CorePurpose - Joan Koerber-Walker's Blog

Are you a class act?

Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting some pretty amazing people.  Some were captains of industry, others were politicians, scientists, professional athletes, engineers, artists, celebrities or brilliant thought leaders.

Each, in their own way, was at the top of their personal game and it showed, not just in their accomplishments, which in some cases are legendary, but in the way they treated people.  Each one was a class act.

A class act is genuine

Recently, I got to meet another class act. His name is Dave Nemeth.  I met Dave when he and his wife Nanci came out for a project I was working on for my friend Morris Callaman.  There was lots to do and Dave pitched right in.  Rolling up his sleeves to help out in many different ways, lending his expertise and even stepping in to act as Master of Ceremonies to give the event a wonderful finishing touch.  Everyone on the team commented on what a genuinely nice person he was, how easy he was to work with and how professional he was.  It came as no surprise.  In addition to being a class act, Dave Nemeth is a pro.  His work has taken him into millions of homes across major U.S. markets via the nightly news, morning talk shows and as the male co-host that launched EXTRA! for Warner Brothers.

A class act has nothing to prove.

Dave is a great example of a lesson another class act taught me years ago.  That lesson came from Bernie Vonderschmitt, then chairman and CEO of Xilinx.  Bernie was a brilliant leader, engineer and businessman who was well known for his skill in building great companies AND great teams.  He shared his wisdom with me by using golf as an analogy for business and the kind of people you want to work with.  The lesson went like this…

“If you want too truly enjoy the game of golf.  Play with a scratch golfer. They don’t have anything to prove, they just enjoy what they do.”

~Bernie Vonderschmitt co-founder of Xilinx (1923 – 2004)

A class act looks out for others.

When you are great at what you do and secure in it, you don’t worry about what other people think.  That leaves plenty of time to champion others.  Dave Krieg may go down in the annuals of sports history for his leadership and stats as quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, and Tennessee Oilers/Titans, but for me he will go down in history as the leader who taught my sons and his that looking out for the little guy is everyone’s responsibility.  One of my favorite stories is when Dave Krieg did just that for my “little guy” Nick.  But helping others for Dave is not just something done at home.  He helps out with local charities and organization to lend his leadership skills and name to various causes that benefit when he lends a hand.

A class act does not take themselves too seriously.

Herb Kelleher may be the most successful airline executive in the history of the industry, but in the hearts of his people he was also a man who fought hard, played hard and never took himself too seriously.  That spirit was embedded into the Southwest Airlines culture and exists to this day.  Herb did not worry about his “image” instead he invested it and his energy in his people.  The results he got are the stuff of corporate legend.

Television icon Regis Philbin, recently announced he would be leaving LIVE about a very successful run that spans over 16000 hours, the Guinness World Record for television airtime.  Part of his longevity and success is that he too is not afraid to look at himself playfully and share a laugh with his viewers.  In the video below, Dave Nemeth and Regis spoof about about having to compete for the attention of their loquacious co-hosts.

 

Dave Nemeth and Regis Philbin have some fun talking about their co-hosts in this media spoof

 

So what about you?  Are You a Class Act?

Being a class act is not about how you look, what you wear, what you say or the power of your position.  The people I have used as examples here are all successful in their own arenas.  But success is not the reason they made the list.  Instead, who they really are is what made them successful. Being a class act is defined by the actions you take, how those actions affect the people around you and how together they reflect who you are as a person.

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned…

Joan Koerber-Walker

 

 

 

 

 

Joan Koerber-Walker is a two time Stevie Award National Finalist and Chairman of the Board of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.  She also serves as Executive in Residence for Callaman Ventures and on the boards of for profit and nonprofit organizations.  As the former CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association she has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands.  Chat with her on Twitter as @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

 

Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose,Class Act,Leadership,Leading by example,Dave Nemeth,Dave Krieg,Herb Kelleher,Regis Philbin

When change matters, step up, step out and speak up.

We’ve all been there.  Sitting with a group in the break room, the boardroom or over lunch when the conversation shifts to what’s wrong with our team, our business, our community or our lives. 

It’s so easy to point out what is wrong.  Words fly.  The passion is inspiring.  Each idea builds on another .  Then, oops, you look at the clock.  Time’s up and you go back to work and keep on doing things the same way you have always done them before.

Talk does not bring change, action does.

We all see things we need to change our world but there are only so many hours in the day to do it.  Then something happens that gives us the impetus to step up, step out, and truly make a difference for ourselves and others.  When we step up, we start doing things.  We make things happen.  We get things done.  Yet, we may not be sharing it with others.  That means going to the next step as we step out and speak up.  We begin inspiring others to action by sharing what we are doing, how we are doing it, and how others can do it too. 

I am lucky to know three people who are doing just that. They inspire me and if you read on, they can inspire you too.

Lynn Tilton

One of the most successful business women in the world, Lynn Tilton founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners, was once a single mom, working by day and going to graduate school at night.  Working incredible hours and with very little sleep, she held it together and pursued a passion to learn what she needed to know.  Then, she applied it…well.   She stepped up.  Lynn’s business is founded upon her personal mission...the attempt to save America, one company at a time, one job at a time and she does it by buying distressed companies and turning them around.  The Patriarch platform is built upon the premise that each company otherwise would have been liquidated, but instead is saved and rebuilt so it can add value to our economy and our nation. With the restructure and renewal of each of these companies, jobs are sustained and created.  Over the years Lynn and her team have saved approximately 150 companies from the throws of liquidation and 250,000 jobs associated with those companies but she did it quietly behind the scenes.  When our nation and the world got into real trouble she did more than step up, she stepped out.  By sharing her story and how she did it, she is inspiring others to do the same.

