Rural Leader Magazine February 2016

February 2016

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Contents

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMagazine.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com

Contributing Writers Matt Crick Author and Leadership Expert Ian Cook Consultant, Speaker, and Trainer Chris Cruz Author and Leadership Consultant Lisa Haneburg Leadership Consultant Simon Oates Author and Leadership Expert George A. Parker Author and Co-Founder/Executive VP Leasing Technology Intentions Cecile Peterkin Certified Career Coach and Speaker Ryan Scholz Author and Leadership Consultant Ed Sykes Author Leadership Expert and Professional Speaker Joy Fisher-Sykes Author Leadership Expert/Professional Speaker Christopher J. Thomas Author and Leadership Consultant 2

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4 GSAACC, Inc. Growing Minority Businesses Strong 6 Attain Leadership Roles by Tweaking the Way You Think 8 Leading Through Values 10 Seven Ways to Make your First Impression a Lasting One 11 Ten Questions Every Leader Ought to be Asking 13 How Can One Person Make A Huge Difference 15 Developing the Most Powerful Tools of Leadership 17 How to Create a Strong Leadership Succession Plan with Mentoring 19 Words to Live by:

Six Ways to Breathe Life into Your Day 21 Crystal Victoria: Successful Entrepreneur and B.O.S.S. Lady 22 Follow the Leader 23 How to Make Your Team a Motivated Powerhouse 27 Four Career Advice Secrets to Creating Successful Career Opportunities 28 Georgia Family Connection Partnership Collaboratives and Legislators Share Vision, Resources to Improve Lives 31 A Four Step Plan to Changing Careers and Becoming a Teacher 32 Five Tips to Help Protect Your New Smartphone

Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, in English, or other languages, is prohibited without written consent.

Send editorial ideas to Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD, Editor-in-Chief editor@ruralleadermagazine.com

Rural Leader Magazine, LLC 400 West Peachtree Street Suite #4-529 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 info@ruralleadermagazine.com 1-866-293-1162 Fax 866-477-8873

Tell us what you think about our publications, if

you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine.

By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at editor@ ruralleadermagazine.com—

Editor’s Note

Reader's Voice Dear Rural Leader Magazine, Thanks for the timely article, Financial Resolutions: Are you Saving for Retirement? I learned several key things that I can activate in the near future.

—Murry P. Sherwood, AR Dear Rural Leader Magazine, I really enjoyed the article about Apostle Claudette Wilson: On a Global Mission for Christ. It is refreshing that a publication is not afraid to celebrate the men and women of God. Thanks for sharing her

story. I was inspired and encouraged.— Della N. Bell Buckle, TN Dear Rural Leader Magazine, The article, Three Steps to Help You Erase Debt, was informative. I am at a point in my life where I am ready to take control of my finances. Now, I understand that control comes with living within one’s means and eradicating debt whenever and wherever possible. — Kelly S. Tallahassee, FL

Dear Reader, I am pleased to present to you the second installment of Rural Leader Magazine. Inside the issue is a collection of articles designed to empower one to be the best leader possible and to seize the opportunity.

I am also excited to introduce a new partnership with Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce. GSAACC, based in southwest Georgia that is one the newest organizations to emerge to support small businesses in the rural market. Learn more about co-founders Thomas and Patricia Swain’s journey to start GSAACC, the challenges they’ve encountered, and future goals (See page 4).

Learn how to tweak the way you think to attain desired leadership roles (See page 6) and discover the core values important to leadership (See page 8). A series of articles includes also highlight the importance of mentorship (see page 17) and showcases a few value tools all leaders need in their arsenal (see page 15).

A positive attitude is essential to any successful leader. Learn how to motivate your team to success (see page 23) and discover how to create your own career opportunities (see page 27).

And last, but certainly not least, learn brief about Crystal Victoria. Crystal Victoria is a fascinating author, entrepreneur, life and business coach, and motivational speaker (See page 21).

Enjoy the issue and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, and LinkedIn! P.S. Beginning March 1st, the call for nominations will be open for the third Annual Rural Leader 40 under 40 Honors. Details will be available at RuralLeaderMagazine.com.

Regards,

Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

What you do matters.

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Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce Growing Minority Businesses Strong

T

he Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (GSAACC) is one of the newest paramount organizations designed to impact small businesses. Rural Leader Magazine had the opportunity to interview co-founders, Thomas and Patricia Swain, a few weeks ago to learn the latest about this golden opportunity to support and to enhance economic development throughout Georgia.

The Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce was founded by the Thomas and Patricia Swain during Thanksgiving 2014. The Swains saw a vast need to meet the needs of minority business owners and to service rural areas more efficiently. Headquartered in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia, GSAACC’s vision consists of a multi-faceted approach, including community and economic development, tourism, business technical assistance, and cultural-heritage interests.

The Swains have spent much of the previous year marketing GSAACC’s goals and developing a comprehensive plan to address the needs of its target market--minority businesses. The aim of

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GSAACC is to become the leading advocate of entrepreneurship for African Americans in the State of Georgia, ultimately leading to prosperity for all.

GSAACC President, Thomas Swain said, “Our mission is simple, but it is based on real needs of black businesses. Georgia is primed for our aspirations as it has a high number of black business, actually the second highest in the nation, following New York. Most of the black business in the state are small mom and pop companies with incomes below $100,000 annually, but according to census stats, the number of African American companies in the state totals well over 150,000. These numbers in our opinion represents a great place to start,” Thus, GSAACC strategies were designed to emphasize programs and initiatives to address immediate and long-term needs of the market and to advance the organization’s mission.

“African American businesses have a different set of needs and issues, such as business plan development and funding. So, the aim of GSAACC is to bring value to our state by aiding small black companies to become competitive in the market

Thomas Swain

Co-Founder and President GSAACC, Inc.

place as it will benefit everyone and help to create a better society,” said Patricia Swain.

One initiative, for instance, is to establish and to operate a visitor information center dedicated to attracting and serving local, regional, national, and international visitors to destinations in Georgia.

GSAACC also aims to provide specialty marketing programs and to establish continual events and activities, such as festival, concerts, meetings, and gathering to attract and to retain visitors.

The journey to establish GSAACC has not been easy. The Swains soon discovered skepticism and lack of trust. Some view the GSAACC as a divisive organization. The Swains, however, believe otherwise.

“The Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce is not a racist movement...Our motto is ‘help me and let me help you.’ The organization is not anti-white, but pro-black. It’s a movement to bring minority business into mainstream,” said Thomas Swain.

The Swains launched an on-the-ground campaign to recruit and to educate perspective members about GSAACC’s role and its potential value add to their business. In addition, they successfully recruited a variety of qualified consultants in areas of tourism, finance, economic development, business, and historic preservation. The board of directors was also established and includes individuals who have a broad spectrum of talent and expertise in business, mass communications, media, small business and human resources, and local government.

The Swains and the board of directors have made tremendous progress. In 2015, they developed and

Patricia Swain

Co-Founder & Executive Secretary, GSAACC, Inc.

submitted a proposal to United States Department of Agriculture for start-up capital. They have also met with the City of Sylvester, Georgia to propose the acquisition of the historic J.W. Holley gym, for office space, business resource center and incubator.

GSAACC held its first board of directors meeting at the Albany Police Department Community room.

Also, GSAACC continues to grow in individual and corporate memberships. Citizen Trust Bank (CTB), Artesian Contracting and Rural Leader Magazine became among the first corporate members. CTB, established in 1921 in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the oldest black banks in the United States. Artesian Construction Company is a Georgia based federal/commercial/industrial construction company with 25 years of experience as a general contractor and design builder.

In 2016, GSAACC will continue to advocate for the development of new and existing businesses throughout the state. In the spring, GSAACC will partner with Sunbelt Ford of Albany, Georgia for its Annual Membership Drive. Members who join during a select period will be entered into a drawing for a Ford Pick-up truck.

