have a Purpose

The fascinating thing about the life of Christ is that he not only took time to help people in need, and reach out to those who others may have considered outcasts, but he also stayed focused on his ultimate purpose as a leader. As leaders, it's great to take time for extra things in our life, but it's also important that we stay focused on our initial purpose and vision as a leader regardless of how hard or rough are circumstances might be in life.

Leadership Principle #3
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Leaders Must Be Forgiving

I think one of the hardest things to understand as a leader with so much pressure riding on your job is that everyone who works with you is going to make a mistake and no one is going to be perfect at their job. In essence, at some point, someone who works with you may frustrate you, but how you deal with that person can determine your success as a leader. In the life of Jesus Christ, Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples who would start the first church, not only denied, rejected, and betrayed Christ, but he made many mistakes walking with Christ as well. In the midst of all these mistakes, Jesus not only forgave Peter, but he empowered Peter to continue his work on the earth. This powerful truth shows us that a compassionate and forgiving leader can go a long ways towards helping a team or organization be successful in the 21st Century.

Leadership Principle #4
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Leaders Must Have Integrity and Be Honest

Any leader who desires to be effective in the 21st Century with this emerging generation in America must be a leader that has integrity and is honest. When you learn about the life of Christ as a leader, you will find that he was not only honest with everyone, but he was a man of Integrity. In essence, he was a leader that not only talked the talk, but be lived out his message for others to see as well. As leaders, it's crucial that we are honest and possess integrity like Christ.

Leadership Principle #5
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Leaders Must Have Compassion for Others

When you study the life of Christ from a leadership perspective, one of the key aspects of his effectiveness as a leader was his deep compassion for others. In essence, Jesus Christ was a leader that showed great compassion for everyone regardless of who they were within his circle of influence. This compassion for people in need and those that others may not have cared about is easily seen in several different stories throughout the Bible. As leaders who desire to be great, it's crucial that we have compassion for others in need and those who have the opportunity to serve as leaders.

Leadership Principle #6
Jesus Christ Shows Us That Great Leaders Leave a Legacy

Although I believe there are many qualities that make up a great leader, for me personally, the key quality to me that determines whether a leader was great or not is their legacy. Basically, any leader that desires to be great must be someone that not only makes others around them better, but leaves a legacy for future leaders to carry out past their lifetime. As a leader, Jesus Christ not only left a legacy, but he made others around him better. If anyone desires to be a great leader, it's crucial that they leave a legacy in their profession and field of interest and make people around them better.

From this day forward, if you believe that Jesus Christ was the greatest leader of all-time, instead of saying "What Would Jesus Do?", ask yourself, "How Would Jesus Lead?" in this particular situation

Lessons of Greatness That We Can Learn from Michael Jackson!

2009-07-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks, millions of Michael Jackson fans have been impacted immensely by the surprising death of Michael Jackson. For me personally, it was not only a shocking experience, but it was the only time in my life that several of my close friends decided to call me and text me about the death of a huge icon in the music industry. After listening to the stories on television and online, I must say that this incident has saddened me and caused me to really think about Michael Jackson as an artist and person. Although I did not necessarily agree with all of Michael Jackson’s personal decisions, I do believe he was one of the few pop singers and performers that modeled greatness in his area of expertise. And, as we remember Michael Jackson, I would like to remember his greatness as an artist by providing you with four key things about greatness that we can learn from Michael Jackson.
Greatness Tip #1
Great People Practice, Practice, Practice

One of the key reasons why Michael Jackson was so successful as an artist was because he practiced, practiced and practiced. In essence, Michael Jackson became an amazing singer and dancer because he took the time to practice his craft consistently. If you want to be great in your area of expertise, it’s crucial that you practice, practice, and practice to be the best that you can be.

Greatness Tip #2
Great People Make Huge Sacrifices

One of the most talked about issue in reference to Michael Jackson’s singing career is that he had to make great sacrifices as a child in order to become the great singer that he was at an older age. Although some people believe that this sacrifice as a child had a negative impact on Michael Jackson, without that sacrifice at a young age, I do not know if we would have considered him one of the greatest musical artists of all time. The positive lesson that we can learn about Michael Jackson’s huge sacrifices as a young man is that great sacrifice for a cause will produce great results. The question is, how much are you willing to sacrifice?

Greatness Tip #3
Great People Maximize their Gifts/Talents

When you look back in history, there were many great singers, but one of the reasons why I believe Michael Jackson was so successful was because he maximized his gifts and talents as an artist. In essence, he used what he had to the best of his ability. For instance, instead of just being a great singer, he was a great dancer and performer as well. This was demonstrated in an article that I once read about Michael Jackson. It described how Quincy Jones, who produced Billie Jean, told a reporter that he had tried to cut the song’s intro, but Michael Jackson had balked, “That’s the juice", he had said. "That’s what makes me want to dance.” This shows us that great people make sure to maximize and use all their gifts and talents at 100%.

Greatness Tip #4
Great People Have Courage

Anyone who has ever done anything great has had to possess the courage in order to become great. Not only did Michael Jackson become a great singer, but he had the courage to be different, take risks, be the best that he could possibly be, and be who he was regardless of what people thought about him. In essence, Michael Jackson was a man of courage and that’s a key reason why I believe he became one of the greatest pop artists of all time. If we’re going to achieve greatness in our area of expertise, we must have courage.

In remembrance of Michael Jackson, be someone who strives to be great in your own personal area of expertise!

Leadership Lessons We Can Learn from the LA Lakers!

2009-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, the Los Angeles Lakers just won the NBA Championship this past Sunday. Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I am a huge sports fan who watches almost every Lakers game on television when I am at home in Los Angeles, California. Although I had several different article ideas on leadership this month, after watching the post-game interviews with various NBA experts, coaches and players, I thought there were some powerful leadership lessons that we can all learn from the Los Angeles Lakers this past NBA Season.

Leadership Lesson #1
Great Character Counts

Throughout the entire NBA Finals, there were many powerful statements made by different experts, coaches, and players, but the most powerful leadership statement to me was made by Coach Phil Jackson when he said that Derek Fisher's greatest asset as an NBA player was not his skill level, but it was his great character as a player, person, and leader of the team. This statement revealed to me that talent is great, but without great character, it will be very hard to become a great leader at any level.

