This wise information comes from Barbara Atkins, author of “70 is the new 40″. (I for one am happy to know that I will have a chance to be 40 again.) Baby boomers are a significant part of the US population and coaches like us are finding fulfillment working with this generation:

This increasing median age is driven by the aging of the population born during the Baby Boom after World War II (1946 to 1964). About 30 percent of the population in 1994 were born during the Baby Boom. As this population ages, the median age will rise. People born during the Baby Boom will be between 36 and 54 years old at the turn of the century. In 2011, the first members of the Baby Boom (reached) age 65, and the Baby Boom will have decreased to 25 percent of the total population. Source; Census Bureau

Three Dog Night

Not all of them are rock and rollers having reunions. Many are finding new career paths and starting their own businesses. If this sounds like something for you, Barbara is having an event in AZ. It’s called appropriately enough: What’s Next For You? Discover what matters and do what you love! It will be on Wednesday, June 27 at 1:30 pm – for individuals that are already retired and at 6:30 pm – for individuals approaching retirement. It will be held at the City of Scottsdale Civic Center Library. 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ,  For info call 480.312.READ (7323). Before you attend Barbara’s event, visit the beautiful grounds and fountains of the Scottsdale City Hall. Visit the art galleries and other attractions. Walk slowly, enjoy the view.

Honorees Dr. Michele Y. Halyard, Sharon Lechter, Pamela Lam, Pastor Sheriolyn Curry Lasley, Jane Spicer and Bettie Spruill CMEC

“We all have the capacity to be positively powerful. The magnitude of the contributions of this year’s award recipients is truly amazing. They, along with each of our previous 16 Award Recipients, prove that everyone has the opportunity to make dreams a reality.” Author and renowned international trainer, speaker and coach Dr. Joel Martin, creator of the Annual Positively Powerful Woman Awards program.

This year’s Fifth Annual Positively Powerful Woman Awards will be presented to the honorees at the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton on June 22, 2012. Gala luncheon from 11:30AM to 2PM to continue with the Conversation On Leadership Summit (COL) from 2:30PM to 6PM. The program will include an intimate panel with the Award Recipients, speakers and transformational action learning focused on enhancing personal, professional and business development. The public is invited to attend. Additional information about the fifth annual celebration follows.

Dr. Michele Y. Halyard, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Global Leadership.  Dr Michele Halyard is a consultant in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology. Her clinical areas of interest include the treatment of breast cancer and head and neck cancer patients. Her research interests involve the treatment of breast cancer with radiation therapy including interactions with systemic therapies, quality of life of in oncology patients and cancer symptom control. Administratively, Dr Halyard has played a variety of administrative roles within Mayo Clinic. She is a past Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology in Arizona. She served 8 years on the Board of Governors of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, including serving as Vice Chair. She also served 8 years as a member of the Mayo Clinic Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. She serves as the Links, Incorporated Health and Human Services Facet Chair, Western Area. She is a co-founder of the Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer.

Sharon Lechter, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Philanthropic Leadership. Sharon Lechter gives back to world communities as both a volunteer and benefactor. She is the founder of Pay Your Family First, a financial education organization and YOUTHpreneur, which sparks the entrepreneurial spirit in children.  Dedicating her life’s work to financial literacy, Ms. Lechter has authored Think and Grow Rich – Three Feet From Gold in cooperation with the Napoleon Hill Foundation, updated Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill-a manuscript hidden for over 70 years and is known world-wide as the co-author of the international best-selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and the Rich Dad series of books. Sharon has served on the Dean’s Council 100 of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and as a member of the advisory Board of the Spirit of Enterprise at the W.P. Carey School of Business. She serves on the national board of the Women Presidents’ Organization and on the national board of Childhelp, a national organization founded to prevent and treat child abuse. Sharon helps shape the state of financial literacy in our nation through her appointment to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy.

Pamela Lam, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Corporate Leadership.