GSAACC has plans currently underway to acquiring funding to establish an office in Brunswick, to develop a tourism-based app, a magazine, festivals, trade shows, and financial literacy services.

To learn how you can join the GSAACC movement, to contribute, or to volunteer, visit GSAACC.org, call 229-431-3157 or write to tswain@gsaacc.org or pswain@gsaacc.org.—

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Attaining Leadership Roles by Tweaking the Way You Think

By Chris Cruz

Even though I know better now but still when I think of a leader I think of the president, or the founders of countries, philanthropists like mother Teresa or the CEOs of the companies, I am sure I am not the only one. Leadership, to us, seems like a responsibility with unbelievable burden rather than a gift. It is seen as a curse that will drain out the happiness from your life rather than a blessing that will conjure fountains of the happiness of achieving something great.

Worst of all, we think of leadership as an inborn thing, meant for the great to do the great, and confined to the most prominent positions in the world.

Like I said, when I think leader I think prominent people. Fortunately, I am wrong. Leadership is not confined to those positions. These are not the only leadership roles out there. And sure some people are born with the ability to utilize their leadership skills but far more than that is the number of people who learn to use their leadership skills later; far more is the number of people who find the leader in them.

For, in every single one of us, maybe hidden under one layer, maybe hidden below 10, is a leader.

You can be a leader at your school, and not just as the school president, but in your group of friends.

You lead your group to some cause or with their help implement something that has a long lasting effect on their lives; you become a good leader. Or if you lead them to something destructive, you become a bad leader.

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A good leader can always distinguish between what is right and what is wrong and thinks about the people he is leading more than his personal interests.

You can be a leader in your house, for that you do not have to be the parent either or the house owner, you can be a leader among siblings.

In today's world, from major corporate giants to small companies, the post of "manager", in the literal sense of the word, is diminishing. There was a time when to yell was to manage well, but the time of managing is gone now and it is the time to lead. To be a leader in a company you do not have to have the top floor corner office but you can very well be at the 3rd floor and still lead your group to success. We are all leaders.

We have different leadership roles at different times of our lives and at different times of the day even, for example, a father and a manager at a company. What we need to understand is that all leadership roles are equally important and that somebody's world other than your own is riding on you. And to lead effectively we need to keep some basic and simple guidelines in mind. Put the interests of the people you are leading before yours. Believe in yourself and the people you are leading.— About the Author Chris Cruz is leadership expert and author of Life Success Secrets.

Five Tips to Protect your Identity and Celebrate Refund Season The holidays may be over, but refund season is just beginning, and there’s a lot to celebrate. This tax season, while consumers are eagerly awaiting their refund, tax preparation companies, tax officials and the IRS are working together to combat one of the fastest growing threats for tax season 2016 - tax identity fraud.

Based on IRS data, nearly 3 million people have been victims of tax identity theft since 2010. Every year, criminals use increasingly advanced tactics particularly geared toward taxpayers filing online - to steal taxpayers’ personal information, file fraudulent tax returns in their names and steal their refunds.

After fraud occurs, it can take months and multiple steps by the victim to access a stolen refund and regain an identity with the IRS. Protect your identity - and your refund - with these five tax tips from H&R Block: 1. File early and be cautious. Filing your taxes early will allow you to claim your refund before a criminal can. Before you file, protect your personal information by installing a security software with anti-virus and firewall protections.

2. Keep your paper records safe. Shred records you are no longer using and keep your social security card and any sensitive documents under lock and key.

3. Do not respond to individuals posing as a tax agency. The IRS does not demand immediate pay-

ment without sending a bill in the mail first. If you receive a phone call or an email with an external link, do not click on the link or share personal or financial information unless you personally know the person on the other end.

4. Change your password. The 2015 tax season saw a significant increase of tax fraud in the do-it-yourself (DIY) space. When using at-home tax software, such as H&R Block’s DIY products, create a strong password with capitalization, numbers, and symbols or avoid the risk by visiting a tax preparer.

5. Use tax identity protection services. Visit the IRS website to learn more about how to protect your identity. Additionally, H&R Block’s Tax Identity Shield provides clients with tools to reduce the risk of tax identity theft and resolution services, if a client becomes a victim of tax identity theft.

This tax season, take away the stress and put the “fun” back in “refund” by filing early. Plus, this year, you’ll have a chance to boost your refund - as an extra incentive, H&R Block is celebrating refund season by awarding $1,000 a day to 1,000 people. The first drawing for this limited time offer was Jan. 16. Visit hrblock.com/grand for rules and an alternate method of entry. Enter early to protect your refund and for more chances to win.—BPT

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Leading Through Values

By Ryan Scholz

O

ne of the biggest barriers that senior leaders face in delegating and taking work off their plates is having the confidence that people below them will make the right decision.

In the absence of confidence, leaders tend to get involved in many more decisions than they need to.

They get accused of “micromanaging” by their staffs. I believe that if people share similar values and have essentially the same information, they will usually come to the same conclusion.

So if a leader doesn’t think that his or her people will make good decisions, then it usually comes down either to a values issue or an information issue. Obviously, the getting people the informa-

tion that they need to make good decisions is easier than assuring similar values. As a leader, it is important to give people as much information as possible so that they can make informed decisions.

The more complicated task is making sure that people apply the same values when making decisions. This is why organizational values are so important. If the absence of clear organizational values, people will generally apply their own personal values when making a decision or apply what they perceive the company’s values to be.

Values provide the basis to determining behavior in certain situations. When people in a company have a shared set of values,

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the company becomes less bureaucratic, more flexible, and more efficient. People at lower levels will make the right decision. In determining the values which guide decision making, there are a couple of things that are important.

First, the list must be short. I recommend no more than for or five key values. If there are more than this, it creates confusion and more opportunity for misapplication in decision making situations.

Think about any situation where you had to chose between several alternatives. If you only had one or two criteria to make the choice, then it becomes a fairly easy decision. If there are ten criteria, it becomes much more difficult.

The second point about values

is that there should be a hierarchy.

Some decisions involve choosing one value over another. Johnson & Johnson faced this situation in the Tylenol tampering case in 1982.

They chose to put consumer safety above short term financial considerations even though evidence pointed to a localized event.

The total retail value of the nationwide recall was over $100 million. The hierarchy cannot be interpreted as situational. For example, people is hospitals struggle with courtesy versus efficiency.

In manufacturing plants, there is often conflict between quality and productivity. There needs to be demonstrated consistency in the hierarchy of values in every situation.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by a senior executive from Disney on the Disney culture. The core of the Disney culture is four simple values as it relates to customer relations: 1. Safety 2. Courtesy 3. Show 4. Efficiency These values guide the daily actions and behaviors of thousands of cast members (the Disney name for employees) at their theme parks. Every Disney employee can

recite these when asked. The safety of the guests takes precedence over anything else. If a ride has to be stopped because of an unsafe situation, it is stopped - no questions asked. An example used in Disney training is when a person in a wheel chair approaches a continuously moving ride, the ride is stopped sacrificing the show and efficiency. It is clearly the safe thing to do. Courtesy means that cast members are expected to smile and be friendly and patient with guests no matter what the situation. Rather than tell someone how to find a place ,the cast member is taught to take the person there. By “show”, Disney means all of the sensory impressions that a guest experiences.

Cast members pay attention to all of the things that a guest sees, touches, or hears in their experience at Disney. Instilling these values in every Disney employee is not just a matter of posting them on the wall. In every Disney orientation and training program, these values are discussed. Cast members are put through extensive role playing exercises using real-world situations learn how to apply the values.

Training at Disney is not limited to new hires. All employees, no matter how long they have been

with the company have to relearn their role. A cast member’s decision is never questioned if they apply the values in the proper order in a situation.