Leadership Lesson #2
Great Leaders are not BORN, they are DEVELOPED overtime

Many leadership experts have debated whether or not great leaders are born or made. Although I have always believed that great leaders are made after studying leadership for quite some time, the development of Kobe Bryant as a leader of the LA Lakers over the past five years is a great example of a good leader developing into a great leader overtime.

Leadership Lesson #3
Great Leaders know how to put their members in positions to succeed

The powerful thing about life is that "one man's trash can be another man's treasure." With the LA Lakers, Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown were nobodies on their former teams, but once they became Lakers, Phil Jackson was able to use their talents and position them for success on the basketball court. This basketball example shows us that great leaders who know how to position their members for success can achieve much more out of their members than leaders who do not know how to position their members for success.

Leadership Lesson #4
Great Leaders trust their Team

Throughout the entire playoffs, the key for Kobe Bryant as the leader was to trust his teammates to come through at crucial moments during the game. Thankfully for the LA Lakers, Kobe was able to trust his teammates and they were ultimately able to win an NBA Championships together. As leaders, it's crucial that we surround ourselves with people that we can trust to help us all succeed together as a team.

Leadership Lesson #5
Great Leaders execute well under Pressure

When you look back on the entire NBA Finals, most games were won by the team that was able to execute most effectively under pressure. Unfortunately for the Orlando Magic, they failed to execute more effective than the LA Lakers and hence, they ended up losing the series. Similar to sports in life, the leader who is able to handle pressure effectively will be the leader who will see greater results rather than someone who does not handle pressure well.

Leadership Lesson #6
Great Leaders endure Challenges

During the playoffs, it was evident that the other point guards were playing better than Derek Fisher at certain moments. Due to this evidence, many reporters were curious if Phil Jackson was going to bench Fisher and play the other point guards who were playing better at the time. Ironically, Phil Jackson stayed with Fisher through all the struggles and challenges that his point guard was facing on the court early in the playoffs. Ultimately, this was a great decision because Fisher ended up making one of the biggest two shots for the LA Lakers in the entire playoffs. This experience revealed to me that as a leader, we not only need to stick with our plans, but we need to stick with people that may be having a hard time presently.

Are You One of the Top 10%?

2009-05-30T11:15:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I had an engaging conversation about the younger generation with one of my best friends who serves as an HR Manager for a major Fortune 500 company in Denver, Colorado. Are discussion began with leadership in relevance to Generation Y and quickly moved into an in-depth conversation about recruiting the Top 10% talent in the college market.

Although this topic of discussion has not been of much interest to me as a leadership speaker who focuses mainly on issues that revolve around leadership, I was curious to hear how my friend defined the Top 10% because I personally did not believe the Top 10% should just be based on attending the best college and achieving the best grades in your class. Surprisingly to me, my friend felt the same way as me about the Top 10% and explained to me how being in the Top 10% from HR standpoint dealt with so many other factors beyond the college you attend and the grades you achieve in your class. He also agreed with me that everyone has the ability to be in the Top 10% if they are able to receive the proper training in their area of expertise.

As many individuals graduate college, aspire to move up within their company, and be the best they can be within their area of expertise, I wanted to share with you twelve key things that my friend and I believe people must possess in order to be considered the Top 10% in their area of expertise.

Strong Skill Set

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must possess a strong talent and skill set for your specific professional arena. This can only happen for people who know what their skill set and work continuously to be the best they can be with their skill set.

Positive Attitude

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must possess a positive attitude on the job, which means that you focus on the positive instead of the negative and possess an attitude that impacts others around you!

Great Character

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be someone that possesses great character. Great character means that you are someone others can trust, you are someone that has integrity, you are someone that fair and just, and you are someone that does what’s required of you in your area of expertise.

Passion

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be someone that possesses passion for your work. This ultimately means that you are someone who cares about your job, loves your job, is willing to go the extra-mile to be the best at your work, and refuses to let anyone or anything stop you from achieving great success in your area of expertise.

Team Player

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be someone that is an exceptional team player. Being an exceptional team player means that you are someone who works well with others, understands how to work effectively in a team setting, gets along with others on the job, and is willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the entire team.

Strong Leadership Skills

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be someone that has strong leadership skills. As a leadership speaker, there are many different aspects of becoming a strong leader, but one key thing to understand is that great leaders are not born, they are developed, which means at some point you will have to work on your leadership skills in order to be a great leader. This process can occur in college or in your area of expertise.

Teachable

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be someone that is teachable. This ultimately means that you are a person on the job that is willing to learn, is willing to hear positive and constructive criticism, knows how to listen, and does not believe that he/she know everything. Although this concept seems easy to do, many people fail within various organizations and companies because they are not teachable.

Professional Etiquette

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must have professional etiquette, which is ultimately adhering to the company culture in which you work and being an example of the standards set by the company to others. For instance, as a business professional, if its required for you to wear a suit and tie, make sure you wear a suit and tie to the job. Also, if its good business within your company to respond to emails within 48 hours, make sure you are someone that responds in 48 hours. Basically, professional etiquette is doing what is professionally required in your area of expertise to the highest level.

Problem-Solver

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must be a problem solver which is someone who is not only effective at solving problems on their own or in groups, but its someone that focuses on solutions to problems rather than the problem itself.

Strong Work Ethic

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must have a strong work ethic, which consists of someone who works hard at their job and works at being better at what they do on a consistent basis. Since it’s basketball season, the greatest example of this concept is Kobe Bryant because he is not only one of the best players in the NBA, but he is also one of the hardest workers in the NBA as well.

Strong Decision Making Skills

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must have a strong decision making skills, which consists of someone who is extremely effective at making good choices and making the right decisions in tough moments. For instance, if your on the job and your friend is not doing his job effectively, are you willing to make the tough decision to replace him with someone else for the betterment of the team or will that be something to hard for you to do? This is just one of the many tough decisions that talented people must make within their company or organization.

Great Communication Skills

If you are going to be considered Top 10% talent in your area of expertise, you must have a strong communications skills, which consists of being able to communicate effectively to the members of your team, being able to effectively communicate to people of different backgrounds than yours, and being able to effectively communicate in front of an audience as a public speaker. Although some areas of expertise require less communication than others, at the end of the day, the talented 10% are able to communicate their message effectively to others in a group setting or one on one conversation.