Pamela Lam is the vice president of Research and Development for Henkel Laundry and Home Care in North American, reporting directly to the president of Henkel. Ms. Lam has numerous patents and a track record in delivering innovations. Her experience crosses all disciplines within R&D including an overseas assignment in China. She is a founding advisory member of the Asian American Professional Association at Henkel, an active member serving on the Scottsdale Workforce Development and an advocate for young talent development. She has personally, formally and informally, mentored dozens of young professionals. Ms. Lam holds an MS degree in Chemistry from Steven Institute of Technology. She received her Supply Chain Professional Certification at ASU in 2010. Pam was born in Vietnam and has had the pleasure of living in five cities and four countries so far. She is also a Corporate Advisory Council member of the Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Asian America Professionals (NAAAP).

Jane Spicer, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Entrepreneurial Leadership. Jane is the Owner and President of Daphne’s Head Covers, a family-owned, labor of love that manufactures just about every sort of animal head cover that can be imagined for golf clubs. Jane has offices located in Phoenix and internationally. In growing her business to the global status it has become, she had two goals: One was to remain solvent. The other one was, as her mother always said, “We must do good while we’re doing well.” That was hugely important to her. In that regard, Jane has created a fund raising head cover for Gabriel’s Angels an organization that delivers healing pet therapy to at-risk children. Jane’s entrepreneurial ambitions were awakened when she was a pre-teen and wanted a sailboat. Her mother said if she wanted one, she had to think of a business and make her own money. So she started making and selling toys and those morphed into puppets and ultimately to Daphne’s Head Covers, the firm named for her mother. Today approximately 200 PGA men and women have Daphne’s Head Covers. And, yes, Jane got the sailboat.

Pastor Sheriolyn Curry Lasley, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Spiritual Leadership. Reverend Curry Lasley is the founding pastor of Mt. Moriah A.M.E. Church in Maricopa, AZ. Mt. Moriah was voted into the Desert Mountain Annual Conference in August 2007 and will celebrate 5 years of serving the community on October, 14, 2012. Reverend Curry Lasley is an Itinerant Elder and has earned a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is also the founder of several businesses, which spiritually align with her ministry. They include Comfort Keepers, which for the last ten years has provided home care services for the elderly and Covenant Family Services, a behavioral health agency that hires and trains caregivers who provide services to seniors so that they may safely stay in their homes. Previously Reverend Currey Lasley was Senior Adult Minister for Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church and fulfilled many leadership roles at this historical church including Director of Young People and Children’s Division (YPD) and Youth Minister.

Bettie Spruill, CMEC, The 2012 Positively Powerful Woman Award For Educational Leadership. Bettie Spruill, CMEC. is an international coach, management consultant, entrepreneur, public speaker and writer with 30 years’ experience in the field of transformational technology, and sacred commerce. She is also a certified Master NLP practitioner and member of the Transformational Leadership Council. Her retreat, The Feminine Face of Leadership, Power and Sex is an innovative approach to dynamic living. Her company, Ideal Coaching certifies coaches both here in the USA and Mexico. Bettie has led experiential effectiveness seminars and workshops in leadership, purpose and vision, and high performance for more than 20,000 people in Russia, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Chili, Mexico, England, Hong Kong, Canada, Ghana and the U.S. as well as multi-national and American companies and educational institutions. In 2000, Bettie adopted the village of Begora, Ghana. Since then, she has raised thousands of dollars to bring the people of Begoro coaching and training and helped develop vision, leadership, strategies and practices of sustainability. Her mentoring and coaching work with women in prison is having a positive impact on the lives of families and communities. Previously Bettie was Senior Vice President for Lifespring, Inc., one of the largest training and seminar companies in the world. Bettie is a student of the practices of Buddhism, deep ecology and global harmony, Universal Law, Egyptian and Christian mysticism.

2012 Positively Powerful Nonprofit Organization: Diana Gregory Outreach Services.  

This year, donations gathered at the 2012 Awards will be earmarked for Diana Gregory Outreach Services, a non-profit organization that provides programs in health, nutrition, education and housing. Every donation will go towards providing senior citizens with bags filled with free fresh produce (fruits and vegetables). These bags will be hand delivered to their facility/home by Gregory’s Fresh Market Place (GFMP) after the Awards.