(Read the latest article on Lynn in Chief Executive Magazine.)

 

Morris Callaman

A VC, angel investor and four-time startup founder with Global 500 experience, Morris Callaman believes that it is time for a principled approach to creating companies and products that make life better instead just make money. 

Morris’s story is not your typical success story. An eighth grade runaway, his journey includes homelessness, food banks, ditch digging, carpentry, community college, night school, programming, language study, and a brief apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 640.  He’s seen the worst people can do to each other and the the best.  Through Callaman Ventures, he focuses on the best and invests his time looking for, finding and helping consumer entrepreneurs – people who truly love what they are doing, know how to get up again after a failure and have a business intent that includes net societal benefit while creating real products or real services for real people.  He’s stepped up to help build great companies and now is stepping out to share what he has learned with others and help them when they need it.

(Read Morris’s story in Phoenix Magazine.)

 

Michelle King Robson

Michelle King Robson is one of the nation's leading women's health and wellness advocates as well as  the Founder, Chairperson and CEO of EmpowHER, one of the fastest-growing and largest health media companies dedicated exclusively to women's health and wellness.

When a debilitating health condition left Michelle sick, alone, hopeless and on the verge of taking her own life, she struggled and fought to find answers. Luckily, for all of us, she found them, but it was so hard.  Michelle believes it should not be and she has committed the rest of her life to ensure that no other woman would suffer in silence as she had. And that is how EmpowHER was born. She stepped up and stepped out in one fell swoop creating a web portal where women can find their health answers more easily.  Today millions of visitors turn to EmpowHer with their health questions and find the answers they seek.

(Read Michelle’s story and see the video at EmpowHer.com)

 

And after you act, it’s time to step out and speak up.

Lynn, Morris and Michelle are just three examples of the many people I get to meet that have taken their life experiences and what they have learned along the journey and used them to move from talk to action in an area where they have a true passion.  They did not just sit around and talk about it.  They did it and they still do. Beyond that, they are telling their stories and inspiring others to action by their example.

So what’s your passion?  Your story?  The thing you want to change?  Are you ready to step up, step out, and speak up… in that order?

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned…

Joan Koerber-Walker

Joan Koerber-Walker is a two time Stevie Award National Finalist and Chairman of the Board of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.  She also serves as Executive in Residence for Callaman Ventures and on the boards of for profit and nonprofit organizations.  As the former CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association she has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands.  Chat with her on Twitter as @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

 

Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose,Change,action,execution. entrepreneurs,people making a difference,Lynn Tilton,Morris Callaman,Michelle King Robson,Patriarch Partners,Callaman Ventures,EmpowHer

After tragedy, the birth of Healing Trees demonstrates leadership by example

Back on January 9th, I shared a story about how we all got a wakeup call when shots rang out on a sunny Saturday morning in Tucson, Arizona.  After that day, as a nation wondered, waited and prayed, a group of friends were sharing ideas on what could be done to remember the fallen, bring the community together and begin the healing process.  The result is a new collaborative project called The Healing Trees Humanitarian Program. 

News coverage and  video where ABC15 news reporter Angie Holdsworth tells the story in this interview with Annie Loyd.

Annie Loyd, one of the organizers of The Healing Trees Project speaks with Angie Holdsworth of ABC15 News.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

I think I was about Christina Taylor Green’s age when I first read “TREES” by Joyce Kilmer.  Like trees, people gain their strength from the world around them.  They hug the earth, draw nutrients from it, and reach for the sun.  They often stand together, but they can also stand alone.  They put down roots, grow, and give back in many ways.  There is something both magical and mystical about a tree. 

A tree that looks at God all day  

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear  

A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer at Bartleby Online

Healing Trees Humanitarian Program: "Heal Our Communities, Offer Remembrance and Celebrate Life."

Less than one month later after the Tucson shootings, the project has launched and is growing daily. Beginning on February 14th, Arizona Statehood Day, The Healing Trees Humanitarian Project will plant trees in Tucson and Phoenix and many additional locations throughout Arizona, the US and around the world. In the process they will be bringing communities together and demonstrating a shared desire to be to be instruments of peace, understanding and compassion in our communities. (You can see the growing list of locations at www.healingtrees.org.)

Each time a healing tree is planted there is a ceremony to…

• offer a remembrance to those who died or were injured in Tucson.
• create a lasting symbol of new life in our community
• Create a unified moment for each of us to reflect on how we will choose to be instruments of peace, compassion and understanding with ourselves and with others

Participants come back together again 11 months later to hold themselves accountable and to reflect on how they acted as instruments of peace and will continue to do so.

Recording the Tree Plantings

In addition to the individual trees and the gatherings when they are planted, the GPS coordinates of each tree will be recorded and tracked on the Healing Trees website and will include each Healing Tree’s story, its donors’ experience, intentions and  ceremonies.  This allows the participants and others to visit whenever a boost of inspiration is needed and will provide stories of what we and others are doing to create deep and lasting roots.