Like most people, I believe that are several others key factors as well, but applying these simple twelve basic things effectively in your area of expertise can really position you as a great candidate or leader within any company or organization!

Solution-Focused Leadership

2009-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

For the past five years, I have not only had the amazing opportunity to travel the country speaking to several different emerging leaders in high school and college, but I have been an avid-student of leadership as well who has worked very hard to increase my knowledge and understanding of effective leadership. Throughout this leadership journey, I have not only learned about several different leadership concepts and principles, but I come to BELIEVE that effective leadership is the key to success within any organization, business, and team.

Although there are many powerful leadership experts, consultants, and speakers in America that empower leaders to make their organizations and companies successful, there is one KEY leadership concept that I have heard few experts, consultants, and speakers talk about in the leadership arena. This KEY leadership concept is Solution-Focused Leadership, which is the leader of any organization or company understanding that one of their key roles and responsibilities is to develop powerful solutions to problems that exist within several different companies, organizations, and businesses. In essence, this is the type of leader that develops solutions to various problems within companies and organization verses complaining, whining, and blaming others.

When you think about great leaders of the past and present, you will find that one of the main reasons why these men and women have become great leaders is because they have been able to develop powerful solutions to various problems that existed within their society and culture. For instance, one of the reasons why people celebrate the leadership of FDR is because he was able to develop a solution to the Great Depression, the reason why people celebrate the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is because he was able to develop a solution that led to the equality in America, the reason why we celebrate the leadership of Ghandi is because he was able to develop a solution that led his people to independence, and the reason why people celebrate the leadership of Susan B. Anthony is because she was able to develop solutions that led to the equality of woman. In addition to these great leaders of our past, you will also find that leaders who use Solution-Focused Leadership not only achieves great success as a leader, but they elevate to high levels within their field of expertise because they have powerful solutions to problems that others can not seem to figure out.

As our nation moves forward, I not only believe in effective leadership, but I believe we will need more leaders who are focused on developing solutions to various problems we see within our community and nation verses complaining, whining, and blaming everyone for the current issues that are greatly affecting our nation. If you believe that you are one of these emerging or seasoned leaders within our community and nation, be the solution-focused leader verses the leader who complains, whines, and blames others for the different issues that affect various companies and organizations.

What is the Greatest Challenge Facing Generation Y?

2009-05-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years, I have not only read and heard several experts talk about a variety of different things as it relates to Generation Y (those born between 1977-1994), but I have been involved with many different discussions that revolve around this emerging Generation in America. Although most of these conversations and articles about Generation Y increased my knowledge and understanding of Generation Y immensely, the one question that has been hardest for me to answer about Generation Y is, "What is the greatest challenge facing Generation Y?"

The reason this question challenged me so much is because I believe there are several different challenges that are facing this emerging generation in America. For instance, we have several Americans living in poverty, several men and women without health insurance, an education dropout rate that is staggering, an economic crisis that is horrendous, and some of the strong morals and values that have been built for years in America have been lost. Although these challenges above along with many others are serious issues that need to be addressed by the leaders of our generation, one of the challenges that I believe is greatest amongst our generation is an "instant gratification mentality," which is believing success is an overnight thing rather than a process that can take quite a bit of years. In essence, this mentality that success in life comes quick in life rather than through a long process is an issue that our generation will have to overcome in the years to come if we desire to build a greater future for generations to follow and make a greater impact in our community, nation, and world.

Even though there are many different reasons why our generation has adopted this attitude, one of the key reasons why I believe we have this belief in life is because my generation has grown up during a time where things are given to us much faster than previous generations. For instance, we had the microwave oven that warms food up in minutes, we've had fast food restaurants that provide food for us immediately, we've had an internet that allows us to research lots of information instantly, we have cell phones that allow us to contact someone at any moment of the day, and we have been bombarded with many role models and celebrities that have became overnight successes within one year.

Although these stories, inventions, and experiences have been great for our generation, the reality is that most people who become very successful are developed over time rather than born overnight. We know this statement is true because when you study great companies, organizations, and people, you will always find that there was a long process that took place before these companies, organizations, and people became very successful. Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, confirms this notion when he states in his newest book that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice before a person becomes a success.

Even though many successful men and women understand this concept, based on my research and experiences with Generation Y, I do not believe that many men and women of our generation share this important aspect of truth. For instance, over the past few years, there has been more talk about a quarter life crisis amongst twenty-somethings because they are frustrated with things not manifesting the way they had planned in high school and college. In another article that I read about in reference to the Generation Y worker, I found that many men and women of Generation Y not only love instant gratification and expect frequent rewards for their work, but can become disengaged with their work if there is not advancement or rewards within the company for their work. Although I do not believe it's bad to want things done quickly and to be rewarded for your efforts frequently, in order to build a stronger nation for generations to come and to bring about great change within our communities, nation, and world, it's crucial that the leaders of our Generation understand that great things will not always occur overnight, but will take hard work, diligence, patience, and time to manifest most of the time.

As many leadership experts continue developing leaders of Generation Y, I not only believe it is important for leaders to develop the common leadership qualities that we hear about consistently, but I believe it is essential that we develop an attitude that is contrary to the "instant gratification mentality" that I have seen amongst many different members of our Generation. Listed below are three key things that leaders of Generation Y can do to help develop an attitude that does not think in terms of instant gratification, but long-term success.

Idea #1

When you assist men and women of Generation Y in setting goals, do not just have them create short term goals, but have them create long term goals as well that take at least 10-20 years to accomplish. This one exercise will challenge these emerging leaders to think bigger and think further down the line.

Idea #2

When you talk to emerging leaders about great leaders of the past, do not just talk to them about the accomplishments of the leader, but talk to them about the process as well so that they can see the good and power that comes to leaders who can make it through the process.

Idea #3

Make sure that every emerging leader understands that great leaders who leave legacies for future generations and make a positive impact in the world had to possess endurance to survive the challenges of things not happening as quickly as they may have preferred at the outset of pursuing their vision in life.

THE NEXT STEP FORWARD!

2008-11-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

Like so many other men and women in America, a couple of days ago I sat in my house excited, joyful, and thankful to be a witness to the first elected African American President in American Modern History. Like many of you, I was not only memorized by the amazing event, but for me personally, it was a great moment to see in America as we move forward into the 21st Century.

