Walk Into the Future

Category: Leadership

Articles that discuss leadership trends.

  • 2024 Marathon Training (32 – 0)

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    “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 541.67
    Week 633.61
    Week 734.11
    Week 850.26
    Total159.65

    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)

  • Five Minute Thursday: Travel

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    “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”.

    (Saint Augustine)

    Shout out to the Walk into the Future blog readers and subscribers.  Appreciate everyone joining me on this journey!

    Let’s give the Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt another run.  I’m enjoying this writing prompt as a challenge to create new content based on a word or phrase.  FYI—this writing prompt will be around for a while so buckle up. 😊

    My fifth prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  Travel.

    I could take this prompt in multiple directions but will focus on my willingness to explore travel solo.  I write about my annual visits to the Smoky Mountains, Nashville and Negril as regular topics for the Walk into the Future blog.  I will continue to travel to these spots as long as I’m able—all three locations provide me with a different level of peace and allow me to add new chapters into my personal ‘travel book’ (pun intended).

    The Smoky Mountains getaway provides a level of solitude I can’t find anywhere else.  Yes, there are other people walking around in the mountains but the level of peace I find there is unmatched.  Simple trail walks and just being out in nature is captivating and helps me refocus.

    Not sure I would categorize Nashville as peaceful, but I get a different energy vibe when in Nash Vegas.  I love live music and there’s not a better place to hear great live music.  I have regular spots I visit in Nashville (The Stage, Lucky Bastards, Dierks Bently Whiskey Row and Tequila Cowboys) because they have great sound systems, and the regular bands are all outstanding.  Each of these spots are larger venues and I can always find a corner to post up to enjoy the music and watch the crowds.  I normally just go back and forth between these spots until I get my fill of music and then head back to my hotel to do it again the next day.  The Wild Horse Saloon was on my regular rotation, but it closed late last year.  Luke Combs has a new venue in the same spot, and I plan to visit when I return to Nashville in April. 

    Negril, Jamaica is my happy spot!  I’ve written this multiple times, and nothing has changed.  Love flying down and spending time on the water and enjoying great food.  I go down there so much my resort lets me check myself in when I arrive.  The folks are friendly and take care of me like I’m a member of the family.  Will look to get down to Negril multiple times each year moving forward—may need to buy property down there so I have my own spot.  Can always rent out space when I’m not down there enjoying myself. 😊

    So, my five minutes are up.  How would you complete a five-minute prompt on travel?

    Irie!

    “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind”.

    (Seneca)

  • Key Largo

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    “Come to the Florida Keys, where sweating like a tourist is a rite of passage”.

    (#MeltingAway, #KeysLife)

    My Walk into the Future continues to allow me to seek and find new adventures in my life.  The concept is to enjoy life at a relaxed pace but to always move forward.  I need to remember why I created the blog name and make sure I follow through daily.

    Took the relaxed pace concept to heart when looking for my next adventure.  What better place to find relaxation than the Florida Keys. 😊

    I am a native Floridian but never ventured down to the Keys before.  I’ve thought about it a few times but never acted.  My thought process was it was too far to drive but I never put anything into Google maps to see the distance and/or drive time.  Told you I didn’t put much effort into this process. 😊

    Google maps identified the northern Key (Key Largo) was a three-hour drive from my house in Fort Pierce.  Key West was much further but I never had a desire to get that far south.  Decided to focus on Key Largo and plan a trip down around the 4th of July.  I took an extra day of vacation time so I could beat the holiday traffic and be in Key Largo before the fireworks started and people crowded the area.  Mission accomplished on both ideas.

    Didn’t know much about the Keys but wanted to get down to explore and experience something new.  I’m a huge Marriot fan so booked the Courtyard right off US 1.  This location put me right next to a marina with boat tours and several nice restaurants with fresh fish on the menu. This location allowed me to walk to multiple places of interest while in the Keys.

    Made my way over to Snappers Oceanfront Restaurant and Bar on my first day to people watch and get fresh fish.  Walked by the African Queen boat tour area on my way over.  Didn’t know they had boat tours, but this was a popular attraction in Key Largo. 

    The next stop was Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill which was a lively spot with music and great western views.  They had outstanding drink specials and the largest shrimp I have ever seen in my life.  Highly recommend this spot if you love shrimp, great sunset views and cold drinks with a kick. 