It started on January 8, 2011, but it does not end there…

Annie Loyd of The FUSION Foundation put it like this:

“As a direct response to the incidents of January 8, the Healing Trees Humanitarian Program: "Heal Our Communities, Offer Remembrance and Celebrate Life." was created. The FUSION Foundation, the Arizona Community Tree Council and Tucson Clean and Beautiful are working together to heal our communities, offer remembrance, and celebrate life with the planting of Healing Trees across the state and across the country.  Healing Trees are a visual life-giving memorial commemorating the lives of those who died, honoring those who were injured and paying tribute to the outstanding actions of forgiveness, compassion, understanding, kindness and love we witnessed in the wake of the tragedy by so many in the Tucson community. This is our time to do something significant to celebrate life and promote new growth- like planting trees. Through this a life-giving and earth-serving community act, together we can make a difference.”

Leading by Example

On January 27, 2011, I shared the stories of big companies and caring individuals who are leading by example.  The Healing Trees Humanitarian Program is yet another one.  It was born out of tragedy and a shared desire to respond with an act that would not only honor those who died or were injured but also to provide a visual support to their families, neighbors, friends and strangers whose lives changed on that fateful day. It is the work of people coming together to  proactively create a stronger community that is committed  life, growth and collaboration. 

We each have  opportunities to lead by example.  Sometimes we create them and sometimes they find us.  We lead by example when we…

• Share our talents and experience with others to solve a problem or move a project forward.
• Help someone else achieve their goal.
• Take action to bring change…instead of just talking about what’s wrong.
• Or maybe simply take this opportunity to become part of a community of caring people who will each plant a healing tree somewhere in the world.  To learn more about how to participate, click here.

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned…

Joan Koerber-Walker

About the Joan:

An entrepreneur, author, speaker and corporate advisor, Joan Koerber-Walker's journey has spanned from corporate America to entrepreneurship and non-profits as well as to community leadership and into the halls of Washington D.C.  Her past career includes two decades on the team at  Avnet, Inc. and service as Chairman of the Board of Advisors to Parenting Arizona.  Today, she serves her community as the Chairman of the Board of the Opportunity  through  Entrepreneurship Foundation and as an advisor to The FUSION Foundation and The Healing Trees Humanitarian Project.  To learn more about how CorePurpose and the CoreAlliance can help you grow your business in 2011, you can contact her by clicking here.

CorePurpose  is a registered trademark of CorePurpose, Inc.  CoreAlliance is a  service mark of CorePurpose Inc.  All rights reserved

 

To learn more about The Healing Trees Humanitarian Program:

The Healing Trees Humanitarian Program is a collaboration led by The FUSION Foundation and founding partner the Arizona Community Tree Council and its southern Arizona partner Trees for Tucson | Tucson Clean and Beautiful.

• email: info@healingtrees.org
• Facebook:  HealingTrees
• Twitter at @HealingTreesAZ
• website at HealingTrees.org

The funds are being managed by the Arizona Community Tree Council, a 501(c)(3) organization with more than 20 years of experience dedicated to the care and planting of trees and promoting the education and exchange of  information about trees and the essential role they play in the well being of all Arizona communities.  

Technorati Tags: Healing Trees,Tucson Shootings,Gabrielle Giffords,Fusion Foundation,Arizona Community Tree Council,Joan Koerber-Walker,Annie Loyd,CorePurpose,Leading by Example,Leadership,Community Action,Leaders

Help - We ALL need some

As the song says... "When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way..."

Well today, we all need help whether it is with a personal goal, a business challenge, or in making a difference on a much broader scale. 

 

 

I was in kindergarten in 1965 when the Beatles released Help!.  It did not mean much to me except as a song with a catchy beat to bop around the kitchen to.  Mom was the one who probably needed HELP! back then with 4 babies under the age of 6 and another on on the way.  Our country needed HELP! too.  Key topics of the day included a war we could not win, healthcare, racial inequality, new technologies, and a generation struggling to make a difference and leave a mark  a new way.  Well the song means a lot more to me now.  It's been a long time since kindergarten - but interestingly, in 2010, many of the same themes remain. The words and the names are different - but there is still a need for help.

Help Requires Courage

Whether you are asking for help or offering it, help requires courage.

We often won't ask for help when we need it.  Perhaps because people might think we are weak or don't know what we are doing.  Yet if the fear of asking for help holds us back - we rarely get it when we need it. 

Offering to help can be just as scary.  People don't always appreciate you when you offer to help.  I've seen leaders and volunteers alike become targets  personally and professionally just because they stepped out, spoke up, or got involved in helping someone else.  Yet true leaders keep doing it.  They make the time, proactively offer assistance,  take the criticism, and keep moving forward.

Helping Takes Commitment

I've watched Lynn Tilton take her message of how to turn the economy around and create more jobs out across traditional and social media while working 20 hour days, seven days a week to help save companies and jobs.  It must be working - Lynn and her team have saved 250,000 jobs on the last 9 years. (You can hear what Lynn has to say about this when she will be the featured guest on Huckabee, at 8:00pm ET on the FOX News Channel tomorrow (Saturday, July 17th) with on FOX News Channel at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET on Sunday, July 18^th she'll be talking about job creation in the current economic crisis.)