The power of Disney’s approach to leadership by values, is in its simplicity and consistency. The four values are easily understood by every cast member at Disney.

Too many values statements contain words that many employees don’t understand or relate to in their jobs. The hierarchy of the four values never changes.

These four values and their order of importance was established

by Walt Disney himself and has never been questioned or changed.

Leaders who struggle with having people make the right decisions should look hard at the values of the organization. Are they understood? Is there a clear hierarchy when a decision involves a conflict between two values? — About the Author Ryan Scholz works with leaders whose success is dependent on getting commitment and high performance from others. He is author of Turning Potential into Action: Eight Principles for Creating a Highly Engaged Work Place.

For more information, visit his web site at Lead-Strat-Assoc.com.

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Several Ways to Make your First Impression a Lasting One Within the first few seconds of meeting someone, an opinion is immediately formed that can last forever. This encounter often sets the tone for the relationship that follows. So how can you make your first impression a positive one?

Here are some tips to help you knock your first meeting out of the park: Take pride in your presence Physical appearance is the first thing people observe before an introduction. Always dress appropriately for the occasion, whether it’s a casual lunch or a formal business meeting. A go-to suggestion is to maintain a clean and crisp appearance for most events because you can’t go wrong - think business casual. This look can be trendy and professional and will position you in a positive light. Being mindful of your appearance will give you more confidence to help make a great first impression.

Share your best smile MA warm, genuine smile is your best tool in making a first impression unforgettable. “A self-assured and convincing smile starts with regular oral care practices to keep your teeth clean and your breath smelling fresh,” says Dr. Christopher Ramsey, DMD. An easy way to do this is by adding a mouthwash, like Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash with Extra Deep Clean to your daily routine. “These advanced mouthwash formulas strengthen teeth, kill germs and freshen breath, so you are guaranteed to have and maintain an impressive smile,” says Dr. Todd Snyder, DDS, AAACD.

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Showcase your positive attitude For people who get nervous when interacting with others, it is essential to sustain a calm attitude and optimistic outlook. Go into the meeting with an open mind and learn something new. Contribute to the conversation and maintain engagement. Showing attentiveness is often contagious, as the person you meet catches on and reciprocates.

Be conscious of your body language Body language is a crucial element in daily human interaction. From the way you walk to a meeting, to the hand gestures used while you speak - body language is just as important as the words you say. Start by standing tall, making appropriate eye contact and giving a firm handshake. Demonstrate open body postures by keeping your head up and relaxing your shoulders. Crossed arms and legs make you appear closed off and unapproachable, so be mindful of how you might appear to others.

Be yourself Being true to yourself is the best way to be presentable to others. Be comfortable with your personality.

If nervousness kicks in, take a few deep breaths and remember to be calm and confident. A composed demeanor will put anyone at ease, sealing the deal on an excellent relationship as you move forward.

Making an everlasting first impression is simply about being at peace with who you are and being ready to meet others. Try some of these above tips at your next meeting, networking event or job interview.—BPT

10 Questions Every Leader Ought to Be Asking

By Lisa Haneburg

I

f I read another article that starts with, “during these tough times,” I am going to scream. Let’s get with it, leaders, these times are why we exist. The more we talk about how the times are tough, the greater the likelihood that we will approach our work as victims. We are at our best when we catalyze progress – when we create environments that help people, teams and processes do great work together. I invite all leaders – at all levels in the organization – to embrace the opportunity to be great like you never knew you could be or was possible.

Here are ten questions you can ask yourself and your team to get catalytic juices flowing: • What’s the new opportunity that we are not seeing?

How might we learn from other organizations, both competitors and non-competitors?

• How might new trends in how people communicate and work open up new ways to improve our organization? What does the workplace look like when we are focused and in action?

• When a meeting feels flat and perfunctory, what’s

going on? What’s on people minds that they are not saying? What question could I ask that would open the discussion back up? What’s possible if I had the courage to do this?

• What is “my best work” and how can I ensure I do that today? How can I enable my team to do their best work?

• If we were starting this organization from scratch, how would we design it? What would we do if resources were not an issue?

• What’s the craziest idea that just might work? • What are the most irksome/damaging barriers facing me and my team right now and how can I reduce or obliterate them?

• What is my manifesto (driving philosophy and passion) as a leader and how can I ensure my team understands it? What is our team’s manifesto?

• What’s possible now that was not possible last year/ month?

• Do I have my team focused on doing the work that matters most? How can I optimize how we spend our precious time? Create your own list of questions GetRuralLeaderMag.com | FEBRUARY 2016 11

and bring them into your next staff meeting or team huddle. Select one of these questions to drill down on with a small group of peers.

Put a copy of this article in everyone’s inbox! Great questions help us generate productive conversations and conversations are our currency for getting things done. We are leaders because we make things happen that would not happen without us. We are driven to create, model, and catalyze excellence. We do not maintain. We do not play the victim. We take the initiative to do whatever it takes to make a significant and positive difference and we have more opportunities to do this today than ever.

As the great Henry V said in Shakespeare’s play, “All things are ready if our minds be so.” And let’s

not forget Westmorland’s response, “Perish the man whose mind is backward now!” Indeed. The most effective leaders will shine bright now because they are ready to slog through any organizational muck that threatens to slow their team down. Let’s all be a part of the leadership revolution.— About the Author Lisa Haneberg is VP and OD Practice Lead for MPI Consulting. She is the author of ten business books and the management blog, Management Craft.

She speaks and offers training programs for leaders, managers, and teams. Contact Lisa Haneberg at ManagementPerformance.com or LisaHaneberg. com.

P U B L I C S E RV I C E A N N O U N C E M E N T

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The Department of Transportation has maintenance opportunities for businesses in Georgia for highway systems. Contracts available total nearly $200 million annually or more. These contracts are available for any qualified contractor. Small businesses, veteran-owned and DBE firms are encouraged to pursue this opportunity.

Interested firms must be registered in the Georgia Procurement Registry and qualified for the work type anticipated by the contract. Solicitation for right-of-way maintenance, pot hole repair, and other similar opportunities.

For more information, contact the Georgia State African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. at 229-431-3157 or visit http://doas.ga.gov/ state-purchasing/team-georgia-marketplace.

How Can One Person Make a Huge Difference

By George A. Parker

We are all the fruit of a lot of cultivation. In my own case, I can trace much of my progress in life to a few dedicated, giving people. One person can make a tremendous difference. As an example, Mother Teresa never imagined that she could change the conditions of the dying poor in Calcutta. She was primarily focused on helping the ones directly in front of her.

Over time, with tireless work, she inspired thousands to join her in the challenge.

Helen Keller once remarked "I am only one person, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something." We are all capable of doing something. How can one person, making a relatively small contribution, impact the world? At the turn of the twentieth century, Mary McLeod Bethune was a young Black girl who dreamed of helping other poor kids rise out of poverty. She was herself poor, one of seventeen children born to slaves in South Carolina.

Walking more than ten miles to school each day and working tirelessly, she came to the attention of a wealthy Colorado dressmaker. The dressmaker sponsored Mary's attendance to the Scotia Seminary where Mary excelled. Eventually, Mary moved to Daytona, Florida where she saw the opportunity to realize her dream. Working day and night for very low wages, she eventually saved enough money to acquire a small building to start a one-room school.

Over a 75 year period, that one-room school blossomed into Bethune-Cookman University. Today Bethune-Cookman University serves over 3000 students from the U.S., the Caribbean Islands, and 35 countries -- offering degrees and professional training to disadvantaged and other students enrolled in their six academic schools. Truly, one person can make a difference.

Here is another example: In 1970, a young college president was on a mission. He was committed to increasing his university's enrollment of young, qualified minorities and women - an area where the university had done a poor job. He made it his business to travel the country giving talks and sent university representatives to visit promising minority and female prospects. Once identified, he extended them invitations to visit the campus and to apply.