    The Caribbean Club was identified as a spot for great live music.  I was the most Caribbean person there and the band was an old school classic rock outfit.  It was still a great little spot because they had outside chairs sitting right next to the water.  The sunset views were better here because of the pawn trees—used them to frame a few of my pictures.  Visited both places two days in a row so they had a very authentic vibe.  Watched 4th of July fireworks from the Caribbean Club and enjoyed every second of the show.

    The Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat was my next adventure in Key Largo.  Saw the boat go out when I first arrived and was curious where it was headed.  It’s a simple tour where the boat heads out to a coral reef and circles so passengers can get a great view of the sea life.  The ship’s crew warned that some folks get motion sickness below deck while they circle.  I didn’t believe them but had to head back upstairs because I started to feel weird.  I was fine once I got back on the top deck and enjoyed the rest of the boat tour in the open air.  We saw tons of fish, sea turtles and nurse sharks on the excursion.  Great way to end my first venture in the Florida Keys.

    Where are you heading this summer?

    Irie!

  • The Poetry of Life (Repost)

    Poetry of Life

    (Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay) 

    The poetry of life moves me forward

    Towards the things that bring

    The happiness I need

    To fulfill these huge dreams that I dream

    Reaching out to help the next man

    Create and work towards a plan

    That makes the world a better place

    And one that stands to improve your stake in the race

    Let the poetry of life flow

    And discover the glow

    Of the poetic peace of living the life designed for you

  • Authentic Leadership

    IRSC

    “Leaders lead”.

    (Calvin Williams)

    Yes, I’m starting the Walk into the Future blog post by quoting myself.  I’m not on a power kick or displaying an extraordinary amount of hubris. 

    This simple quote—Leaders lead has become a hash tag (#LeadersLead) that I hope with takeoff on multiple platforms.

    I introduced Authentic Leadership and my training program to my colleagues at Indian River State College (IRSC) in June.  I’ve leveraged Authentic Leadership within my consulting role with multiple organizations to include the Seminole Tribe of Florda and the St. Lucie County Tax Assessors office.  These sessions are designed to help organizations create leadership development programs to enhance employee opportunities and organizational growth.  I’ve chronicled my Authentic Leadership philosophy and training program through multiple blog articles. 

    We have been talking about leadership development benefits for IRSC staff for a while.  Decided it was time to introduce Authentic Leadership to campus partners to jumpstart leadership discussions and development.  I went back and forth over the best way to bring Authentic Leadership to campus because this would put me in front of my direct reports, peers and campus leadership.  Sounds simple but each group would need to understand Authentic Leadership from different perspectives.  This was a challenge and one I accepted head on—to make positive things happen.

    I went to my consulting workshop library to determine which topics I would use at IRSC.  Talking with colleagues and staff helped me identify topics of interest that would benefit the audience I would engage.  Decided to introduce the Authentic Leadership Theory and focus on the four variables within the theory.  The next topic would dig deeper into the variable of self-awareness.  The final workshop explored the concept of empowered leadership and the impact within the work environment.  The workshop series consisted of Authentic Leadership (2 workshops), The Self-Aware Leader (2 workshops) and Empowered Leadership as the finale.  Each workshop had a virtual component so folks on multiple campuses could log in and watch the workshops live or later via the recordings. 

    Authentic Leadership (AL)

    This workshop explores the 4 AL variables:  self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing.  The workshop attendees were introduced to each variable to provide context and then we got down to business of understanding how each variable impacts direct reports and the work environment.  Love asking attendees the magical question:  Who are you?  This helps them understand we all bring something different into the work environment daily and how these differences can be leveraged towards positive outcomes.  Love helping folks develop a better understanding of themselves and how this impacts the work environment.  Self-view is something most people don’t think about but should do on the journey to becoming effective leaders. 

    The Self-Aware Leader

    This workshop is a deep dive into self-awareness and the importance this variable has on effective leadership.  My overarching goal for this workshop is to force leaders to understand themselves (Who are you?) and start understanding the impact on direct reports.  Leaders who are not self-aware build direct reports who are not self-aware.  This has a negative impact on the work environment and limits organizational growth.  I added a group exercise for this session to have attendees engage with each other and share information to help them understand the levels of diversity within our work environment.  The homework from this workshop was for attendees to identify ways they can/should improve their leadership skills.

    Empowered Leadership

    The grand finale for this workshop series was Empowered Leadership.  We explored the definition of empowerment and how this impacts leadership.  Attendees were challenged to identify ways they have been empowered within the work environment and ways to expand this towards positive outcomes.  Homework from this workshop centers on leveraging new knowledge within the work environment to enhance client and staff interactions.