Francine Hardaway is committed to job creation too.  Working at the ground level with entrepreneurs in the Southwest and around the country, she has not stopped for 30 years.  Whether it is flying to Kansas City on her own dime to learn about programs she can bring back to help other entrepreneurs, launching a conference to bring entrepreneurs and thought leaders together, or just spending time one on one, Francine is committed to making a difference with the entrepreneurs she touches.

Dr. Michelle Hanna, founder of RiboMed Biotechnologies, has dedicated the last ten years of her life to developing new tests that will help us battle cancer.  Today she and her team are focusing on ways to make a major difference not just in the lives of the patients but  have also found a way to do so that could result in billions of dollars in healthcare savings and that affects ALL of us.

Amilya Antonetti, founder of Soapworks, today takes what she learned along the journey to help other entrepreneurs bring out products that provide better choices to today's consumer.  Along the way she learned that every leader needs the help of their team - to share it she wove it into a story and wrote a book.

In a quiet manner, one on one, Morris Callaman shares his story and his expertise in helping entrepreneurs with great ideas move forward.  A successful investor and venture attorney, Morris finds projects that he believes will make a difference and help people - and in turn he helps them.

But you don't have to be running a $7 billion private equity fund, be a social media maven, a PhD, a serial entrepreneur, or a certified member of MENSA, to help others.  You just have to have something to offer and be willing to share.

 Everyone can help

Take a look at this post by Domenic Alvaro who graduated High School with my son Nick this year.  He has a better handle on how our attitude makes a difference than many adults I know.  And he is sharing it with others so that what he has learned in his life can help them.

Each of us will need help sometime.  And each of us has something to offer that will help someone else.  We just need the courage, the commitment, and the willingness to HELP!

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...

Joan Koerber-Walker

P.S. to everyone who has helped me along the journey -Thank You!  I promise to keep passing it forward to help others too. ~ JKW

 

Technorati Tags: People Making a differnce,asking for help,offering help,Lynn Tilton,Francine Hardaway,Morris Callaman,Amilya Antonetti,Patrairch Partners,Fox,Huckabee,Dominic Alvaro,Nick Walker,Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose,HELP,Beatles Songs

 

 

Are you MARKED for success?

How committed are you to your success?  I like to think I am but I don't think I would go as far as my friend Kevin Daum has.  He is on a quest for what he calls the "Jewish Super Bowl Ring"; a New York Times Best Seller with his latest book, Roar! 

Kevin shared his thoughts earlier this year with Mike Michalowicz, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur about personal commitment and what it takes to succeed in the Sales and Marketing Jungle. 

 

 

 

"Go Big or Go Home" - Kevin Daum

In days like these,  we hear a lot about leaders who are looking for commitment, engagement, and the need for people who are willing to give all they have to the project, the plan, and the goals of the company.  Yet, how many of us as leaders are truly committed to 'go all in" as they say in Vegas.  

Commitment is not measured in words - JKW

The true measure of commitment is not your words, it's your actions.  If you don't believe me - ask your team.  They know what their leaders are truly committed to because they pay attention to not just what we say but what we do. 

Your team may listen to what you say... but they do what you demonstrate. - JKW

I've met a lot of authors who say they want a New York Times Best Seller. OK, lets be honest, most of us would be doing the happy dance if this happened.  But would we sell our big house, and move to a nice (but small) apartment in Manhattan to be closer to the action.  Would we hound our publisher with idea after idea to get extra support, stand on a street corner in the cold passing out flyers to passer-byes,  meet  with group after group telling the same story over and over again, or chronicle each step of the way on a blog for all the world to see.  I've watched Kevin do it.  (Ok, I admit it - after the tattoo I had to see what he would come up with next.  And I am not even his publisher, that honor went to John Wiley and Sons.)

Watching Kevin pursue his dream, I believe him when he says he will be a New York Times Best Selling Author some day.  And because HE is so committed, it made me want to 'join his team' by offering some encouragement here.

If you want your team engaged, keep your sense of humor. - JKW

As leaders, we need to keep trying new things, finding ways to add more value, and deliver a quality product .  We need to recruit champions and inspire our team to carry the message further. 

In Kevin's case he has come up with some very innovative ideas to promote his book.  I've even used some of them, with his blessing, in promoting CorePurpose Publishing's latest release, The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams by Amilya Antonetti.  It must be working - after a while Amazon started to offer the books as a pairing together.

In watching Kevin what I have noticed, through it all, is he is loving every step of the journey.  He never loses his smile or his personal belief that he will get to the end of the road.  He has a quality product (I bought the book and read it) and he's kept his sense of humor.  For example - check out his "book trailer"...

 

 

So whatever dream you and your team are pursuing, you might want to take a page from Kevin's book and live your commitment.  You just might end up doing your own happy dance!  (Hey Kevin - what IS the name of that song?)

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned...

Joan Koerber-Walker

Technorati Tags: Kevin Daum,Roar,Sales,Marketing,John Wiley and Sons,leadership,growth,business,business tips,commitment

 

 

 

Turning 'Round and Looking Up

Graphic credit:  Kevin DeSoto - Photo - courtesy of Patriarch Partners

Just like the horses and riders on a carousel, American businesses are turning around and looking up.  And when it comes to the art of the  turnaround few do it better that maverick CEO Lynn Tilton of Patriarch Partners.  This month I had the opportunity to chat with Lynn when she was honored as an Extraordinary Leader during the launch of Amilya Antonetti's new book The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams in New York City.   (Here comes the FTC disclaimer, one of my companies, CorePurpose Publishing, published this book.)