One potential student lived in a poor inner-city neighborhood at the south eastern end of Washington, D.C. This student had considered college, but was convinced that the expense was too great for his family. In his mind, going to work would make a far better choice. Learning of this student's situation from a school guidance counselor, the president sent a representative to visit him.

During that meeting and later during a trip to campus, the student was encouraged to apply. The

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president assured him that sufficient financial support would be given if he was accepted, and that acceptance was likely. That student performed well at the university and went on to post-graduate studies in business. He eventually entered and advanced in the banking and finance field, became active in the industry, and co-founded an equipment finance company serving U.S. based start-ups and emerging growth companies.

The story did not end there. That executive, inspired by his own experience, decided to reach out to other students. Rather than focus on students in his native country, he identified a handful of under-developed countries where small financial amounts could make a big difference. He began to support ten students unable to attend school.

As of this writing, two of the students attend universities and another five are on the college track.

Imagine the possibilities! One day, several of these students might finish college. They may move on to have successful careers and families. Possibly, one or more of them -- inspired by a helping hand -- might

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go on to assist or to inspire others.

One person can make a big difference. From one person's commitment, a large, fruit-bearing garden can grow. That garden can prosper and stretch out over generations. In this case, the helping hand of one university president is still at work. This is a true story. The university visionary, who has since passed away, was Dr. James Ralph Scales of Wake Forest University. The student that he recruited and inspired --- you have guessed it, that's me.— About the Author George Parker is a twenty-five year industry leader, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Leasing Technologies International, Inc. ("LTI"). He is author of several articles and e-books, including "Using Venture Leasing As A Competitive Weapon" and "101 Equipment Leasing Tips". LTI provides superior financing solutions to emerging growth companies and venture capital-backed start-ups. Visit Ltileasing. com to learn how LTI's innovative equipment financing can help you get a jump on competitors.

Developing the Most Powerful Tools of Leadership

By Christopher J. Thomas

What makes a good leader? We need to understand the basic of leadership development. This subject is in fact subjective that most of us don't want to write about it. We simply want to resist writing about leadership and development and all the training courses of leadership.

Apart from this, a number of such questions simply keep on popping our mind and we find tough finding any answers. Most of these questions would be like Are leaders man made or natural? How can we train leaders? Or even can we make leaders out of nothing? So the basic fact is to take a hard glance at the term a good leader. Even if you may be thinking that you certainly are not a good leader, but there may be certain areas in your life where most of other people might have seen you as a leader.

Some of the important qualities and skills that a leader must have need to be understood carefully.

Training when applied to a leader is certainly a misnomer. So any of the leadership training programs is at least expected to include a passing reference. One needs to understand the concept of leadership.

So this is possible by having live debates and discussions about a good leadership. We need to understand what is the definition of leadership and what it actually means. We also need to widen the definition such that it exceeds much beyond the traditional meaning of leadership and mingles with the stereotypes. One also needs to have a very personal understanding of individual qualities.

It is also very much important that you understand the real difference between a leadership and a management. You need to understand how most of the successful people perceive their perception and turn their dreams into reality. One may even compare this with some of the great leaders of the time like Martin Luther or Mahatma Gandhi or even Dhirubhai Ambani.

These were the people who were a true visionary.

They dreamt of a dream and had the power to turn it into a reality. You need to make assumptions on the basic fact that how most of us see the world. And then you also need to establish an ownership of you leadership skills. So it is more important to make de

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Proudly Acknowledges

Dr. Kuanita E. Murphy Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

T W E N T Y S I X T E E N Honoree and Member Of

The International Society of Business Leaders (ISoBL) is based in New York and is comprised of members who stand at the forefront of their industry across a diverse range of fields, including international finance, oil and energy, technology and information systems, medical and healthcare, and elite academic fields, among others. ISoBL, in essence, reflects the global movers and shakers who affect real change and progress in their fields.—

#IamDrMurphy.org

G E T R U R A L L E A D E R M A G . C O M Powerful Leadership Tools, cont'd from page 15 velopments around the trainer other than the trainee.

We know that no cookie cutter would ever model here.

Anyone can develop their qualities to lead others.

Even when someone asks a direction for a certain place we act as leaders. We guide him. We help people in the churches by preaching them. We help our collages in creating more sales reports. We lead the nation by being MLA or a Minister or even president. We lead a project by being scientists or even a programmer who leads the IT firm.

RU R A L

L E A D E R

There are so many roles that we may imagine where each one of us acts as a leader. So if you are committed enough that you can use these qualities and add it to everything that is there in your life I am sure you can be a good leader. In fact anyone of us can be a great leader. — About the Author Christopher Thomas is the author of the Managers Toolbox training material located at Managers Toolbox and runs the very successful Basic Management Course for new leaders and supervisors.

M AG A Z I N E

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C E L E B R AT E S

How to Create A Strong Leadership Succession Plan With Mentoring

By Cecile Peterkin

S

uccession planning is often the key to a company's long term success. With succession planning, business owners will find that they are able to work with the leaders in their company, to hire those prospects that will be a great fit for the company and who will be able to learn, grow and be a part of the business over the long term.

When mentoring is a part of your company's succession planning strategy, you will find that it is possible to create contentedness within the work place, a high level of job satisfaction and a high level of employee retention. Mentoring is the key to creating a strong leadership succession plan on many levels because it addresses all of the following points: 1. Mentoring helps to bring the right staff on board and to bring them up to speed quickly. On some levels, this is because leaders work as a group and create a team; on others, mentoring simply helps to ensure that those who become a part of the company learn and understand their position quickly and that they will be able to know that they can advance as they are ready to do so.

2. Mentoring ensures that employees are more satisfied with their positions. Simply put, those who are involved in a mentoring program in the workplace understand what they are doing and feel good about doing it; this leads to high levels of employee retention.

3. Mentoring ensures greater levels of productivity and higher quality work. Because members of your staff will be comfortable with the position that they are filling and because they will have easy access to those who can answer questions when they have them, fewer errors will be made and work will be

completed on a timely basis.

4. Mentoring ensures that you staff will have increased motivation. When a company's employees know that they are able to do the job well and that there is room for growth, they commit to the position and to growth within the company. When employees understand that there is potential for career growth, they will be more committed to the company, more likely to set goals and willing to help others succeed.

With a mentoring program as a part of your leadership succession strategy, you will find that your business will be positioned to have a team in place – a team in which the staff members work together, give their best and recognize that, as time goes on, they will be able to grow into leadership roles. Mentoring a succession planning, therefore, allow companies to structure their business for success.

Rather than looking into hiring staff at some point down the road to fill leadership positions, businesses with mentoring programs will know that they are able to promote from within which will ensure consistency of policies. Rather than worrying about potential conflicts that could lead to performance issues, with mentoring in place all members of the staff are in a position to reach out to and learn from one another. — About the Author Cecile Peterkin, a Certified Career Coach and Speaker, helps businesses leverage the mind-share of retiring Baby Boomers and senior managers, and transfer it to the next generation of leaders with her ProMentoring program. For more information visit http://www.ProMentoringInc.com.

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By Joy Fisher-Sykes

Words to Live By – Six Ways to Breathe Life into Your Day

W

e’ve heard the instructions many times over. There is such familiarity that many people can almost recite them verbatim. In fact, these directives are so crucial; they are printed on placards and demonstrated visually by the staff. They are so important that they can’t wait until you are airborne to share. I’m talking about the life-saving instructions on what to do in case of an emergency that airline passengers receive on every flight before they’re airborne.

Given without fail around the globe daily, millions often sit back and ignore flight attendants by reading a magazine, speaking to a neighbor, or simply becoming annoyed at the disruption of quiet. The highlight of the instruction says: Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will fall from the ceiling in front of you. If you are traveling with small children, place the mask on yourself first, then place a mask on the child.