As I sat there like many other Americans watching the television screen during this historical event, I was highly engaged with the political pundits as the night progressed. Although there were many memorable comments made by the different political pundits, one of the key points that struck me the most during this amazing experience were the comments made about the impact of young voters on the presidential election. Over and over again on various networks, I consistently heard various political pundits talk about how young voters played a key role in the election and I even heard some political pundits talk about how President-Elect Obama would create jobs for members of this younger generation in his current administration.

Learning about the impact of young voters and the opportunities that will arise for many young men and women in America not only excited me, but caused me to think about a powerful book that I read several years ago entitled, The Fourth Turning. In this powerful book written by William Strauss and Neil Howe, these insightful authors talk about the different generational cycles in America and how each generation falls into a specific category. Surprising in 1997, they not only predicted in their book that our country was headed into the Crisis Cycle, but they predicted that this time of Crisis would begin in 2005. During these moments of Crisis in America, they not only talked about different problems that could arise during this period, but they also considered this emerging generation of young voters in America as the HERO Generation because they believed this would be the generation used to overcome these different challenges that would emerge in America.

After thinking about the different challenges and problems facing our nation at this point and the new era of leadership in America with President-Elect Obama, I could not help but begin to believe that we are living in this moment that was articulated by William Strauss and Neil Howe almost ten years ago in this excellent book entitled, The Fourth Turning. The reason I feel so strongly about this belief is because crisis is evident everywhere in America and months of extensive research on this emerging Generation in America has consistently revealed to me that many young men and women have become more civically engaged over the past few years, many want to make an impact in the world, many have a progressive mentality, and several desire to change the world, which I truly believe they will.

As Americans, I believe our next step forward during this new era in American history is not only to be a part of the change that we will see in many different arenas across America, but its to become leaders who will serve others in love and pursue the visions we have for a new and better America that will benefit and bless future generations to follow! As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World!"

YOUNG VOTERS ARE NOT AS SHALLOW AS SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK!

2008-07-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just two weeks ago I was at home on a Saturday night with my wife flipping through all the different channels offered on Direct TV attempting to find something interesting to watch on television. After flipping through 200 plus channels, I finally discovered an interesting special on Fox news that talked about the impact of Generation Y on the 2008 presidential elections. Throughout the entire news special, I was not only extremely engaged into this intriguing show, but I was a little disturbed because of the lack of proper representation from our generation on the show and some of the erroneous information that was stated throughout the entire show.

Although I have my issues with the show, I am fully aware that most people who viewed the special on Fox news probably viewed it more positively than I because it did have some good points and it attempted to give our generation a voice on a national news station which is rare. But, as an expert of Generation Y, there were several reasons why I became disturbed and annoyed during the show. One of the main reasons why I became disturbed during the show was because various experts stated that Generation Y voters are more likely to vote for Senator Obama instead of Senator McCain because Senator Obama is portrayed as the coolest out of both candidates. Even though I could possibly see some young voters voting for Senator Obama instead Senator McCain, because of Senator Obama’s popularity and rock star status, the truth is that a majority of young voters are voting for Senator Obama instead of Senator McCain because Senator Obama’s policies are more favorable to the young voter than Senator McCain.

For instance, four top issues with young voters revolve around the Economy, Education, War In Iraq, and Environmental Issues. Even though Senator McCain can argue that his economic and environmental plans are possibly better than Senator Obama with young voters, his political stance on the War in Iraq and Education is definitely against the stance provided by Senator Obama and most young voters in America. For example, 63% of young men and women from Generation Y are against the War in Iraq and several young voters are fighting for better rates on college loans, which is an issue that has been addressed by Senator Obama, but not Senator McCain. In addition to these four major policies with young voters, Obama has also been more effective on the web and possess personal qualities that are much more favorable than Senator McCain with young voters.

These simple reasons listed above are just some of the many more reasons why I believe Senator Obama will dominate Senator McCain with young voters in November. Personally, I believe that Senator McCain is a nice person, but until his policies change on a variety of different issues, he has no chance with most young voters in America.

Can We Really Blame OJ Mayo?

2008-07-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

For the past seven years, the hottest tickets on the USC campus have been to the football games every fall semester. Over the past year, the next hottest tickets on campus at USC have been the USC basketball games because of high school phenomenon, OJ Mayo. Although the USC basketball team accomplished many great things over the basketball season, many local fans would probably agree that this team of rising superstars did not reach its fullest potential this year because of a first round exit in the NCAA tournament to Kansas State University. After this disappointing lost in the first round to Kansas State University, many USC basketball fans probably thought that the disappointment in the USC basketball program would cease because of the great young talent that many fans and coaches were probably expecting to return next year. Unfortunately, the disappointment would not cease from the USC basketball program because two of the top underclassman on the USC basketball team declared themselves for the NBA Draft in June and following these NBA Draft declarations from two super players at USC came the scandal with BDA and OJ Mayo. After hearing and reading about this intriguing story with OJ Mayo and BDA on several sport stations all across LA, it was not something that surprised me much with college athletics because I witnessed similar experiences as a college undergraduate student just five years ago.

Before I really began to pursue my speaking and television career in college, during the first couple of years, I was an aspiring basketball player that wanted to make it to the NBA one day. Due to this great aspiration, I found myself heavily involved with our college basketball team and friends with some of the best players on our campus at the time. In just two years, I saw close friends of mine of the team receive huge amounts of money for the easiest jobs in the world, receive brand new cars, receive money for shopping sprees at local malls, receive free plane tickets for family and friends, and I saw friends on the team receive favors from higher officials that blew my mind at times.

Although many people involved and not involved with collegiate sports probably disagree with these favors, I would like to say that I do not agree with breaking rules, but I do believe that athletic programs should be able to help their players out financially more than rules currently suggest. The reason I feel this way is because student athletes who desire to achieve success in their sport have to invest so much time into school and sports that there is not really much time to obtain a part time job to help deal with the financial issues that arise for every student in college. For instance, as my close friend on the basketball team once told me, at 6 in the morning, there is basketball practice, from the early morning to early afternoon there is class, from the early evening to late night, there is more practice and study sessions for the student athletes. Mix in with these required activities are individual study time, individual practice, and limited hours to spend time with friends during the day. Now I do understand that there are many people that may believe a college education, room, and board is enough, but in the world we live in today, you need much more financial assistance as a college student than in years past to really live comfortable in college, especially in Southern California.