Over the past week, at the CorePurpose Business Blog and at Amilya.com, Part 1 and Part II of the interview with Lynn Tilton focused on what she is doing and why.  Now it is time to take it one step further as we share that most important lesson of all...HOW to turn things around and how Lynn is doing it in the 70 companies within the Patriarch Partners portfolio.

I asked Lynn what were the FIVE key factors of successfully turning around individual firms and our nation's economy.  Here is what she had to say...

1.  Search for the Truth

If we do not understand where we are and what we are facing, there is no way to find solutions to the challenges we face.  This is true in our businesses, our communities, and our country.  You must have an understanding of the truth of the situation; you can not fix what you do not understand.  We must all persevere in our search for the truth even when we don’t like what we find.  It is the answer that has value.  Once you find the truth, you can do something about it.

“Truth is cold and hard but it is also the first step on the path to hope and salvation.” ~ Lynn Tilton

2. The American Dream was built upon the concept of living with dignity.

Dignity and pride come in many forms.  One of the most basic is a job with a decent wage and the ability to take care of your family.  In America, the vast majority of jobs come from small and medium sized businesses.  Entrepreneurs are America’s job creation engine. Yet in recent years we have failed to provide them the fuel this engine needs in the form of capital.  Each of us must let our representatives know that we expect and require that they address direct lending to small and medium businesses so that they can do what they do best, create the jobs our economy and our people need so that they can do what they do best and live a life of dignity.

“Until job loss turns to job creation, we have little chance for a true economic recovery. Absent job creation, little else matters.” ~ Lynn Tilton

3.  Women, working together, will make a difference.

One of the greatest resources we currently have at our disposal to turn things around is America's women.  If there is a need right now it is for talented women to band together and build. Trying to tackle huge projects alone is fraught with challenges and a hard and lonely task.  But if two women come together, combining their talents and their experiences, success and jobs are the result. The more we build together as teams, the better the opportunities for success.  Find a colleague, explore how you can make a difference - and do it. Too often as women we have felt the need to compete for relationships, for jobs, for opportunities.  If we stop competing and start partnering ,we can move the recovery forward faster.

"America's greatest asset is human capital. Women, shoulder to shoulder, can be the driving force that leads to the economic healing and requisite transformation of our great nation." ~ Lynn Tilton

4.  Focus on helping others and you will find you have helped yourself.

Lynn shared that one of the biggest lessons she learned along her personal journey is that when you help others, you ultimately help yourself.  How we help others is relative and ties back to our own skills and talents. Finding the  truth, identifying what we are best at, and then putting that to work on behalf of creating good outcomes for others, creates a positive spiral up for all of us.

This is especially true on the case of innovation.  Based on the concept that innovation is doing something in a new way to make life better for others, we can each look at how we do what we do and how we can improve upon it.  By shifting away from "what's in it for me" thinking and focusing on what's better for them, we increase our customer base, increase our sales of goods and services, and need more people to support the subsequent growth.  The end result is a life of dignity for our teams, more job opportunities in our businesses, and sustainable economic health for our country.

“The key components of a successful turnaround are rationalization and innovation.” ~ Lynn Tilton

5. When the day is darkest, look up and find the light

Today there is so much darkness and negative energy.  Negativity creates a downward spiral that leads to greater problems and more negative outcomes. Simply look back over the last two years and you will find too many examples of this.   The way to combat this is with light and positive energy. Each of us has the ability to create this through our actions.  What we can do is relative to what resources we have, but if each of us does one thing for someone else each day, the aggregate impact would be enormous.  Each thing we do to create a bit of light for another makes a difference. It can be a small bit of praise, a few minutes of mentoring, a shared resource, or a winning idea.  But each of these things builds positive energy and it is positive energy that moves us forward just as negative energy hold us back.  As Lynn shared with me "the tree grows from the seeds you plant."  If our seeds are positive and our actions support them - we reap the benefits. 

“We must all strive to be better people and to demonstrate those qualities that create light in a world gone dark.” ~ Lynn Tilton

Not what you were expecting?

Perhaps you were expecting more of a tactical approach and a how to list made up of the more traditional answers like watch your cash flow, manage your inventories, provide great customer service, monitor your markets, and invest in R&D?    These could readily have been Lynn's answers.  In talking to members of her team, I learned that she does all of those things.  But so do thousands of other firms.  It is the leadership and life philosophy of Patriarch's matriarch that has supported the firm's growth to unprecedented levels where today Lynn and the Patriarch team manage a portfolio of 70 companies representing 250,000 jobs gained or saved and with over $7 Billion in assets under management. 

To follow along as the Lynn Tilton story continues, you can find Lynn on Twitter and Facebook.

Author's note:

I hope you enjoyed the three part series from my interview with Lynn Tilton.  I really enjoyed getting to know Lynn better.  Don't miss Part I here and Part II at Amilya.com.  This post (Part III)  was originally written to appear on Going for the Brass Ring my Member Blog at  Fast Company.  The post is appearing here since Fast Company has chosen to no longer support new posts from Fast Company's Member Bloggers.  It's a shame -  really - when it comes to running in fast company - nobody tops Lynn Tilton.