Event Information: The public is invited to attend this year’s Fifth Annual Positively Powerful Woman Awards at the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton on June 22, 2012. Gala luncheon from 11:30AM to 2PM. It will continue with the Conversation On Leadership Summit (COL) from 2:30PM to 6PM. The all-inclusive Awards Presentation, Luncheon and COL Summit registration is $75. Register online or by mail.

Thank you Sponsors!

When the spotlight shines on the Positively Powerful Woman, we get to shine a light on her and the causes that matter to her to empower all others to follow her lead. Dr. Joel P. Martin

Corporate Sponsors include Southwest Gas Corporation Community & Consumer Affairs, Arizona State University Diversity and Small Business Program, the National Bank of Arizona founders of the Women’s Financial Group and Henkel where excellence is their passion.  If you are not able to attend, consider sponsoring a seat for a relative or community member.

Dr. Joel P. Martin, Awards Creator and Producer, Positively Powerful Woman Awards. Dr. Joel P. Martin is considered “a genuine genius in her approach to personal transformation.” She is a training designer, facilitator and executive coach, speaker and author. She has worked with hundreds of individuals in Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit and entrepreneurial organizations across many industries in the U.S, South Africa, France, the U.K., Latvia, Finland, Malaysia, Russia and China. Through her company, Triad West Inc., she provides corporate services specializing in diversity and inclusion, leadership development, organizational alignment and executive coaching in breakthrough performance. Dr. Martin serves as a Commissioner on the Human Relations Commission, City of Scottsdale, a board member of ABHOW - a pioneer in senior living,  and she is the Director of Education and Training for the annual FraserNet PowerNetworking Conference, where urban professionals grow and prosper.

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Some of the largest companies in the world have found themselves in hot water because the nature of their business has changed and their predominant Leadership Style has restricted them from altering their direction.  How the people in leadership, consciously and unknowingly shape the organizational culture,  form and engage multi-generational teams, create agreements, and react now is radically different from how it used to be. Companies like, Paper Jam, Amazon.com, Google, Apple, Premier Payment Sytems, and Woot were giving hints about the changes that were coming. In the past, it was known that large companies had difficulty in changing strategies in mid stream, but at Internet speed changing course has become nearly impossible albeing vitally important for them. Leadership Styles are evolving to fit the changes.

Leadership development programs created as recently as five years ago need to be reaccessed and radically changed. The cost of entry into business has come down and there is plenty of talent available for hire, be it as consultants or staff.

Positively Powerful is creating a new set of Leadership Development Programs specifically for Entrepreneurs and Women.  Our objective is to prepare people for the new Leadership Styles that are paramount today.

Hubble Space Photograph of the Sombrero Galaxy

This is excerpted from my book HOW TO BE A POSITIVELY POWERFUL PERSON. It would not have been possible without the greatly appreciated explanations of Nelson Frye who first explained the terms abstract and functional purpose to me.

Purpose answers the questions: Why do I exist? What is my calling? How am I called to serve?

Discovering my purpose and changing my life so that I could live it was one of the biggest breakthroughs of my life. I asked myself: “What do I want to do with the rest of my life?” The answer was evident. My purpose was (and is!) to make a difference, to get people where they want to be … faster! Working with entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who are growing their businesses, building harmonious, winning and inclusive teams fits comfortably within this purpose.

Your purpose in working may be to earn a living, run a company, make a product, or take care of your family. Your purpose in exercising may be to stay in shape, to have fun, or to lose weight. These are short-term purposes. A more powerful purpose is one that you ‘be’. This purpose answers the question, “Why am I alive?” This purpose will guide you for a lifetime. Through it, you will influence others and you will know the actions to take when you are supporting your purpose.

I’m sure that you have asked yourself the question of purpose in some way or at some point in your life. Maybe as a child you looked up at the stars and wondered how far the universe went and what your place in it was.

Regardless, if this is the 1,000,000th time or the first time, take this opportunity to consider the following questions regarding your true purpose: What brings you joy in the giving? How do you spend your volunteer time? What interests have you consistently been about since you were a child? Why? When you think about the legacy you would like to leave, what comes to mind? What is the highest and best use of your time and talents?