Leading up to the NBA Draft in June, there will be many people who will continue to discuss or comment on this OJ Mayo scandal that has been talked about and written about in several media outlets across the country. Personally, I believe that collegiate sports needs to learn from these situations and make the proper adjustments necessary so that this problem does not occur again. In order to make the proper adjustments to this present circumstance, I believe that enforcing the rules on OJ Mayo and the USC basketball program would be productive if the accounts are correct, but increasing the financial assistance for student athletes across the country may be productive as well because it would help student athletes walk away from the financial temptations that present themselves daily to several high profile athletes across the country.

Social Entrepreneurship, the next Great Movement In America!

2008-06-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

This past Memorial Day weekend was a special time for me this year
because I finally obtained my Master’s Degree in Organizational
Leadership at Biola University. As I celebrated this wonderful
accomplishment with my family and friends, I could not help but think
about my college journey over the past eight years and reminisce about
all the amazing experiences that transpired in my college life during
this time.

Out of all the incredible experiences that I thought about, the most
memorable moment that stood out to me during this time of reflection
was a Vision Conference that I produced at Long Beach State University
in 2003. The reason this dynamic event stood out to me the most
during this time of reflection is because a group of us were able to
create a unique and fresh event that was not only prosperous, but life
changing for our entire staff and event attendees who chose to attend
the event. Basically, people who attended our event were not only
entertained, but their lives were impacted in a positive way by the
powerful message that was expressed throughout the entire presentation.

Ironically, at the time of this amazing event in 2003, I was not aware
of social entrepreneurship. But, as I look back on these events five
years later with an awareness of social entrepreneurship, I can
definitely say that our Vision Conference program could have been
listed under the social entrepreneurship umbrella because it made
money by itself, impacted the lives of many people who were involved
with our project, and addressed a social problem that was evident on
our college campus at the time.

After pondering on the impact and success of this incredible college
experience mixed in with the large amounts of research that I have
personally discovered about young men and women of Generation Y, I
strongly believe that social entrepreneurship will be a growing trend
that we can expect to see more and more of from Generation Y in the
future as young men and women of this generation become more educated
on this profession. One of the main reasons why I have this strong
conviction about this emerging trend in America in relation to
Generation Y is because social entrepreneurship connects with the
belief system and desire of many individuals of this generation by
providing them with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs, make
money, love what they do, impact the world, and be a catalyst of
positive change.

Already there are many young men and women across America that fall
into this category of social entrepreneurship and many organizations
that support young men and women that have a desire to become a social
entrepreneur. As more and more social entrepreneurs from Generation Y
begin to make their impact on our culture and society, this could be
the silent group of people who could emerge as the next great leaders
of Generation Y!

Has the Church lost Generation Y?

2008-06-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Over this past weekend, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day with my family in Southern California and wife, who is due to give birth to our first child in the next seven months. Before we actually went out to dinner like most families in America, I attended church earlier that morning. Like most Mother’s Day in various churches across the country, the attendance at church increased tremendously because this was one of the three days out the year where people who never attend church seem to make it a point to visit the church on this special day of each year for mother’s.

As I sat in church listening to the amazing music and powerful sermon, I began to wonder why many young men and women believe in God, but fail to attend church regularly and volunteer with their local church as much as they do with other social causes within their community, nation, and world. I wondered if it was hypocrisy in the church, busy schedules, different attitudes about church than previous generations, or just a lack of desire to really help out with the local church in their community.

As I continued to ponder on this thought during service, I stopped focusing on Generation Y for a minute and asked myself a simple question, why do I love God, pray frequently, attend church almost every Sunday, but still fail to really serve in the local church? While I thought about that question personally mixed in with my thoughts about Generation Y and Religion, I developed four key reasons why I believe less young people are engaged with church than in previous years:

New Attitude About Church: The first reason why I believe less people from this younger generation are engaged with church than in years past, is because their attitude about church has changed. For instance, instead of believing that attending church regularly gets you to heaven, more and more young men and women are realizing that it’s a personal relationship with God that’s most important and with this new understanding comes the notion that you do not need church to get close to God.

Lack of Programs that Interests Generation: The second reason why I believe less people from this younger generation are engaged with church than in years past is because there are very few programs created to really attract the younger demographic. For example, we have our monthly and quarterly events geared toward young adults, but rarely do we see programs that are out the box and geared specifically at the younger audience within our communities.

Leadership Development: The third reason why I believe less people in this younger generation are engaged with church than in years past is because of a lack of leadership development amongst young men and women in the church. For instance, as a speaker I have the opportunity to attend several leadership conferences/trainings held by major colleges and corporations for college students and young professionals, but rarely do I see these types of programs offered in the church. Personally, I believe if more of these programs were offered in the church, we would see increase in the church immediately.

More Creative Outreach Programs: The fourth reason why I believe less people this younger generation are engaged with church than in years past is because the outreach programs are not creative enough. For example, I understand the importance of evangelizing, feeding the poor, and offering counsel to the needy in church, but I believe that if we created other projects that interest this younger generation outside these main outreach programs, we could still fulfill the great commission and draw more people into the younger people into the church.

These four reasons are not the only solutions to this problem in the modern day church with young men and women from this younger generation, but they are key steps of action that I believe the church can take right now to really get more young adults involved with their local church.

Financial Stability is not the solution to the Education Crisis in America!

2008-04-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, I have followed the steps of my father and have served as a part-time educator when I am not traveling across the country as a guest speaker or appearing on various television or radio shows as a guest expert on Generation Y. During this experience as an educator, I have been given the opportunity to teach at many different schools in Southern California. Most of these schools have been inner city high schools and middle schools, but a few have been suburban schools in some affluent areas within Southern California.

Like most people would probably expect, I witnessed more problems with inner city schools than the suburban schools, but I must say that money and resource was not the determining factor on why most suburban schools seem to be better than most inner city schools. I also must say that students and teachers were not the main reason why most suburban schools were better, but rather it was many other factors that go far beyond the money, teachers, and students of an inner city high school.

For instance, I found that most schools that were successful in the inner city and affluent areas of Southern California strong community support, strict discipline from administration, strong leadership from the principles that did irritate some teachers, and high standards and expectations for the students and faculty on campus. I also found that most successful schools had amazing organizations on their campus, tremendous student activities and programs that empowered their students for success, and of course, strong parental support.