About Joan Koerber-Walker:

She is an entrepreneur, an executive, an investor, and an active volunteer in her community. You can find her on Twitter,  on LinkedIn, on Facebook, and lots of other places.  Just check out her Google Profile. Joan’s career includes 20 years in executive roles within a Fortune 500 company, entrepreneurial ventures, angel investments (starting in 1989), non-profit and community leadership, and as an advisor to universities, corporations, entrepreneurs, and non-profits. A popular keynote speaker, blogger, and friend to over 100,000 across social media platforms, she is also a wife and a mother to two BIG boys. Joan and her family make their home in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

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Making A Difference in a World Gone Dark

 

This week, while in NYC launching The Recipe: A fable for Leaders and Teams, our new book by Amilya Antonetti, I got to meet an amazing woman.  Her name is Lynn Tilton - and boy is she making a difference!

It's not every day that you meet a girl from the Bronx who has worked her way up to not only phenomenal success (her company Patriarch Partners has SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS under management) but who is so "together" that her success comes not from a desire for cash but from a drive to make a difference for others by saving companies and saving and creating American jobs.

Lynn was one of three leaders that AMA Enterprises and CorePurpose honored as inspiring leaders at a private VIP and Media Event in New York as we launched The Recipe.  While the book is a story about how teams and leaders come together, Lynn's LIFE is a prime example of how one woman's quest to make a difference can affect millions!   (You can see more pictures from the event honoring Lynn here. )

Lynn graciously agreed to answer some of my questions about how she has achieved so much.  As she spoke, I learned so much that this is actually the first of a three part series I will be running about our conversation in the week to come.  It will start here, continue on Amilya.com, and conclude on Going for the Brass Ring, my blog at Fast Company. 

So here are some of the first bits that Lynn shared with me...

It started in the Bronx...

My life journey has evolved from my birthplace - Bronx, NY- through the
ivory towers of Yale and Columbia Universities to the male-dominated world
of Wall Street.  Today, as the founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners, I
focus not only on the more than 70 companies in our portfolio, but also on
"the Main Streets" of once thriving towns across America, that struggle for
survival in the new economy that has turned its back on the American worker.
Patriarch's mission is to rebuild America one company at a time and one job
at a time and it has been made possible through hard work, an innovative
spirit and an unwavering quest for truth and light where others see
hopelessness.

The truth is cold and hard but the first step on the path to hope and
salvation. ~ Lynn Tilton, Patriarch Partners

Saving America...Once Company at a Time

My business is founded upon my personal mission...the attempt to save
America, one company at a time, one job at a time.  The Patriarch platform
is built upon the premise that each company otherwise would have been liquidated, but
instead saved and rebuilt, is value added to our economy and our nation.
With the restructure and renewal of each of these companies, jobs are
sustained and created.  Over the years we have saved approximately 150
companies from the throws of liquidation and 250,000 jobs associated with
those companies.

Who was your inspiration?

My father--his teachings and his values--have long been my inspiration.  We
were raised to give back to the world and to others.  It is for this reason
that my firm is named Patriarch Partners; in the name of the father.  My dad
died my junior year in college but that which he taught me lives on in our
work and the lives of the families who we touch. 

Turning Dust to Diamonds

My business and my personal life no longer have boundaries.  I am driven by
the cause that this business has become.  Knowing the loss of a working
parent while young, I experienced the devastation such loss can bring to the
structure of a family.  That loss and the memory motivates me to spare
families from that desolation.  In the end, I believe that making money and
making the world a better place are not mutually exclusive options.

If you had 3 wishes - what would they be?

1. People standing shoulder to shoulder with common vision and perseverance to
   rebuild America.
2. A world with more appreciation and less expectation.
3. A little more calm and sleep for me.

So that's how we started...

But I have so much more to share.  Please stay tuned as the interview continues this weekend on Amilya.com and concludes next week on Going for the Brass Ring, my blog at Fast Company.  I'll be posting the links on Twitter, on Facebook, and through the comments link here on this first part of the series.  Just subscribe to the comments here on this post so you don't miss the great insights from Lynn to come.  You can also follow Lynn on Facebook and Twitter.  I do.  :-)

 

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Why we follow - the other side of Leadership

So much is written about leadership, about teams, and about the  importance of both. 

Sometimes we choose the path of leadership and sometimes it chooses us.  Most leaders will tell you that to be a good leader is to be a good follower.

We follow a vision, a mission, a plan.  And thru our words and actions others may choose to follow us.

Have you given thought to who or why you follow? Everyone follows someone and something at different times of their lives.

But the time will come for each of us when we are called forward to lead. 

Recently I had the chance to connect with some amazing women at the Society of Women Engineers.  When I was sharing ideas with them during the dinner keynote one of the questions from the day came back to me.  The question was ....could women lead and be recognized as leaders.

Here is what I had to share...

Choosing to lead is a decision. And to be ready when your opportunity to lead appears, you need to decide to prepare.  That means getting your education, building your network, and refining your skill sets so that when your turn comes you can be a GREAT leader. 

