Category: Black Lives Matter
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Authentic Leadership (IRSC series)
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”.
(Warren Bennis)
The Walk into the Future blog has a consistent focus on Authentic Leadership and the impact in the workplace. My leadership consulting work is founded on Authentic Leadership principles and drives my daily interactions in the workplace. My Walk into the Future readers should know I love a good quote by now. Ok, here’s another one!
“A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives, and in his own land” (Mark 6:4).
I have leveraged Authentic Leadership with my consulting organizations to help them develop their staff and engage them to seek positive work outcomes. I continue to seek out additional consulting opportunities with local government agencies and will work with the Seminole Tribe of Florida again in early May. Fun fact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida was my first Authentic Leadership client back in 2018. I maintain an active vendor credential with the Tribe, but COVID-19 stopped our training momentum. That changes in May! 😊
So, why is the prophet quote above? Great question, Lynn!
I work with multiple organizations to help THEM improve the work environment, but I never introduced my Authentic Leadership program to my current organization, Indian River State College.
Leadership training is normally a product of the Human Resources (HR) department at most educational institutions. The University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida State University (FSU) have robust leadership programs within the Organizational Development unit under HR. I experienced firsthand how these consistent leadership programs enhanced the overall operational effectiveness on both campuses.
Fast forward and I decided to introduce my Authentic Leadership training program on my current campus. I’m not saying I’m taking over the training program for my organization, but I have training materials that can and will help the organization grow.
I decided to schedule an Authentic Leadership series and invite campus partners and my staff to attend. This was not an official consulting role (not paid) but I wanted to start making a difference in ‘my own land’. No one called on me to do this, but I saw a need and had a platform to move us forward.
The following workshops were scheduled with in-person and virtual options:
- Authentic Leadership (2 times)
- The Self-Aware Leader (2 times)
- Empowered Leadership (1 time)
I didn’t know how these workshops would be received in ‘my land’ but I was pleasantly surprised by the attendance and the level of participation. There were several attendees who attended ALL the workshops even though I repeated two of the workshops—same material but the folks wanted to get more in-depth with the content.
The biggest take away for me was the amount of interest and excitement for the attendees to create their personal WHY statement as part of their homework from the Empowered Leadership workshop. The WHY statements were well conceived and addressed areas each attendee wanted to improve in their daily lives. I felt like a proud papa reading the statements and saw my volunteer work making a difference in my work environment. Not a surprising outcome considering I do this for outside organizations on a regular basis.
Looks like you can be a prophet in your own land after all! 😊
What areas can you impact in your own land? Thanks!
Irie!
Calvin Williams
“Every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership”.
(James Humes)
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2024 Marathon Training (32 – 0)
“You don’t stay undefeated without being a little stubborn”.
(Andre Ward)
32 – 0! Yes, I’m going to claim an undefeated marathon training record at this point of the cycle.
You may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about—happy to explain! 😊
I just completed Week #8 of my 2024 Chicago Marathon training cycle: https://www.instagram.com/chimarathon/?hl=en. The training schedule has me running multiple distances Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. 8 weeks times 4 days per week = 32 training sessions so far. 32 – 0.
I am showcasing the 32 – 0 record because I have not missed a training session, projected mileage or hit the snooze button once so far in this training cycle. I’ve trained for 2 other marathons over the past few seasons but have never displayed this level of consistency and commitment to the process. I want to see a ton of improvement in how I perform on race day in Chicago and dedicating the proper energy into my training program is my way to build towards the big day.
Will I remain undefeated? No idea but I plan to continue to put the effort into this training cycle to build physical and mental strength to guide me in Chicago. Training is going well as I hit my mileage markers daily but need to incorporate more speed work into the program. My future Wednesday morning runs are designed to run at 2024 Chicago Marathon pace so this will force me to begin to work on my stride to generate speed. Excited to start targeting marathon goal paces to mentally prepare for the full grind of 26.2 miles. I know I can complete the distance, but this year is all about going a bit faster than before. I’m projecting to have a finish time with a ‘4’ in front of it (4:35, 4:41, 4:59)—I will share my goal time the week of the Chicago Marathon. Yes, I have a projected goal time I’m targeting. Melissa—can you guess the time? 😊
Here’s my weekly progress so far:
Week 5 41.67 Week 6 33.61 Week 7 34.11 Week 8 50.26 Total 159.65 The weekly mileage has gone up from the previous updates. This will continue through Week #15 before the mileage starts to taper down. The full marathon taper process will start in Week #17 and continue until marathon race day. My previous marathon training cycle had me competing in the OUC Half Marathon the week prior. Not sure if this helped or hurt my race day performance but I will not repeat this process again for the Chicago Marathon.