Who would have thought for decades the airline industry has been sharing with millions of people a valuable life lesson.

A Life Lesson. At first blush, this directive seems absurd. After all, when you travel with a child, an adult’s natural inclination says children first. Period.

No matter the circumstance. However, consider that our emotional side is not always logical. Ponder the life lesson to be learned here. If you do not put your mask on yourself first, if you’re not breathing, how in the world can you ever help that child, yourself, or anyone else?

Learn to Breathe. Many of us choose to give our oxygen away all the time. How many times have you felt the “pressure” and a sense of not being able to cope, not able to breathe? Did you take a deep breath or did you just trudge along depleting your reserves to none? A life on empty has nothing to offer to either you or others.

When we fail to see the value of taking care of self before others, we fail to see we can be of no good to anyone unless we choose to take the first breath.

Sound selfish? Perhaps, however, it is the only way you can survive. Remember, lack of oxygen causes death – to the mind, the body, and the spirit.

Six Ways to Honor Yourself Daily. What holds true for life in the air holds true for the life we lead on the ground. On a daily basis practice these life-saving strategies to breathe life into your day.

Value Time. Time is your most precious commodity that can never be replaced or replenished. Be selective about how and with whom you choose to spend your time. Make every minute count because

each is precious.

Cut the Umbilical Cord. Lighten your load and learn to let go. Stop dragging around the troubles of everyone in the world. Constantly trying to solve problems for others not only weighs you down, it denies others the opportunity to learn that they can survive and thrive. Experience breeds personal growth and power. Allow those you love the opportunity to grow. Know that sometimes the best gifts you can offer are your constant love and support and allowing others to resolve their own problems.

Maintain Strong Bonds. The real value in relationships is maintaining a connection. Whether you are near or far, don’t allow the busyness of life to let time slip away. Make a conscious effort to connect with friends and family on a regular basis.

Choose Your Friends Wisely. You become the people with which you choose to surround yourself.

Be very selective with whom you choose to spend your time. Time is a precious commodity you can never get back. Once time is gone, it’s lost forever.

Refuse to spend time with others who choose not to honor you.

Be Courageous. Have the courage to step up and say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. Possess the courage to practice what you know to be true. Question not whether everyone likes you all of the time (because they never will). Instead, ask, “Does it really matter if those who choose to disrespect and dishonor me don’t like me?”

Celebrate. Celebrate every breath you take and every memory you create. Life is a meant to be a daily celebration. Celebrate all of life’s victories – large and small. Don’t let the calendar dictate special occasions. Every day use the fine china, crystal, and silverware. Celebrate today because life is so precious, and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Take nothing for granted and celebrate all life has to offer.

Follow these simple life strategies and you’ll find you can breathe a whole lot easier. This valuable life lesson – take a breath - is not to be taken lightly.

Ignore it and you’ll find yourself depleted of oxygen, weary and worn. Practice it and you’ll breathe new life into your day and have an appreciation for life that all can follow. Now those truly are words to live by.— About the Author Joy Fisher-Sykes is a professional speaker, author, & a leader expert in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, &team building. Call 757-427-7032 or write to jfsykes@ thesykesgrp.com.

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Courtesy Photo

Crystal Victoria

Successful Entrepreneur and B.O.S.S.

C

(Being of Successful Service)

rystal Victoria is the embodiment of strength having overcome many obstacles on the way to becoming a success. She was raised in a single parent home with her mother in Denton, Texas.

At a young age, Crystal embarked on a journey that would leave her life forever changed. From “A” honor rolls to Texas jail cells, drug abuse, juvenile detention centers to the street life.

Once Crystal overcame the obstacles of adolescence, she redefined her image by creating an opportunity for herself and the younger generation. While growing up, she endured many struggles for acceptance from friends and endured a disturbing journey to satisfy the neglect.

When Crystal was nineteen years old, she traveled to five different countries and went a full trip around the globe all expense paid. This trip planted the very important seed that soon grew into the life she’d always dreamed, but not without forcing her to awaken to a higher purpose.

However, although she was smart and had college education, she had difficulty searching for a purpose, maintaining rewarding success, and having positive relationships and influence. It was not until the age of 25 that Victoria Crystal found her calling and passion through motivation, business, and writing.

She adopted the motto “Evolving young lives through education, entrepreneurship, and positive thinking.”

Today, Crystal Victoria is the President of Target of Evolution, an entreprenuership school and chief executive officer at Boss Lady Entreprises, LLC. Her ability to overcome great adversity and willingness to share her own inspiring story has helped many to achieve their dreams and goals.

She is also a noted published author and motivational speaker attuned to the needs of the coming generations. She assisted in the development of the First Friday Program by Judge Jeanine Howard in Dallas County Criminal District Court #6, which helps young individuals get off probation and reduce the Dallas County inmate population.

Victoria is an investor level member of the Greater Irving Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and a board member of Girls Living Life on Purpose, Inc. Girls Living Life on Purpose, Inc. is a nonprofit

organization for the empowerment and education of young women.

Her recent book, The Vicious Cycle: A Key to Unlocking the Revolving Door, a practical guide to assisting others to change from a negative to a positive mindset and living.

Her first book From the Streets to the Skies No Limits: Diary of a Boss Lady is in the process of becoming a short, independent film to inspire youth to stay out of trouble and to reach for greater goals through education and positive thinking. Another of Victoria's current projects is working with inmates to get them to develop entrepreneur skills.

Crystal Victoria's future goals are to pursue doctoral degrees in Business Administration and Business Law. Learn more at CrystalVictoria.com/ or write to CrystalVictoria107@gmail.com or call 305-814-4676.

You can also follow her on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

GetRuralLeaderMag.com | FEBRUARY 2016 21

Follow the Leader

By Matt Crick

L

eadership has been at the forefront of topical debate for centuries; the very foundations of history are built upon iconic leaders and their influential decision-making. Some view leadership as an innate characteristic of the great men and women of our time; some as the personal relationship between the individual and the group; while others see it as the process of striving towards common goals and values, or as aspects of behavior driven by multiple forces in the surrounding environment.

But, what really constitutes a great leader? John Keegan, the eighteenth century military historian, identified hunting as an integral past time of leadership in primitive societies. The deeds of a huntsman required all to be heroes, who so took huge risks to provide food for their tribes and families. As all were regarded as heroes, however, the clear lack of exceptional behavior made the title of hero very ordinary, sparking internal conflict and imbalance.

This disequilibrium also occurred on the battlefields. Again there were many heroes, and the expectation of the primitive soldier was to “fight as you hunt” – resulting in dispute and violence among groups. It was the elders of these groups, however, who would eventually mediate and negotiate, leading to the emergence of individual leaders, or “natural born leaders” as the term is now ingrained in text books around the world.

When it was recognized that physical stature, combined with discipline and communication skills created the more prominent leader, the leadership era on the battlefield was born. The glamorous Prince Rupert, for example, and the brilliant but petulant Napoleon, were the more romantic figures, but ones

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who would go that little bit further, both physically or intellectually, to grasp a victory.

In today’s organizations, the leadership concept remains, but the complexity of our social and business lives has forced the single leader notion to give way to team-based leadership. “The modern team leader needs to be not only be aware of their teams strengths and weaknesses but also their strengths and weaknesses,” says Tom Vaughton of Fresh Tracks, an innovative team building and staff development company. “Once this happens a team with a clear vision can successfully tackle the most difficult of challenges.” But, what defines a bad or unsuccessful leader?

The obvious answer would be given by examples of bad leadership, but surprisingly there have been very few documented incidents of poor leadership. When the rules of leadership are broken – and again, we very rarely hear about it – it is done with instant negative consequences. Surely one of the main “don't” of leadership is to criticize your own team, and worse still, get caught doing so in the public domain.