Regardless of what it is that you do and why you do it (functional purpose), what is the reason you are ‘here’ that will leave a legacy and be so important that you feel compelled to take action (abstract purpose)? Expressing your purpose in an abstract way will empower you to be ‘on purpose’ in all areas of your positively powerful life. Here are examples of purposes my workshops have inspired. As you will notice, they are abstract: To be creative. To express, inspire, and communicate ideas. To teach others. To make things work. To make a difference with others, to contribute. To lead change. To be a counselor, mentor, and coach. To heal. To run things as the leader. To create happiness.

We are each on this planet for a higher purpose, a purpose that speaks to the highest and best use of us.

Graphic by Omar Sanchez, mustangdaily.net

The term diversity is taking on new distinctions. When it comes to boards tackling issues like funding, recruitment and delivery of services, thinking that challenges the status quo is important. One of the newer terms being applied to this is “diversity of thought”. Boards should be applauded that have this as well as visible diversity. Which brings me to a question asked at my presentation.

Is “We have diversity of thought” an adequate response to the question, “Do you have a diverse board?”

In real terms, yes. Board leadership can answer any question in any way they choose. However, answering this question in this way is a “cop out” when this response is all that is given. Questions to follow up with are…

• What is the cultural, gender, racial, (and so on) profile of your board? (The diversity dimensions identified by Marilyn Loden & Judy B. Rosener in their Workforce in America are useful guides in determining the profile of a board. )
• Is the board inclusive? (Inclusion is different from diversity.)
• Does your board reflect the community in which you live and/or serve?
• Do you have the skill sets that will enable you to deliver on your mission?
• Are you attracting diversity among your volunteers and suppliers?
• Would that answer alone be enough to get grants?

We have difficulty finding diverse board members who have the financial resources to give at the level we require, what outreach strategies can you recommend?

Participants brainstormed and responded:

• Know the centers of influence: Churches, chambers of commerce
• Do a board matrix. Identify the gaps
• Communicate WIIFT (what’s in it for them)
• Solicit sponsorships that take the place of the financial responsibilities
• Allow in-kind services
• Reach out at grad events, trade schools
• Use ads
• Do cross training with other boards
• Ask previous board members to come back
• Use social media
• Have contributions be more than financial
• Consider advisory boards without a requirement for financial giving
• Have a board development committee

Is there anything you would like to add to the conversation? If so, post your comment.

Why fear?

Much of our life has become routine. We spend very little time exploring anything new on our own. We have become addicted to how we do things and being confronted with something we can’t or won’t do, creates a stop for us. If you want proof, take a look at your old “to do list”. Notice what got done vs. what was discarded. Most of the items we discard are the items, tasks, relationships, etc. that require us to change, and changing is at its least uncomfortable and at its worst, fearful. We are comfortable with who we think we are, even if we are unhappy in not getting what it is that we say we want.

Leap of Faith

The routine that we give ourselves is a  boundary that we’ve set up to save us from having to change. If we look across and past this imaginary wall we’ve supposedly constructed for our identity, we will see that there is nothing dangerous over there to be afraid of and the possibility of accomplishing more can, if we let it, excite us to take a leap of faith. Dare yourself to find out more about yourself.

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Dr.Joseph Riggio

In that spirit I offer you a a very entertaining and short video from TEDx Greece “Stepping Forward, A Hero’s Journey”. Dr. Joseph Riggio, the speaker, says we are only using 5% of our brains. He gives counsel on dealing with change. And, he talks about how we were educated and educate our young.

I suggest that leaders create miracles through their original thoughts. Other wise there is no difference made, rather sameness and business as usual. What do you think? View the video and make up your own mind. Don’t take my word for it.

“If you don’t shape the story you are living you will live someone else’s story.” Dr. Joseph Riggio

True globalization or having  a “Global Community” is a non-zero sum game, where trust, collaboration and cooperation across cultural and national boundaries leads to outcomes where everyone can succeed.  Understanding cultural differences or diversity with inclusion needs to be something we challenge ourselves with to learn as much as we can about cultures that we don’t understand.

In some organizations Diversity Training is a requirement. We, individually, should take the radical step and advocate for it, practice it and share it. Diversity is the wave of the future and the future is within sight.