Can I stay undefeated and make it to 72 – 0? Great question!
Thanks for joining me on this training cycle!
Irie!
“I don’t think being undefeated is going to determine my greatness”.
(Mikey Garcia)
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2023 House Hunting (Repost)
“Home is the nicest word there is”.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder)
I moved to Fort Pierce in April 2020 during what we thought was the worst part of COVID-19. Different time from what we experience today.
Back then, realtors and apartment managers were not allowing anyone to enter buildings. I remember coming down to Fort Pierce to look for a place to live and office staff made me call them on the phone and speak to them while I stood outside—even though I could see them through the glass door. It was a precaution to keep them safe, but it was a weird dynamic trying to find a place to live.
My intention when I moved here was to purchase a house, condo or townhouse but did not feel comfortable trying to purchase something I could not view—guess I am weird like that.
Found an apartment complex close to my new place of employment and they allowed me to view their model apartment on my own. There’s plenty of space here, a workout room and close to work. Still had intentions to purchase something in this area but did not feel a need to rush the process.
Got the urge to purchase again in the summer of 2022 so decided to put more effort into the process. Started slowly by trying to identify areas I wanted to live in and more importantly, areas to avoid. Got active on Zillow to start locating properties but decided to reel in my search to include condos and townhouses. Decided early on I did not want to take care of my own lawn anymore. Yard work was cute back in the day when I had a house in Georgia, but I do not want any part of cutting my own yard or weed eating in South Florida.
Started touring neighborhoods on my own after finding properties on Zillow. This allowed me to expand my boundaries and get a better understanding of different areas in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach. Put more energy into looking at properties in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach—eliminating Port St. Lucie was easy based on the amount of traffic there. Keep hearing stories of how long it takes to navigate around St. Lucie West.
Reached out to a realtor when I wanted to get more in-depth knowledge and help with the search. She has been in this area for a while and has a better feel for the process—I needed someone to guide me. Gave her an idea of what I was looking for to include a price range I wanted to stay within. She quickly found condos and townhouses that matched what I wanted, and we were off and running.
I still was not in a rush, so I was able to view multiple properties to see how they fit what I wanted in a new home. I was very selective on what we viewed since I did not want to waste her time or mine. She gave me a lot of freedom in this process, so this made it more like an adventure and not a task to complete.
The breakthrough came while viewing two condos in Vero Beach. Both looked great online and were in nice neighborhoods, but they did not feel like home. Asked my realtor to find others and set them up for viewing. She agreed but decided to bump my price range up a bit and discovered a townhouse in Fort Pierce that was only two miles from where I currently live.
I never knew there were townhouses in that subdivision—always saw the houses from the road and never ventured in there. We set up a viewing for this townhouse two days later and made our way over to see it. This was the first place I walked into, and it felt like it could be ‘home’. Spacious living room, large kitchen (means nothing really), great space in the bedrooms and a large walk-in closet for me.
Fast forward and I put in a bid for $20k less than the asking price. The seller countered a $5k increase and I accepted. Got a townhouse listed above my stated price range within my price range without having to go back and forth with the seller. Took my realtor’s advice on this process and it paid off for me—no pun intended.
I am using my time to update a few things in the town house before moving in; removed carpet and replaced with wood laminate floors, painting the inside, tile and grout cleaning and a professional cleaning. Did not have to rush my move-in date since my lease is still active—this worked out where I had time to update the townhouse before physically moving in.
There are times when patience pays off and this is one for me. Found a home two miles from where I am currently writing this blog article and I am excited to continue to Walk into the Future.
What does HOME mean to you?
Irie!
“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”.
(George A. Moore)
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Career Choices 101 (Repost)
(Image by Orange Fox from Pixabay)
“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream”.
(Notorious B.I.G)
The Great Resignation is a term that describes the trend of the mass voluntary exit of employees from their employment obligations.
The Great Regret is a new term that describes the feelings of 80% of the people who took part in the Great Resignation.