A fine example of this took place in Parliament when the Commons Speaker, Michael Martins, publicly blamed and condemned Jill Kay, the Sergeant at Arms, for allowing police to arrest Damian Green without an official warrant. Martins may be a leader, but as we know, power comes with responsibility and sometimes accepting it is the most difficult task. The same could also be said for Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, who spectacularly slated key members of his own cabinet “useless” and “not equipped” for top jobs, while on a very busy commuter plane.

Clegg continued his candidness by blurting out closely guarded plans for an imminent reshuffle during the 90-minute flight as passengers and crew

could barely believe their ears. He also conveyed his personal loathing to a number of senior colleagues to round off a perfect display of poor leadership in modern politics. With November clearly being a popular month for leadership faux pas, Premier League football presented the world with a fine example of how not to act in front of the predatory media. William Gallas, the Arsenal defender, was stripped of his captaincy after publicly attacking the team to the press. Gallas accused several of his team mates of “lacking commitment” and being “in it for the money and fame”. He not only lost his position as captain, but also was fined, and has since alienated himself from the players.

Although some footballers may be over-paid or absorbed by the glamorous lifestyle, Gallas should have known that criticizing his team mates quite so publicly, with details that should perhaps have remained in the dressing room, was a leadership disaster. “A team leader needs to enhance the self

esteem of their team,” continues Tom. “If people believe in themselves, it is amazing what a team can accomplish.”

A good leader exists in every industry, organization and field, but what separates the good from the great is integrity and discipline. The very best are under constant scrutiny, but may still be remembered in history for one episode of poor leadership, not for a series of good.

So, who thinks they have what it takes to be a leader? Fresh Tracks are specialists in providing unique development and team building experiences to organizations and business teams between 12 and 1200.

They work with you to design your event so that your team building and development is tailored for your team and fun in the process! Their range of team building and outdoor team development programs include: conference event management and employee motivational events.—

How to Make your Team a Motivated Powerhouse

By Simon Oates

Creating an inspired, motivated, and more importantly; productive team is an easier task than you would expect. You simply need to use the right techniques and teamwork tips.

1. Build cohesion with a team activity. For newly formed teams, such as those created 'on the job' in professional services firms, need to be bonded right from the start. Teams need to bond instantly if you want them to get a short job done FAST. Tips for building cohesion: - Plan a team bonding activity. This needn't be expensive, and it needn't be lengthy. Take a lunch out

together as a team, and just having a chance to chat without the distraction of work will accelerate relationships between them.

- Start the job with a full-team meeting. Make sure it's conversational than formal, and give even the newbies chance to put their ideas forward. It should be short and sweet, and simply cover work allocation, opportunities for various members to increase their skill set, and some challenges that you can identify up front and ask your team to have in mind before they start. (E.g, this client isn't very forthcoming with information, Continued on page 26

GetRuralLeaderMag.com | FEBRUARY 2016 23

Want Greater ROI From Your Meetings?

Six Questions that will make the Difference

By Ian G. Cook

F

irst there’s the suffocating volume of e-mails.

That’s complaint number one. But the next biggest gripe I hear from my clients is that they are spending way too much time in meetings. Do any of these comments ring true about meetings where you work?

• too long • no agenda (or, if there is one, we don’t follow it) • rambling, we get off topic a lot • little is actually decided • could have just circulated a memo • the boss does all the talking • no follow-through on commitments made I can never quite figure it out?

With people so strapped for time, it seems clear that excessive meetings consume a “mother load” of time that busy people today could put to better use.

Why aren’t we “mining” time from our meetings?

If you agree with me and want to go after some of that precious time, adopt the following fundamental mind set about your meetings: treat every meeting as an investment. Attendees’ time and energy are valuable resources. When you call a meeting, always be thinking of how you can maximize the payback on everyone’s investment of time.

Here are six questions to ask yourself so your

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meetings will be productive and satisfying for all involved…and take less time!

1. Why am I calling this meeting? It is an unfortunate fact but the most common reason meetings are convened is to exchange, collect, or pass on information. Be careful. This can be a real waste of time.

If more than 25% of your meeting’s time is informational, there is probably a more cost effective way to accomplish this, such as e-mail or memo. That said, here are some very good reasons to call a meeting to • ensure that all parties have the same understanding around an issue • surface new issues • develop strategies and/or action plans • address people’s reaction to new information, announcements or changes in plans • solve problems/make decisions • reconcile differences • assemble different perspectives and gain commitment Be crystal clear about your overall purpose before you convene a meeting.

2. What specifically do I want to accomplish?

• What are the actual questions or issues to be addressed?

• What are the deliverables or outcomes?

• Will the group be making decisions or just provid-

ing input?

• Do we want to develop an action plan with timeline commitments or are we simply sharing updates on everybody’s activities? Answers to these questions will determine the agenda, how long your meeting should be and how much time should be allocated to the various items.

3. Whom should I invite? Consider the opportunity cost for someone attending your meeting vs. the benefit from his or her presence. Challenge yourself about whose attendance is truly essential and whose is optional? Also, does everyone need to be there for the entire meeting? Usually not. Where it makes sense, let invitees know it is OK to attend only the part where they can add–or receive–value.

Further in this spirit, make it absolutely acceptable for invitees to question the need for their presence before committing to attend. In so many organizations, if you decline an invitation, you are seen as devaluing the meeting…and often, by extension, the convener of the meeting.

4. What should I do prior to the meeting? Always send out an agenda, in advance, even if it is just several short bullets in a quick e-mail. Solicit any items others would like included in the agenda. To save meeting time, distribute questions, issues, memos, articles, etc., for pre-reading and ask people to come prepared to contribute their ideas or recommendations. Remind specific individuals of any reports or presentations they have committed to make.

5. How should I run the meeting? Start at or within five minutes of the agreed-upon time. This immediately acknowledges the value of the participants’ time and honors those who arrive on time. It is a fact of organizational life, however, that some people arrive physically in the room at the appointed hour but are not immediately “present.” They are preoccupied, mulling over things that have happened earlier or worrying about issues they must deal with after the meeting.

One sure sign is if their heads are still hunched over their blackberries. To bring people’s conscious attention to this, try opening with something like,

“Does anyone need to say or do anything in order to be fully present for this meeting?” Keep your meeting moving along crisply, according to the agenda.

Of course, the discussion may go off track or an item may need more time.

If so, stop the conversation and bring this to the group’s attention. Obtain people’s agreement to deviate from the agenda. Sometimes the group simply gets stuck, locked in a disagreement or struggling over a definition of terms. How do you recognize when it happens? The good indication–the group’s energy drops off.

When this happens, interrupt the conversation and describe what you are observing. Say something like: • “I think we’re stuck” or “It feels like we’ve run out of steam” • “Does anyone else feel this way?”

• “George and Sally, you’ve been arguing this same point for the last forty minutes. We need to move on.”

6. What is the best way to close my meeting? Always wrap up with these two items: 1. “W3” – who will do what by when? This clarifies decisions made and invites people’s take accountability for implementing them.

2. Then, shine the light briefly on “how” your meeting went, with a quick process debrief: “What did we do well today? What, if anything, can we do to be more effective next time?”

If you approach your meetings with these six questions in mind, everybody will appreciate it. Your hefty investment in meetings will yield greater returns. Your meetings will take less time. And people who attend will have to find something else to gripe about once they are exhausted from complaining about those infernal emails.— About the Author Ian Cook is a trainer, consultant, keynote speaker and Principal of Fulcrum Associates Inc. Contact Ian to discuss the ideas in this article and to find out about our training programs, facilitation and coaching services, and keynote presentations. Ian Cook www.888fulcrum.com.