CorePurpose Publishing recently had the chance to work with another great leader, Amilya Antonetti.  Her newest book, The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams releases officially on May 1, 2010 and is already getting great feedback.  . As the publisher, it was an honor to work with her on this project.   In it Amilya shares what she has learned about leaders and their teams in a wonderful story sprinkled with "Little Spoonfuls" of tips, tools, and even some questions that give us food for thought.  Another friend of ours, Kathy Kolbe the author of Pure Instinct: The M.O. of High Performance People and Teams, graciously wrote the forward for the book. 

To learn more about Amilya's book, The Recipe, and Kathy's book, Pure Instinct, just click on their links. 

You see, women CAN lead and they make great leaders.  Not only that, we make great collaborative teammates.  Amilya and Kathy are proof of that. 

So now is the time to get ready.  2010 begins the decade of our success and the choices are ours.  The question is ... What are we going to do with it and what will we choose?

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay Tuned....

Joan Koerber- Walker

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An interview with my favorite Rocket Scientist - meet Joe Williams

I've been fascinated by space ever since I was a kid. I still remember the night when it all began.  My friends and I had pitched our tent in the back yard for a sleep-over and were toasting marshmallows over the barbeque when Mom and Dad called us all inside to watch history happen.  Before our wondering eyes, American Astronauts took their first steps on the moon.  It inspired me, encouraged my love for science and technology, and made me proud to be an American.  It made a difference.

Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm proud to say I know one.  Meet Joe Williams of NASA, my favorite Rocket Scientist.  More than your 'Average Joe" he's a husband and father seeking to make a difference in all that he does whether its dancing with his daughters in their dance recital  or in his professional   work, as a "rocket scientist" contributing towards establishing a sustainable and permanent human presence off Earth.

I first met Joe through Twitter (he's @RikerJoe) and by reading his blog titled Leading Space (one of the best blogs out there if you are a student of leadership like me.) Online conversations evolved into emails then phone calls and this week I even got to visit the Johnson Space Center in Houston to meet him along with  some of the team in person - what a treat! 

As part of our ongoing People Making a Difference series, here and on Little Life Stories, I asked Joe a few questions.  Here is what he had to share...

"Be a leader, be a friend, be of service."  Joe Williams

JKW:  Can you tell me a little bit about what you are up to at NASA these days?

Joe:  My current project is working with our team in determining how NASA's mission operations in Houston acquires the goods and services it needs to fulfill its role in human spaceflight.  About 85% of NASA's budget is spent on procuring goods and services from the private sector, and mission operations is no different.  Whether it is Mission Control, our training facilities where we train astronauts, or the people who work in them, we are heavily reliant upon our contractor workforce to accomplish our mission.  With the recent policy shift mandated by the White House for NASA away from the certainties associated with near-term Moon landings and into the uncertainties and ambiguities of new technology development, the task before me is made even more difficult.  What is the near-term role of mission operations?  How do we procure the goods and services we need to fulfill that role?  I love a good challenge, and it's here!

JKW:  That's going to take a lot of leadership focus.  Who are some of the leaders you have worked with and been mentored by who inspire you.

Joe:  I'm inspired by Dr. Scott Pace, Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University.  A few years ago I served as his Executive Officer for a five-month period while he was an Associate Administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.  Scott has the amazing blend of a strong technical background (his is in physics as is mine), a grasp of the subtleties of space policy, and the ability to formulate and articulate the combination of both in an amazing way.  Scott inspired and encouraged me to stretch myself in many ways.  Two of these in particular are to be comfortable working with leadership at least two levels above my pay grade, which is paying tremendous dividends in my current work.  The second is that we are capable of handling a tremendous volume of work - that the only impediment is our own self-imposed limitations of what we think we are capable of doing.  Scott always smiled when I would report to him something along the following lines: "I'm working two dozen items and I believe you would like to hear the status on six of them."

JKW:  A key to leadership is understanding what really matters - what 'matters' to you?

Joe: I'm rooted in my three core values: learning and discovery,  fairness and respect, and excellence.  NASA's mission and results align with all three.  Therefore, NASA gives me the opportunity to make a difference directly in creating a sustainable and permanent human presence off Earth.  I feel strongly it is our destiny to eventually leave Earth and settle other places.  It's part of our heritage as a nation to explore and discover the world and universe around us.

Family is incredibly important to me.  My wonderful wife JoAnn keeps  me grounded so that I never forget what's important at home, even when I am hyper focused on space exploration and our NASA mission. Together we are creating a better future for our daughters.  She's an important reason why I can what I do.   On the lighter side - I am a HUGE Texas Longhorns fan.  Burnt Orange is my favorite color especially when cheering for my favorite team.

JKW:  If you had three wishes, what would they be?

Joe:  My three wishes are tied to my three core values:

1. That everyone can get the education he or she needs to make a difference;
2. That we can treat each other with fairness and respect; and
3. That each of us will demand excellence from ourselves and from each other.

In the final countdown...

Spending time with great leaders is an "out of this world" experience.  What I learned in my visit to NASA is that The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is more than just about space exploration - it's a breeding ground for our nation's leaders, a crucible for innovations of all kinds, and a source of inspiration and pride for Americans everywhere.

NASA history began when John F. Kennedy said: ""I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth."  That one goal sparked thousands of innovations, new technologies , new industries, and through them hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs for Americans, yet in a time when we need them more than ever, we may be missing the opportunity to set new and equally aggressive goals.  