    I will explore the concept of introducing additional topics to my colleagues.  Will take a small break from leadership training and get back to the world of student retention and completion.

    What’s your leadership style?  What impact does it have on your work environment?

    Irie!

    “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better”.

    (Mother Theresa)

    Note:  Organizations can contact me to explore opportunities to bring Authentic Leadership training to their teams.

  • NACE24

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    “Succeeding in business is all about making connections”.

    (Richard Branson)

    The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) annual conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year.  Last year was a defacto home conference since it was on the Disney properties in Orlando, Florida.  Loved the ease of travel last year but NACE24 was one of the best conferences I have attended.

    Why?  It’s all about location and opportunities.  I’m not a huge Disney fan and felt trapped to the property the way the conference was setup.  Also, there’s not a ton of afterhours entertainment for non-Disney fans. 

    Phoenix?  Tons of local entertainment, sports and food are available within a two-block radius.

    Flew out of Orlando airport directly to the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.  I’ve been to Phoenix multiple times, but it was exciting to venture out west again.  Decided I didn’t need a car so booked the Super Shuttle service to get me to and from my hotel.  I’m a huge Marriott traveler so booked my hotel downtown Phoenix which was only two blocks from the Phoenix Convention Center which is where NACE24 was held.

    Did some exploring on my first day in town and walked around the city to take in the sights.  There were multiple police officers in front of the Footprint Center which is where the Phoenix Suns (NBA) and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) basketball teams play.  I’ve never been to a WNBA game and was excited the Phoenix Mercury were in town and hosting a home game.  Made my way to the ticket counter and purchased a $20 general admission ticket.  Wanted to experience the environment but not spend a ton of money just to say I was there. 😊  The arena was packed, and the crowd was energized and helped the home team win in a blowout (15 points).

    Left the ball game and headed out to get some food. Found a funky spot called Copper Blues. It’s a restaurant with live music and free comedy shows on Sunday nights.  This was a perfect spot to post up at the bar and take in the culture.  Spent about 3 hours in Copper Blues before heading back to my hotel which was half a block over—things in Phoenix are close.

    NACE24 started on Monday with some preconference sessions and attendee check-in.  No need to rush over but didn’t want to spend a ton of time in the check-in line.  The keynote on Day 1 was Soledad O’Brien formerly of CNN.  She spoke at NACE in Chicago a few years ago and did a fantastic job.  Wanted to attend her session to learn more about her current media role and the value she places on education.

    NACE is all about networking and I was able to catch up with colleagues from all over the country.  Ran into my friend Sean Collins who currently works at FAMU in Tallahassee but used to work for me at Florida State University back in the day.  Connected with NACE Board members—the current CEO, Chair and incoming Chair are all friends of mine.  It was great running into them and planning some future projects together.  The NACE community is a tight knit group, and the incoming Chair has already reached out to me to lead the Sourcing and Nomination Committee—this group is charged with selecting new board members.  It will give me insight on the process and help my efforts for a future NACE board seat—fingers crossed! 😊

    The next two days were filled with networking, checking out vendors and attending after-work parties.  There’s a lot of food, drink and fun at NACE and Phoenix provided a nice backdrop for all these things.

    The final party was held at The Duce in the warehouse district.  One of the vendors reserved the venue and provided food, drinks and live music for NACE attendees.  It was great seeing my colleagues in a different light, and everyone was having a fantastic time.

    NACE25 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next year.  I will get a chance to see my friend, Lauren Apgar again when I get up there.  Excited for NACE25 and seeing my homey! 😊

    Irie!

  • Five Minute Thursday: Inspiration

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    Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

    “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”.

    (H. Jackson Brown)

    The Walk into the Future blog is back to give a run to the Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt.

    I am enjoying the freedom this writing prompt brings to me and let’s me explore topics to help continue to move forward.  I’ve also received good feedback on the writing prompt so I’m lining up additional topics to explore over the summer.

    My third prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  Inspiration.

    My overall inspiration comes from leveraging my WHY statement:  To leave people better than when I found them.  Simple concept but it helps me Walk into the Future daily with purpose.

    I developed this WHY statement with intent to use it to help move forward in life.  It also provides me with an inspiration foundation to help others. 