GetRuralLeaderMag.com | FEBRUARY 2016 25

Teamwork, Continued from page 23 so make sure you put your information requests in nice and early.)

2. You team needs to communicate properly. Tips for improving communication - Make sure your team works in the same workspace. Where appropriate, they should work off the same table or cluster of desks. So much time is wasted by junior staff not being able to ask their seniors the right questions early enough. If your entire team sits in the same area, then your juniors should have no excuse for not ploughing on with their work. - Make sure all your team members switch mobile phone numbers upfront. If you want to save time, compile a mini list yourself, print out and hand out at your first meeting.

You may not think your team mates will have to phone each other, but it's vital you have this free flow of communication for if (god forbid) something goes wrong, such as an employee not being able to come into work. - Make sure you personally make sure you have time for all your colleagues if they have any questions or queries. A proper full explanation now is far more efficient than having to answer numerous bitty follow-up questions. But efficiency aside; as the team leader you need to be setting the tone for the mini-culture of the group.

If you allow your subordinates or team mates to

26 RuralLeaderMagazine.com | FEBRUARY 2016

ask you whatever they need to know, and you give them comprehensive and well researched answers - you're encouraging them to treat communication with the same thoroughness too. This will boost the communication skills of the team in no time!

3. Have fun! The real secret to a productive team, is to ensure that the team enjoys being with one another. With long projects, sometimes it can feel like you're living with your team - so it's essential that you can have a good time with each other.

Always display a good sense of humor, have patience and be understanding of the pressures upon your team mates. Keep the mood light - even when the deadline is looming. It's your responsibility as the leadership of the team. So there you have it.

Three essential things you need to be doing to turn your lazy co-workers into motivated workers.

You have plenty of tips for each. So start working on them!— About the Author Simon Oates is the creative and insightful teamwork author who contributes to popular websites such as the teamwork tips heaven : Teamwork Tips and business leadership websites for managers such as Leadership Management & Ultimate Team Leader which provides tips for you to dominate your team!

FOUR

Advice Secrets to Creating Successful Career Opportunities

By Ed Sykes

Soon after I graduated from college, I moved to New York City to find fame and fortune. I was in a great relationship, found a great job working in Manhattan, and I was feeling on top of the world. I was going places!

But then it happened. My girlfriend broke up with me and the company let me go due to reorganization.

In only a few days, my world was shaken.

I applied for job after job with no results. My money was running low and my rent was due. I didn’t know what to do.

Down to my last bit of cash, I had to go to the bank to get money to eat that night. I put on my winter coat, gloves, and boots and walked three miles in the cold to my local bank. At that time in the early 1980s, most banks didn’t have ATMs so I had to go inside to a teller.

As my hands began to thaw, I went to the table to write a check for fifty cents. I dreaded waiting on line for the teller to serve me. As I inched forward in the line, I broke into a cold sweat in anticipation of interacting with the teller over a measly sum.

When my time came, I looked the teller in the eye and handed her the check. She looked at the check then looked at me. With a slight hesitation, she asked, “How would you like your fifty cents?” When she asked that question, I thought the whole world could hear her words.

That night as I sat alone at my kitchen table eating chicken noodle soup I thought it couldn’t get any worse. I could have given up at this point, packed my bags, and went back home to a nice comfortable environment. But I knew I was better than the difficult situation I was in.

As I held onto positive thoughts, I looked up at the job classifieds in the paper. My new opportunity

called to me: a listing for an entry-level position in the corporate technical training industry. This excited me since my family came from an educational background.

The next day I called and received a job interview.

I got the job, and over twenty years later I am still empowering organizations and people to improve their situations.

Whether you are in the middle of a job search or looking for a new position, adding the P-I-N-E principles will help you achieve your goals: 1. Patience is the Key to Success – Develop the courage to be patient when seeking job opportunities. When you are impatient you are more willing to accept job opportunities that will get in the way of your true calling. Develop clear career goals that will steer you to the job or promotion you want. Think of the following quote when you are seeking job opportunities or promotions: “Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out.

Patience is genius.” - George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon It may be against monumental challenge, but hold on for the job opportunity or promotion you really want.

2. Innovation is the Key to Success - Take the time to be innovative and stand out from the crowd.

Recently a friend lost his job of fourteen years and was out of work for a week. He used innovation to get another job. He sent his resume with a giant chocolate chip cookie that had “Hire Me” written on it to prospective employers. He was hired within the week and has since informed me that he has received two even more lucrative job offers in the meantime.

Seek to provide solutions to prospective employer.

No matter the economy, employers are always looking for people Continued on page 29

GetRuralLeaderMag.com | FEBRUARY 2016 27

Georgia Family Connection Collaboratives and Legislators Share Vision, Resources to Improve Lives

By Bill Valladares

Representatives from Georgia Family Connection gather with legislators and county commissioners from southwest Georgia.

C

hildren from 16 counties in southwest Georgia struggle every day to attain healthy and productive lives, so Georgia Family Connection Collaboratives hosted a regional breakfast last November to give their legislators and commissioners a better understanding of the most pressing concerns of the families in their districts.

Nearly 40 percent of the children in the region are living in poverty, and that rate jumps to 50 percent in three of those counties. The region has the highest percentage of students in the state who are absent from school more than 15 days, and 44 out of 1,000 teen girls are having babies.

The Collaboratives also showed their legislators how they’re working to improve conditions for children and families in their communities, and explored new ways they can continue to work together.

“I didn’t realize it was as bad as this,” said Richard Morris, chair of the Quitman County Commission. “Those of us who sit on top and look down as we manage finances and all the other parts of the county don’t get the perspective from the bottom up. Family Connection represents a group of people who might not get represented. I appreciate that so much, and the work they do.”

Morris noted that people like Sara Lee Crumbs, Quitman County Family Connection coordinator, provide that much-needed insight.

“They tell us what’s really going on with families and people in our communities. We need that voice.”

That unique insight saves lives, according to Marion County Family Connection Collaborative Coordinator Kevin Brown. “People perish for a lack of vision,” he said.

“So many people from our communities can’t see past today. We provide a sense of hope through

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relationships, and that’s why we come together—to build a stronger network in our region—because we share the same problems.

Every decision we make, everything we do, affects someone’s life.”

State Representative Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) agreed.

“You are the individuals on the front line telling us about poverty,” he told representatives from Family Connection. “You are a binder in which you have brought together so many different groups where we understand our communities and the problems they face. You make a difference in the community.”

Jamie Lloyd, vice president of Economic Development at Columbus Technical College, applauded Georgia for being named the number-one state in the nation for workforce and economic development thanks to doing well on the demand side—attracting and growing new companies. But he

said our state could do better on the supply side by developing foundational human capital.

“Research indicates there are correlations between educational attainment and quality-of-life factors such as crime rate, health, poverty, and civic engagement,” said Lloyd, who also serves on the Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GaFCP) Board of Directors. “We can’t have large portions of our population that don’t have basic skills. For lasting change to begin, it’s necessary to maintain and grow citizenship. When we all do that, our state will soar.

That’s why I’m so profoundly honored to be a part of Family Connection—because that happens on the community level.”

Some of the ways Georgia Family Connection is helping children, families, and communities in southwest Georgia thrive include: free dental, vision, and hearing screenings for needy families; backpack and summer food programs for hungry students; social media campaign with the Community Partnership for Protecting Children to spread awareness about child abuse and neglect; school career days and annual job fair; summer tutorial program for out-of-

school youth and adults leading to GED attainment; poverty simulation series educating community leaders about the facts and realities of poverty; monthly parent cafés to provide parent education and support to strengthen families; annual volunteer income tax assistance for those who need help filing their taxes; and employment information and referral in support of the largest solar panel manufacturing project in Georgia, providing 1,500 jobs.