As a young man that strongly believes in the educational future of our youth and is very concerned about current state of education in America, instead of focusing on how you can choose the best local school for your child, I want to deliver five key solutions that can be done by parents, teachers, administrators, or organizations to help strengthen the education of your students that attend a local high school nearby.

Set High Standards for the Students

Setting high standards for your student’s means that as a parent, teacher, or administrator, you are setting high goals for the student and you are refusing for the student to do anything less than excellence in their classwork, extra curricular activities, and discipline as a student. When I deal with excellence, I am not saying that everyone must be perfect, but I am saying that you are challenging the student to do his/her best and become the best possible on a daily basis. I do not believe that this principle will save all children, but I can guarantee that several more students will be impacted by this one solution to the education crisis in America.

Go the Extra Mile For Students

For years I have watched several movies and saw many teachers from different economical backgrounds do extremely well with their students in the classroom. I have found that one of the reasons that these teachers have been so effective with their student or child is because they have made it a point to go the extra mile with their student, which means that you are doing more as a teacher for the student than what is required. This is the one solution that I believe is key for teachers to transform the education system and key to know whether or not you are truly called to be a teacher.

Develop Programs that are Fun and Educational

I specifically stated this solution third because in order to be effective with programs that are fun and educational, you must first set high standards and be willing to go the extra mile for your students. Developing these fun and educational programs for students may cost some money, but can be done for very economical prices. For instance, take students to a specific business or organization that’s outside your local area to learn about the real world, challenge students to participate in community service projects that help build your community, bring in guest speakers that are willing to give there time for the local high school, create leadership programs on campus that are fun, educational, and enjoyable, and most importantly, make sure the programs are something that really interests the students on your campus. One of the greatest problems I see with educational leaders is that they create fun and educational programs, and the programs created may seem fun to the leader, but not the students, and because of that, there is no impact that occurs which makes the program a waste of time. Make sure the program interests your students before you decide to do something special.

Involve yourself with Education Decisions from District Leaders

I wanted to conclude with this solution as my final point to the problems within our public school system because its probably the biggest problem that’s rarely addressed. Although I believe there are many intelligent people running school districts, the decisions that come down from various school districts are sometimes decided upon with no true understanding of the campus culture. A perfect example of this concept from the highest level in Washington was the No Child Left Behind law that has done much more bad than good for several schools. At times, many people blame leaders of various school districts or political officers, but at times I believe it occurs because various people from the school do not take the time to learn about the issues and have their voice heard on certain situations. If there is going to be positive change within our public education system, involvement with educational decisions from highest officials will be extremely important.

I understand that there are many more solutions to the education crisis in America, but these four key solutions applied by various parents, teachers, and administrators can be key to transforming our public school system in a positive way and making sure that every child is given a great education.

Black Leadership in America from a Young Man's Perspective!

2008-04-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, like many others, I had the opportunity to watch an amazing documentary about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Soledad O’Brien on CNN. Following this incredible news story, I began to not only think about the events that transpired in Memphis, Tennessee the night of Dr. King’s assassination, but I began to think about the impact that this amazing leader along with many other famous African American leaders had on America. For instance, because of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all the other leaders of their day, we are now able to be in the same classroom as another, we are now able to sit anywhere on a bus, we are now able to attend any college of our choice, and we are now able to do things that others may have not been able to do less than 100 years ago. In addition to these great opportunities their have been higher voter participation from African Americans, more ownership among African Americans, educational achievement among African Americans, and higher incomes among African Americans according to a 2004 study done by the Urban League.

Although these experiences along with many others have been great for several African Americans over the past forty years following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there is a reason why a 2004 study done by the Urban League revealed that 40% of blacks feel that little progress has been done since the civil rights movement led Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many other amazing leaders forty years ago. According to the Center for Disease Control Preventions, in 2005, 49% of new HIV/AIDS cases were African American men and women. In 2006, a Henry Kaiser Foundation study on African Americans found that unemployment amongst African American 16-29 year olds was higher than any other ethnic group. In addition to these two amazing studies, the same Henry Kaiser Foundation study found that less than 45% of African Americans are enrolled in college, 40% of the prison population is African Americans, which is 3 times more than Latinos and 7 times more than whites in America. Added to these numbers are 9 million African Americans in poverty and 65% of black children in single parent households according to a study done by the Annie Casey Foundation in 2006. Unfortunately, these shocking studies do not include racial injustices in America, negative media portrayals in media, and all the other issues that seem to affect the African American culture as well. After reviewing these few negative issues in the African American culture, it does not surprise me at all why do many people have a negative view about Black America following the civil rights movement 40 years ago.

Personally, I believe the history of Black America shows that we will be able to overcome these issues facing our culture, but if it’s going to happen, we must have exceptionally leadership within the black community. These exceptional leaders are not going to just be the preachers, civil rights activists, millionaires, or corporate America executives, but it’s going to be the family, community, and national leaders that are able to develop solutions to some of the major issues facing Black America today. In order to actually execute some of these solutions that I believe many emerging leaders within Black America possess, its going to take effective leadership on all levels, and listed below are seven key leadership principles that I believe all leaders of Black America must possess in order to be effective at combating some of these major issues affecting our communities all across the country.

Integrity

I believe this is a key leadership principle for Black America because without it, how can any person put there trust into you as a leader. In the 2004 presidential elections, it amazed me to see certain individuals within Black America tell others to vote and then failed to vote themselves on the day of the elections. If we are going to see positive change in Black America, it’s going to take leaders who actually live what they preach and do exactly what they say they plan to do in addressing some of the major issues facing Black America today. Without this one leadership principle, things will only get worse and worse in the black communities across the country.

Servant Leadership Model

I believe the second key leadership principle that leaders within Black America must possess is the servant leadership model which deals with the leader focusing on the well being of the people verses themselves. Out of all the negative attributes of leadership affecting various leaders of Black America, one of key problems that exist is the fact that certain leaders are putting money, fame, and power before the well-being of the people they have been fortunate lead in their position of power. For example, a powerful leader of Black America will continue to allow the image of Black America to be tarnished nationally because it makes them lots of money to do it, but ultimately affects the well being of African Americans nationally. If we are going to see positive change within Black America, its going to take leaders who not only put the interests of the people first, but makes sure there is a legacy that follows them in the future.