    I had a high school guidance counselor who did not provide me with any advice for life after high school.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who got the short end of this counseling session, but I made a promise that I would help everyone that needed assistance based on the lack of help I received almost 40 years ago.

    My inspiration for this mindset is everyone deserves a path to meet their life and career goals. 

    I’ve joked about being Inspiration Man, but I take this moniker seriously.  I write this blog to inspire my readers.  I develop leadership workshops to inspire individuals and organizations.  I mentor a ton of people to inspire them to set and achieve goals.  I am an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) to inspire current and former team mates to do more within the organization.  I run to inspire myself to reach physical fitness goals.  I text Happy Monday and Happy Friday to my folks to inspire them to have a great day.  I also do this to let my folks know I’m thinking about them.  This has inspired several to return the favor to me and this makes me smile.

    Inspiration comes in multiple forms. What can YOU add to the Five-Minute Thursday inspiration conversation?

    Irie!

    “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world”.

    (Robin Williams)

  • Make Every Second Count

    clear glass with red sand grainer
    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence”.

    (Vince Lombardi)

    This is a simple mantra but has a profound impact for me moving forward.

    I was looking for a cutting-edge angle to address over 80 staff members to launch our office retreat and emphasize the importance of the services we provide to students, parents, community members and our teammates.

    Yes, everyone knows our clients are the life blood of what we do daily. My goal was to provide a blueprint the collective group could use and implement.

    I’m a huge fan of Jocko Willink and have read multiple books he has written. I also leverage his YouTube channel to learn new things quickly.  His GOOD video is my favorite:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8

    My immediate team has seen the GOOD video multiple times, so I didn’t want to use that one again.  Went back to the Jocko library and watched videos to find something new and fresh for the retreat.  I needed something direct, short, and impactful.

    The Make Every Second Count video is short, but it packs a powerful message.

    https://bit.ly/3Khg4Kc

    We waste time on a lot of things daily but if we focus on the little things then big things happen.  Each second we work with clients is important.  How do we maximize our impact?  One second at a time.  How do we ensure our clients get what they need?  One second at a time. How do we get better daily?  One second at a time.

    One of my favorite authors is Dr. Henry Cloud. His book 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life was introduced to me as part of my graduate program.  This was a required textbook in a Career Development course I took through Liberty University.  It was the first college textbook that I kept for my personal library.  Fun fact, I carry this book with me daily and refer to it on a regular basis.

    Chapter 7 is his Principle 5:  Act Like an Ant highlights this simple concept as a way to make incremental progress.  How do ants build an ant hill?  One grain of sand at a time.  This is very similar to Jockos’ Make Every Second Count concept.  Positive things happen when you stack small incremental steps together over an extended period.  We routinely look towards a finished project but can’t get there without the small steps (grain of sand / seconds) needed to complete the project.

    Not a huge rocket science statement but one that needs to be reinforced daily to ensure everyone understands the importance of steps (seconds) in setting and accomplishing a goal.

    I used Dr. Cloud’s words to change the way I approached my PhD program.  I was always looking towards the end goal but didn’t fully engage in the grains of sand in front of me.  My grains of sand were:  one read page at a time, one chapter at a time, one course at a time.  This mindset adjustment created a better learning experience for me and helped guide me towards my goal of becoming Dr. Calvin Williams.

    I look forward to combining both concepts:  Make Every Second Count and Work Like an Ant to inspire my teams through the rest of 2024.

    What’s your favorite inspiration hack to move forward daily?

    Irie!

  • 2024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon

    “Nashville, man. That’s the place to be”.

    (Willie Geist)

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    This quote really hits home for me!

    My Walk into the Future leads me back to Tennessee multiple times each year.  April is a trip to Nashville for the Rock N Roll Half marathon and November has me hiking in the Smoky Mountains.

    Not sure when I fell in love with Tennessee, but I’ve got it bad.  I looked at moving to Nashville back in 2017 but never pursued the career opportunity.  My first visit to Nashville came back in 2006 when I attended a Florida Gators versus Vanderbilt Commadores football game.  Got my first experience with Broadway and the Wild Horse Saloon and the rest is history.

    I ran my first Nashville Rock N Roll half marathon back in 2017.  I’ve been back yearly since then—I missed 2020 because the race was cancelled due to Covid-19 and 2021 because the race was changed from April to November as a reschedule due to Covid-19 concerns.  I decided to head to the Smoky mountains as planned instead of running in Nashville in November.