“We know that on any given day, our families can—and do—encounter difficulties,” said GaFCP Executive Director Gaye Smith. “But there’s one thing we also know: we always need to be working together effectively and efficiently to make sure families get what they need to become—and remain—self-sufficient.”

Georgia Family Connection—the only statewide network of its kind in the country—helps people reach their potential by empowering the children and families of our communities, and the partners and stakeholders who support them. To reach the Collaboratives in Region 8, visit GaFCP.org. —

Sykes, Career Advice continued from page 27 who can make money, save money, make them more competitive, and enhance their organization in any way.

Stand out from your competition by “taking the path less traveled” and being creative in your search.

Another friend wanted to work for a company but they had no openings. She researched the company and approached them by creating a new position that would make the company more money in another marketplace. Not only was she hired, the company created a new department based on my friend’s research and made her manager of the department.

3. Networking is the key to Success – “Cast your net” and make yourself and your skills known to the people who can make decisions on your career. This will help you cut the success curve in half because decision makers will be quick to hire or promote people they know, trust, and have confidence in doing the job.

Along with networking at association meetings, another powerful method of networking is volunteering with your company and outside of your company. By volunteering, new people both inside outside your company will see your skill set.

4. Enthusiasm is the key to Success – Most impor-

tantly, bring a positive attitude to any career opportunity. Let the decision makers see the how excited you are about the job opportunity and communicate how you can make a difference.

I know your job situation may be challenging to say the least. Make sure you protect your enthusiasm and positive mindset so that you can overcome those challenging moments. Concentrate on the big picture and your career goals. Focus on these goals morning, noon, and night so that you have a crystal clear concept of what you want to accomplish.“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” - Benjamin Franklin Let your enthusiasm sell you!

Follow these four techniques whether you are job searching or looking to be more successful at your present job. These career secrets are guaranteed to help you create more success in your career, your life, and your community.— About the Author Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and leading expert in the areas of leadership, motivation, presentation skills, customer service, and team building.

Write to esykes@thesykesgrp.com or (757) 427-7032.

Visit online at TheSykesgrp.com, and signup for the free newsletter, OnPoint.

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A Four-Step Plan to Changing Careers and Becoming a Teacher What’s your goal for 2016? Do you want to lose weight, learn a new skill or quit smoking? Perhaps you’ve decided to set goals around your career instead. Earning more money or getting promoted are common pursuits, but what if your goal is bigger than just moving up in your current career? What if your goal is to change tracks entirely?

What if 2016 were the year you decided to follow your ambition and become a teacher? It’s possible, and now’s the perfect time to pursue the role you’ve always wanted. If you’re sick of heading to work feeling uninspired and you’re ready to embrace the challenges and rewards of teaching, these four steps can help you make a successful career transition into teaching today.

Change your priorities Many people want to change jobs, but that desire is often overshadowed by concerns about how much money they’ll earn, how they’ll be seen by family and friends or their fears of trying something new. To change your career, you need to change your priorities. Make pursuing your passion your number one objective and everything else will fall into place.

Seek expert knowledge If you’re going to make a career change, you want to do it right, and that means learning from the best in the business. For example, if you want to teach, the National Council on Teacher Quality ranked Western Governors University’s (WGU) secondary teacher prep program as the top program in the nation in terms of quality from a list of 2,400 programs.

The school is the top producer of STEM teach-

ers in the nation, making it an ideal destination for STEM professionals interested in inspiring the next generation in these important fields. To be your best you need to learn from the best so focus on what you want to do and start researching who does it better than anyone else.

Smart networking Knowledge is essential and the right connections will make sure it doesn’t go to waste. Connect with existing friends in your desired field or reach out and make new contacts through social media or conferences and join clubs that cater to what you want to do. For aspiring teachers that can include networking with principals and current teachers. Often these connections open up doors for student teaching opportunities which can lead to full-time employment following graduation. Above all, make sure you listen to those you meet instead of pushing your own agenda. Take in more business cards than you give out and you’ll build contacts that will help you grow in your new profession.

Have faith in yourself Changing careers can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also exciting. This is your chance to do what you’ve always wanted to do so don’t listen to those who tell you that you can’t do it. Have faith in yourself, your research, your education and your decision and you won’t regret your decision for a single moment once you’re finally in the career you’ve always wanted.

To learn more about the programs available through WGU, visit WGU.edu.—BPT

RAND OLPH C OUNT Y GEORGIA Community-Wide BBQ

A Community-Wide BBQ will be held Saturday, March 26, 2016 at the Day Park in Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia. An informal mentoring group called, No Excuses will sponsor the inaugural event.

No Excuses is compose of several Randolph Clay High School Alumni, including Mario Mitchel ’06, Britney Johnson ’07, Frank James ’06, Eric Thomas,

Jr., ’06, and Rashad Brown, ’06. The event will be a fun-filled family event with activities for children, free food and drinks, music, live performances, and more!

If you or your organization would like to sponsor the event or volunteer, please contact Mario Mitchell at 229-310-0237 or write to mmitchell.noexcuses@ gmail.com.—

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Five Tips to Help Protect and Maximize Your New Smartphone

Are you celebrating the new year by gifting a smartphone to yourself or loved ones? A whopping 65 percent of all Americans, roughly 160 million people, were planning to buy tech gifts this holiday season, according to the Consumer Technology Association's 22nd Annual CE Holiday Purchase Patterns Study.

Emerging technologies such as smartphones are holiday must-haves, but once your shiny new device is in hand, learning about all its features can be overwhelming. No need to worry -- these five tips will help guide you so you can get the most out of your new smartphone: Tip #1: Set up security Whether it's your own phone, your partner's or you kid's, security settings should be top of mind.

Take time to set up the home screen's lock features.

In addition to a number pad, some phones like the new LG V10 use a fingerprint sensor for added security. If desired, you're able to set up parental controls on your children's phones. These features are often found within "settings." Finally, complete your connection to the cloud so all your contacts, photos, videos and texts are protected.

Tip #2: Go to camera settings Explore your phone's camera features and capture life's in-between moments. Your phone may have editing tools built in, but if not it's easy to download an app and you'll be taking professional-level photos in no time. With the LG V10, you're able to take videos and photos in Manual Mode making the experience more interactive than ever before. The LG V10 smartphone also features 5MP Dual Front Cameras with two separate lenses to capture standard 80-degree selfies or perfect wide-angle selfies of 120-degrees. Learn more at LG.com/V10.

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Tip #3: Maximize battery life Even with powerful lithium-ion batteries, you may use your new phone so much, that you'll run out of juice faster than you think. Be proactive and take a few steps to maximize your battery life. Start by adjusting the brightness on your screen to the lowest level you're comfortable viewing. When using your phone, close apps when you're done utilizing rather than leaving them running in the background.

Finally, if you need a quick charge, set your phone to airplane mode and plug in. You'll be back to enjoying your smartphone with a full battery in no time. Not ready to give up brightness or change settings for extended battery life? Grab LG's V10 with a removable battery to go from zero percent to 100 in 15 seconds, just by changing the battery.

Tip #4: Explore video capabilities Think you can't go on vacation without a separate camcorder? Modern smartphones are taking video to the next level so you may not need additional devices after all. Learn about your phone's features, resolutions and aspect ratios so you can get the best video possible. The LG V10 is the first smartphone to offer Manual Mode for video, making it easy to create professional-quality videos by adjusting options such as shutter speed, frame rate, ISO, white balance and focus while recording. Videos can be recorded in three resolutions - HD, Full HD or Ultra HD - and two aspect ratios - 16:9 standard or 21:9 cinematic.

Tip #5: Synch calendars and set up email Your new smart phone is a central hub for all aspects of your life. Make sure to synch your work and home calendars to stay on task. It's also a smart idea to set up email access from your most-used domains.

That way you can email Grandma that adorable picture and prep for that upcoming presentation without worry.—BPT

What you do matters.

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