Perhaps it’s time to reengage the American spirit with a new goal.  I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out,…. Washington...are you listening?  

Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned...

Joan Koerber-Walker

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Not Just Accepting Change ... Leading It. An Interview with Mike Henry Sr.

 

The first step to success is being passionate about what you do.  Don't just take it from me - talk to Mike Henry Sr., founder of the Lead Change Group.

He draws inspiration from the words of Margaret Mead:

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed individuals to change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has."

Mike's passionate about developing people and making a  difference through relationships.   He founded the Lead Change Group because... that was what he could do.  It started after he was  laid off from a position as a Vice President of a small electronic payments company.  To make ends meet, he began trying several different projects to make a difference and earn a living.   Best of all - he's succeeding! 

"We accept our powerlessness too easily."  - Mike Henry Sr. 

One part of the strategy has been to make a difference by encouraging people through social media channels to 'give themselves away' and help other people. Sharing from his own experience, Mike draws on decades of work in technology, operations and administrative positions in industries as varied as transportation, energy, telecom and financial services.

"I’ve learned you can always help people. Almost no-one will turn down help, encouragement, and interest."   Mike Henry Sr.

I did a little checking up on Mike's leadership talents by asking two people who REALLY know.  Here's what his grown up kids have to say...

 

“Mike Henry is a good leader because he can distinguish between right and wrong ethically and morally.” –Michael Henry Jr.

 

“Dad is a good leader because he is always there to pick you up when you fall and encourage you on how to move forward. Thanks Dad for always lifting me up.” – Jessica Henry

 

Q&A with Mike Henry Sr.

JKW:  What's your favorite project?

Mike:  I'm very excited about the growth of the Lead Change Group and our role in the development of the Leader Palooza un-conference on February  19-20, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The Lead Change Group makes a difference because it’s an open-source, peer-based leadership development community. We formed on LinkedIn and started growing on Twitter. We’ve also started finding new friends on Facebook as well.

We’re committed to applying character-based leadership to make a positive difference. Since we all “met” virtually, we decided to host our first face-to-face get-together this February 19-20 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Angie Chaplin named it LeaderPalooza. Here we will further the mission of the group by enabling deeper collaboration and cooperation between members who have met and shared a common experience. The time will be used to enable us to work together, energizing and equipping one another to actively apply character-based leadership in our own personal spheres of influence.

Just the trust between the people who cut out 3 days of their life  for this effort will generate new energy and enable some exciting new ideas. We’re not dictating a lot of structure because we want to allow time for people to interact and create.

Some of the ideas that we’ll be talking about at LeaderPalooza will include:

1. Further define the promise of the Lead Change Group. What is a character-based leader and how can one make a positive difference?
2. How do we measure the impact of a character-based leader?
3. how we can use social media to expand our reach as leaders and as a group.
4. how we can help each other in our own spheres of influence after the conference.

We’re using an un-conference format so the actual agenda will be finalized when the meeting begins. I can’t wait to see what happens as a result. 

JKW:  Who Inspires YOU?

Mike:   I’m most inspired by my wife, Vicky. She’s been married to me for 27 years and it’s been a tremendous roller-coaster. My personality is quite a challenge for her, but so is her health. She daily can’t do the things she’d like to do physically, but she keeps plugging. She inspires me through her patience and her persistence. She’s steady as a rock, which also tells you something about how unsteady I can be.

JKW: Why do you do What you do?

Mike:   I almost backed out of the interview because of this question.

I don’t know why I’m doing this.

I can’t just sit by and do nothing, and I seem to hit obstacles at many other things I’ve tried to do in my past, so I do this.

I enjoy people. We’re at our best when we’re giving ourselves away. For me, the best way to do that is to find a common purpose and form a team. There we can serve each other and it’s not charity. The service is in pursuit of a common goal that’s bigger than the individuals.

“There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” Jim Hightower

The frustration for me comes when the something I’m doing doesn’t achieve the results I’m pursuing. Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain balance and create a sustainable team.

In the end, for me every day the question needs to be, “Did you help someone?” If I can answer yes to that question, that needs to be enough. When I’m really honest, many days that’s not enough. But it needs to be. (It’s very hard to say that right now.)

JKW:  If you had Three Wishes - what would they be?

Mike:  First, I’d wish that the Lead Change Group idea would become sustainable. I enjoy investing in people and seeing them shine.

Second, I wish my wife could get some rest from her physical problems.

Third, I wish I could manage as much online activity as Joan Koerber-Walker.

(My real third wish would be to deepen my relationships with my two grown children, daughter-in-law and grandson. )

JKW - If folks wanted to  get in touch - how can they find you?

Mike:    You can't build a team if people can't find you.  I'm pretty accessible - here are a few places where I can be found.

Email:  mike@leadchangegroup.com

Phone:   (918) 401-0011

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehenrysr

Twitter:  @mikehenrysr

So Reader - What do YOU think?

Has Mike's story inspired you to reach out, share ideas, or lead a  little change?  Check out Leader Palooza, connect with Mike on Twitter or Linked In.  Find out what a 'a small group of committed individuals' can do when they commit to #LeadChange.

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned...

Joan Koerber-Walker

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