Courage

I believe the third key leadership principle that various leaders of Black America must possess is courage. Courage to stand for truth, courage to make tough decisions when its not popular to everyone else, courage to step out in faith and pursue their visions and dreams for America, and courage to address those within our community that need to be addressed for tarnishing the image of Black America even if its not the popular thing to address at the time. Thankfully, I have seen many leaders within Black America who have possessed this leadership characteristic, but in order for us to see greater change in Black America, its going to take more leaders with courage.

Vision

I believe the fourth key leadership principle that various leaders of Black America must possess is vision. Vision for the well-being of the people, vision that brings hope to many individuals that feel afflicted and depressed in Black America, and vision that inspires others to want to join the fight in making everyone’s life better in Black America. When I think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he not only had a dream, but he had a BIG DREAM that was clear to understand, concise and to the point, and captivating and inspiring to the people who joined with him to makes his dream a reality. If we are going to see positive change within Black America, it’s going to take leaders with visions that are big, clear, concise, and inspiring to the members of that vision.

Solutions to the problems facing Black America

I believe the fifth key leadership principle that various leaders of Black America must possess is solutions to the problems facing Black America. When you think of the great leaders of our past, they were not just great because they identified the problems, but they were great because they developed solutions to the problems facing their communities or nation. If we are going to see change within Black America, we do not only need leaders who can speak out on the negative issues affecting our communities across the country, but we need leaders within the black community who can develop viable solutions to ending some of the great problems facing Black America. Dr. King was not great because he was an excellent speaker, he was great because he developed viable solutions to the problems facing Black America during his time.

Strategy and Execution

The sixth leadership principle that I believe various leaders within Black America must possess is an effective strategy and execution process to the problems facing Black America. When I learn about the amazing companies across America, one of the keys to their success is an effective strategy and execution process to making their vision of the company a reality. If we are going to see positive change within Black America, its going to take leaders within our communities across the country who are able to develop effective strategies that can executed easily in order to make a positive impact within Black America.

Intergenerational Collaboration

The seventh and final key leadership principle that I believe various leaders within Black America must posses is intergeneration collaboration, which is basically being able to bring the younger and older generations together to address some of the issues facing Black America. One of the key problems that I see within Black America is the disconnect between older and younger African Americans in various communities throughout America. For instance, on popular radio show in Los Angeles, California, I actually heard the radio disk jockey say that he was afraid of young people, which to me is a perfect example of the disconnect between older and younger people within Black America. If we are going to see positive change within Black America, leaders must be able to bridge the gap between the older and younger generations of Black America.

There are definitely more leadership principles that need to be addressed within Black America, but these are seven key things that I believe all leaders must possess within Black America if we are going to see things change. I also believe that we should put more emphasis on highlighting the positive leaders of Black America verses the people who promote things that destroy the image of all African Americans in America.

Who wins the young vote in November between Sen. Obama vs Sen. McCain or Sen. McCain vs. Sen. Clinton?

2008-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

It was just eight years ago when young voters between the ages of 18-29 years of age had the lowest voter turnout since 18 year olds were given the opportunity to vote in 1972. Since this lack of political engagement amongst young voters between the ages of 18-29 years of age, the young voter in this age bracket has increased every year and primary election numbers are already showing the great enthusiasm and increase among many young voters in America. With one study showing that 6 in 10 young voters are paying close attention to the 2008 presidential elections, it’s quite obvious to many young voter experts that 43 million young people from Generation Y between the ages of 18-29 years of age will play a key role in the upcoming general election. The question that I have yet to see many media professionals address concerning the young voter in reference to the possible general elections is, who are young voters more likely to vote for between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain or Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton?

Senator Barack Obama verses Senator John McCain

Based on the current political numbers, it looks like the general election will feature Senator Barack Obama verses Senator John McCain. If this was to happen, we can expect Senator Barack Obama to dominate Senator John McCain with young vote in America. According to futuremajority.com, trial ballots have already shown that Senator Barack Obama has a 30 point advantage 57% to 27% with young voters over Senator John McCain. This is not really surprising to me because numbers have already shown that Senator Barack Obama has caught the attention of the young voters in America and Democrats have seen 65% of young voters voting as democrats verses 34% republicans. Added to these staggering numbers is Barack Obama’s desire for a new generation of politics mixed in with a focus on Generation Y and a campaign that revolves around positive change makes him look very well with young voters. Then, when you include the fact that 63% of young voters disagree with the War In Iraq, I personally would not be surprised if we saw the biggest domination of one candidate in the general election amongst young voters ever in American History.

Senator Hillary Clinton verses Senator John McCain

Although this past political match up between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain looks very bad for republicans amongst young voters, there is some hope if Senator Hillary Clinton can come back to obtain the nomination from Senator Barack Obama and face Senator John McCain in general election. The reason for this hope amongst republicans is because according to futuremajority.com, Senator John McCain has a 12 point disadvantage to Hillary Clinton (35%-47%) which poses much better than a 30 point disadvantage with the young voter. Also, according futuremajority.com, Senator John McCain has a 2 point advantage (35%-33%) over Senator Hillary Clinton as far as being honest and trustworthy. Although the numbers do look great for democrats among young voters, this lack of trustworthiness and honesty from a potential candidate can be one of the greatest set backs for any candidate attempting to win the young vote in America. Now, based on the numbers, many may say there is no way that a republican can beat a democrat with the young voter in America, but with the importance of integrity and honesty amongst young voters in America, I believe this is the one thing that can either cause young voters to vote for Senator John McCain or just stay at home and not vote at all, which ultimately affects the democrats and Senator Hillary Clinton.

As we move closer toward the general elections and watch the ongoing battle between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination, it’s clear who democrats and republicans should be rooting for in the primary election process as far as young voters are concerned.

A KEY ISSUE WITH YOUNG VOTERS THAT COULD IMPACT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ELECTIONS

2008-04-08T01:30:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I have been watching various news stories on television that feature former presidential candidate Al Gore and his possible impact on the Democratic primary elections between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. Like most political experts, I strongly believe that his endorsement could have a great impact on the future landscape of this political contest between the two senators. At this point, I am not sure which candidate former President Al Gore would choose to support because neither candidate has really talked much about their stance on global warming and climate change. In the future, I would expect these two candidates to talk more about it on the campaign trail, and personally, I not only believe that this platform will be huge in obtaining former presidential candidate Al Gore’s endorsement, but it will be huge in reaching more young voters as well.