    Fast forward to this year and the return to Nashville was an anticipated adventure for me.  I love the city, the food, the music, and the people.  Broadway is an outstanding place to watch people and hear fantastic live music.  Check, check and check.

    I didn’t enter the race this year with a set time goal in mind.  Just wanted to enjoy the environment, the people and after race party.

    I’m a creature of habit so stayed in the same hotel for the past three years.  It is in the West End and a short walk to the Broadway music scene.  I normally eat in the same places (Midtown Café, Rippy’s Honky Tonk and ACME Feed and Seed).  The Wildhorse Saloon closed in January and is under renovation to become Luke Comb’s new venture.  No line dancing this trip since my favorite spot shut down. ☹

    The weather was forecasted to be warmer than normal—the race normally happens earlier in April but was pushed back a week this year.  FYI—it was not Florida warm but not as cool as I would like considering the hilly Nashville course.

    Toed the line with 23,000+ other runners to test my mental and physical fitness while taking in all the site and sounds of Nashville.  Did I mention I love this place?! 😊

    Finished a bit slower than last year but felt good throughout.  The hills were a bit tougher with warmer temperatures but powered through until the finish line.  Proud of my 2:20:34 finish time. 

    Already planning my return trip next April for another run in Nashville.

    Here’s my trip in pictures:

    (EXPO)

    (Broadway)

    (Race day)

     

    original_c2ce83df-fd5a-4a8a-9800-76d1816576df_20240428_08132520240427_171254original_24cc2929-4c1a-4ebc-a171-4b8591b474ee_20240428_113420original_5cdf0dca-b178-42be-adc5-24c9de19b53e_20240428_112825original_9a93dd6e-9704-4356-bac1-48505bfe925d_20240428_152647(Nashville / Broadway)

    Next stop the Rhode Island Half Marathon:  https://runrhody.com/event/rihalfmarathon/

    Irie!

  • Five Minute Thursday: Mentor

    paper boats on solid surface
    Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

    “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.

    (Oprah Winfrey)

    The Walk into the Future blog is back and will give the Five-Minute Thursday prompt another run.

    I was surprised to hear from multiple readers who enjoyed the concept and what I put out during my first run with this prompt.  Will get a few more topics in with this format.

    My second prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  Mentor.

    I have been blessed with great mentors in my professional life.  These folks have each provided me with guidance and showed me the correct way to move forward in life.  Deborah Friendly mentored me at my first Air Force duty station in Fort Worth, Texas.  Tony Greene picked me up when I went to Japan the first time.  I connected with Rich Gardner in San Antonio while stationed at Randolph Air Force Base.  The interesting thing about these mentors is they were all from Florida—just like me.  Funny how people cross your path—three of my first mentors were from my home state but I met them in other states and countries.  Life is interesting!

    I’m still in contact with these three folks and appreciate the knowledge they shared with me.

    The mentor I will write about today is Jan McIntosh.  He was a Chief Master Sergeant and the top enlisted Personnel Manager in the Air Force.  He oversaw Personnel (HR) operations for every Air Force Base in the world.  I knew the Chief by name but had no idea he knew me or anything about me.

    I met him during my time as an Air Force Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.  I was one of two instructors charged with training computer analysts on a new personnel database that was being integrated Air Force wide.  We built the course in record time and then had to train analysts worldwide to ensure operational integrity throughout the Air Force.

    Chief McIntosh watched me teach a few sessions and then pulled me to the side and gave me the most important piece of advice I ever received.  He asked me if I wanted to know the key to success and I said, of course.  He told me the secret to success in life was:  Be where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing, when you are supposed to be doing it.  A very simple concept but I put this advice into action after he shared it with me, and things really started taking off for me. 

    Doors started opening for me because I put this simple concept into action.  Promotions, better work assignments, financial wellbeing, better health outcomes, and improved relationships all came my way by utilizing this advice.

    I use the knowledge Chief McIntosh gave me in 1997 to this day and share with all my tree branches.  I also use this information in my work environment to lead my teams—yes, I share these same words with everyone on my team to show them how easy life can be if we get out of our way.

    Interesting fact—the advice Chief McIntosh gave me was the ONLY conversation we have ever had.  I never saw him or spoke with him again, but I leverage his wisdom daily and consider him one of my best mentors.  He came into my life at a time when I needed his knowledge, and he shared it with me freely. 

    Which mentor impacted your life the most?

    Irie!

    “Your mentors in life are important, choose them wisely”.

    (Bill Walsh)