The quote above is one of my favorites from the great hip hop artist, Notorious B.I.G. He was a lyrical genius, and the quote above can be used as a career metaphor.
My simple translation = find your WHY and career success will follow.
The Great Resignation provided a lot of people the freedom or guidepost to see the world of work in a different way. The new work view provided some with the vision to seek more and bet on themselves with so many new opportunities available. That’s a positive considering I preach to everyone to explore as much as possible. My blog is titled Walk into The Future because I continue to explore opportunities and will not limit my options (work, travel, fun).
There are some folks who viewed the Great Resignation as an opportunity to change their work situation and in some cases cash in more financially. That’s not a problem if the workplace change was made to get the individual closer to doing things they enjoy. It could be a problem if the individual changed careers simply because there was more money available for the new job.
Quick question: How much of a pay raise will it take for YOU to be happy today? Would $5,000.00 or $10,000.00 make you enjoy what you are doing more?
I ask clients and staff this question to get them thinking about what they truly want. Chasing the paper may seem like the logical answer but don’t forget you still have to pay taxes on that paper. Also, an extra $5,000.00 to continue to work in a place you are not happy with does not sound enticing to me. Conversely, leaving a company for a job paying more money may sound just as good but the switch should not be based solely on the money. Refer to the quote above from the Notorious B.I.G.
The best of both worlds would be to find your WHY and build up your skills so that when your dreams come true, the paper (money) follows. Sounds like a simple concept and it can be, but nothing will be simple without knowing/understanding the WHY.
Going to work without a WHY causes a lot of people issues daily. I work with folks who believe that they are not being paid their true worth in the workplace. Some are completing the same duties they have been assigned for 10+ years—no additional responsibilities or growth from them but they want more. Why is that? They have not identified a WHY for their work life and have not built the skills to chase the dream. A larger problem is some don’t even know what dream to chase to find the happiness they seek.
The lack of paper (money) is not really the problem. The problem is chasing something they are not fully invested in and believing additional funds (salary) will turn this around and they will immediately become happy with what they are doing.
Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
No WHY equals a form of insanity in the workplace. I coach clients to seek/find their WHY to determine the best course of action for their careers.
Chasing the DREAM can bring the paper. Well stated Biggie Smalls!
What dream are you chasing?
Irie!
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Poetic Flow / Life can be so nice!
Eliminate the hunger and take away all wars,
Break down all color barriers and bring equal rights to all.
People living in unison, all getting along.
This would make the world a better place for you and for me.
Maybe one day kids can play together and have some fun.
No war, no hunger, no racial wall.
Life could be so nice.
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Black Wall Street–100 years later (Repost)
Hostility Sculpture in Tulsa, Oklahoma
(Image by Mike Goad from Pixabay)
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
(Dr. Martin Luther King)
My first introduction to Black Wall Street came when I served as a panelist for a Florida State University (FSU) Black Student Union (BSU) program. The students invited me to enhance their professional development program, but I got a history lesson I did not expect or know I needed.
I love working with college students because they bring a passion for subjects they are interested in and that passion keeps them curious and intent on growing daily. My role on the panel was to help BSU students understand how to present themselves when networking for future career opportunities. We got that process going and had a good question and answer session with lots of input from the students in attendance.
One of the students present asked the moderator why the activities for the week was labeled Black Wall Street? The response is where my education on the subject began.
The BSU leaders saw Black History Month as the perfect time to educate its members and guests on important periods, i.e., The Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street, Black Excellence and Black Power. I was familiar with each of the periods identified for the month except Black Wall Street. I assumed this was BSU’s way to show members how to build financial freedom and eventually make their way to Wall Street (NYC). I was wrong and totally missed the boat on the meaning of Black Wall Street.
The BSU leadership wanted to show members how financial freedom could be gained by following the blueprint laid out by the founders of the true Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Oklahoma (Tulsa). I had never heard of Black Wall Street, Greenwood, Oklahoma or the massacre that happened there in the early 1920’s. My students were more than happy to fill me in on another history lesson I never received during my formal education programs—this seems to be a common theme with American history.
The concept a black town in Oklahoma was self-sufficient in the 1920’s seemed unreal at first but decided to learn more after talking with students. I consider myself a lifelong learner and this was another educational journey I needed to fully see the great things that happened on Black Wall Street prior to the massacre.