According to various studies, many young men and women of this younger generation have been considered very socially conscious about issues affecting our communities, nation, and world. One consumer study on Generation Y showed that 91% of young people from this generation support companies with good causes and 89% of individuals from this generation would switch brands based on a good cause offered by another brand, which shows that the right social platform could be very instrumental in obtaining the young vote. As far as climate change is concerned, there are several campus organizations on several different college campuses across the country and according to a recent article that I read on the league of young voter’s website, they have a climate change challenge that is being done on 250 college campuses across the country, which ultimately amounts to several different young voters on these different campuses. Ironically, one of their major goals in the upcoming elections is to push the importance of climate change to the forefront with a special campaign entitled, “No New Coal, Green Jobs, and Power Vote 2008”.

As the primary elections for the Democratic Party moves forward, if Senator Clinton wants to gain a major endorsement from Former President Al Gore and attack the thousands of young voters who are supporting Senator Barack Obama, she must develop a much stronger stance on Climate Change than Senator Barack Obama. And, if Senator Obama wants to extend his lead with young voters and possible gain the endorsement of former president Al Gore, his stance on Climate Change could be very important in making these stronger endorsements a reality.

2008-03-27T00:02:00.000-07:00

A SELF ENTITLEMENT GENERATION, THERE IS A POSITIVE WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS ATTITUDE!

As I travel throughout the country speaking to various leaders and participating in several discussions with men and women from older generations, the most popular thing I hear about in reference to Generation Y, or what some define as Millenials is self entitlement. In essence, every individual that I meet who serves as a leader in some capacity of young men and women from this younger generation seems to complain about the self entitlement attitude of Generation Y. This attitude has been described by some as being a person that believes people owe them something or that they deserve certain things from others.

Like many other writers in America who have addressed this subject, I could easily talk about the negative stories revolved around this topic, I could talk about how we are supposedly overly spoiled because our parents have chosen to give us new cars at 16 years of age, or I could talk about the college graduate that believes they should have more power within a company than they actually have on their first day of work. If desired, I can also talk about ways that leaders, managers, or individuals that lead young men and women with this attitude can destroy this cancerous mindset within their organization, business, or enterprise by using certain methods or steps. Quite frankly, I agree with many of the people that I have interacted with about individuals of this younger generation having this attitude of self entitlement, but its not always a bad thing like people seem to portray because there can be some good with this attitude as well.

For instance, because of this attitude, young people are more ambitious, young people are more confident, young people have more belief in themselves, and more young people with this attitude would prefer excellence over mediocrity because excellence is an attitude that people adopt when they believe they deserve the best. Now, there are some negatives that can be attributed to this attitude as well, but if we focus on developing the positives as well as focusing on destroying the negatives of this self entitlement, I believe that we could experience more positive things with this attitude than negative. Although many experts and writers have talked about various ways to address this attitude, I want to talk about three positive ways that I believe leaders can use to address this attitude of self entitlement and benefit from it as well.

Lead By Example: Before any words are spoken, the first thing you want to do as a leader of young men and women that possess this self entitlement attitude is lead by example. The reason this principle is so important is because one of the greatest ways to reach individuals of this younger generation is by your lifestyle. Unlike generations of the past, words can be powerful, but it’s the actions that really hit home more than the words. So, if you’re going to eliminate the negative and enhance the positive of this attitude, your actions must be one of the key things that can be easily identified with young men and women from this younger generation.

Be A Mentor: As hard as it may be to deal with the negativity that can transpire with people who possess an attitude of self entitlement, becoming a mentor allows you build trust and develop a close relationship that allows you to put an end to the negativity of this attitude and build up the positive aspects of this attitude instead. Personally, I believe people fail to reach young people of this generation because they allow negative actions to cause them to become so resentful that the trust required to destroy the negativity that comes with an attitude of self entitlement is hard to attain. So, as leaders of young men and women who possess this attitude of self entitlement, become their mentor and slowly in love attack the negativity of this attitude and build up the positive.

Challenge Them: The final principle that I believe is key in dealing with this attitude of self entitlement is developing a challenge for the person. The reason I believe this is key is because it forces the young man or woman to work for what they believe they deserve and it really shows them or you whether or not they deserve the positions within a business, company, or enterprise. This challenge also keeps this person from becoming bored on the job, which does happen to several young men and women from this younger generation who are ambitious and have a strong desire to move up. If you can produce this challenge, you will either prove that they are ready for the promotion or not ready for the promotion. Both outcomes work well for the leader because you either have an advanced person working with you or you have someone that is extremely confident, but understands they still have some things to work on in order to get a promotion on the job.

2008-03-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

A SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS GENERATION BRINGS HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE!

Over the past few years, America’s youth and young adults have been actively engaged in several social efforts across the world to make our world a better place for everyone. One of the most popular social efforts with this Generation has been the Green Campaign to Save Our Environment, which has been spearheaded by Former Vice President Al Gore and several other amazing leaders across the world. Although social efforts like this and many others such as the One Campaign, Moblizie.org, and Youth Venture that have actively engaged and inspired thousands of young people across the country may surprise some, it has not surprised me at all, and personally I expect to see more participation with various social issues from individuals of this generation in the future.

In recent studies over the past few years, civic participation has been up with this younger generation, 80% of people from Generation Y desire to make an impact in the world, and Deloitte's 2007 Volunteer IMPACT Survey found that four out of five respondents (80 percent) of this generation identified themselves as volunteers and 97 percent of respondents believed companies should offer their employees opportunities to volunteer their work-related skills or talents to non-profit organizations. What’s even more striking with these studies is that one consumer article showed that 91% of people from this younger generation said they would switch a brand if the other company supported the same common cause as them.

This revealing information about Millenials further confirms the business predictions identified in Megatrends 2010 where it talks about social change being an important part of the future businesses within our country and world. It also shows us that leaders who desire to be effective at leading young men or women of this younger generation must be socially aware of the current issues of our day and must make it a point to at least support some social cause in the world. And lastly, even though some studies have stated that are generation is all about fame and money, this social truth about Generation Y provides great expectation, promise, and hope about the future of our nation and world!