O.W. Gurley was a prominent figure who relocated to the Greenwood district and purchased land which then could only be sold to people of color. This was Gurley’s vision to establish a place for the black population. Most of his businesses were frequented by black migrants fleeing the oppression of the Mississippi delta. Gurley worked with others to pool their financial resources and support the thriving businesses being developed in Greenwood. The residents of Black Wall Street were doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. The success of the black residents of Greenwood played a role in the 1921 massacre because of the jealousy of their white neighbors in nearby Tulsa.
My Black Wall Street education increased my knowledge of this important period of Black History and led me to dig deeper on the actual massacre. The news program, 60 Minutes did a report on Black Wall Street and the massacre a few years ago. This led to additional investigations and a team has been formed to find and excavate hidden graves to bring closure for descendants of the massacre victims. This painful piece of American history continues to garner interest and my hope is we never experience something like this again.
Learn more about what happened in Greenwood here:
60 Minutes program on Greenwood, Oklahoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA8t8PW-OkA
“History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own”.
(Michelle Obama)
Note: This was a repost. My mentor thought it was timely to put this in front of readers again. It has been 100 years and this injustice is finally getting national attention.
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My 2022 reading progress
(Books I’m reading now)
“A book is a gift you can open again and again”.
(Garrison Keillor)
I start each year with a measured set of goals. Reading and writing are two areas I focus on for my goals.
These are the areas where I find a ton of joy daily along with my running program. My 2022 reading and writing goals are below:
- Read bible daily / Proverbs, Matthew, and other areas for better understanding
- Read 2 books monthly
- Write daily (poems, journal, BLOG articles, LinkedIn posts monthly)
- Publish Authentic Leadership eBook (April 2022)
So, this is where I update you on my progress.
I discovered the book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott 15 years ago and adopted an aspect from the book into my daily life. The book highlights the benefits of Proverbs and how King Solomon identified secrets to success, wealth, and happiness. I originally read the book thinking it would TELL me how to become rich financially which did not happen.
I read the book and did not understand the lessons the author was trying to relay to the readers. I dismissed it as an attempt to get people to read the book because of the catchy title. Luckily for me I decided to go back and read the book multiple times and followed the directions provided to see where they would lead.
I adopted the practice of reading Proverbs daily because of the wisdom (secrets to success, wealth, and happiness) this book provides to readers. I have been a daily Proverbs reader for over 15 years now and continue to discover new wisdom insights. Decided to add other books in the bible to my daily reading program in 2022. This is the reading goal I continue to meet and/or exceed so far this year.
Now, let’s talk about my goal to read 2 books each month. I started the year off with a bang and was able to handle my book goal in January and February. I started to go downhill with my reading program in March. I added more racing and training to my routine to get prepared for multiple half marathons but that’s not the real reason my reading has been slacking.
I have not done a great job of identifying book topics/titles that keep my attention. I big part of reading for me is an interest in the topic/title and the author. I started grabbing books off Amazon based on recommendations but some of the books did not have a true flow and caused me to become a slower reader than normal. No excuses but it is taking me longer to digest and get through the books I have selected. I’m averaging a book a month but need to increase my pace or make the time to read these books. There is still a lot of 2022 left to get more books read but I may not average 2 books each month.
My writing program remains strong, and I am happy with my progress in 2022. The blog articles keep me searching for new adventures and ideas, but I am happy with my ability to create content. It helps that a lot of my life revolves around traveling, running and the beach. I am sure I will continue to have content to turn into another Walk into the Future blog article. 😊
I have published multiple articles and posts on LinkedIn so that is another goal win. I continue to look for ways to network and connect with a larger audience. LinkedIn has allowed me to attract readers to my blog and share my adventures and leadership thoughts. I will use LinkedIn to build my leadership audience so I can get back to conducting Authentic Leadership workshops for organizations looking to improve/grow.
I have rolled my publishing a leadership eBook into 2022. I have the content for the eBook but need to get busy with cover art and putting the content into publication. I will use the summer months to finalize the content and work to get cover art so I can get the eBook to market. It’s coming—I promise! 😊
Still got work to do but I am making progress towards my 2022 reading and writing goals.
How are you doing with your 2022 goals! I welcome your thoughts—thanks!
Irie!
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”.
(Joseph Addison)
- Read bible daily / Proverbs, Matthew, and other areas for better understanding
Walk Into the Future 