One of the opportunities to express ones leadership is to dressing to fit a new position. Whether it is moving from one senior level position to another or going to another organization,

Here’s an outfit that might have been appropriate back in the day.

People who practice and understand the essence of Leadership, that is, “Integrity, Authenticity and Commitment to Something Larger Then Self”, will see social media as a way to collaborate and exchange ideas with people all across the planet to produce radical changes to industry, politics and education. All of us are well aware of the “Arab Spring or Occupy Wall Street Movements, but these two well documented happenings are really just a faction of the changes that social media has brought about.

So the question to ask yourself, is what is the positive change you want to see in the world and how can Social Media help?

With the exception of things for the body (meds, treats, cute shoes for walking, aspirins, vitamins, make up and the like) everything is now on my small iPhone. I’ve got apps for working out, synching, calendars, itineraries, travel clock (ha ha), notes, phone numbers, digi recorder and music, if a training.

Amazing. To be in business today one MUST have a smart phone and a bunch of cool apps. Oh while on the road one of my fun things to do is play words with friends with guess who…yep my daughter. And next time, this list will be on my phone and not on a piece of paper.

After nearly four decades—three of which were at the helm—Susan left Essence Magazine in 2007 to lead the National CARES Mentoring Movement, a volunteer-driven organization of African American men and women who are dedicated to securing our country’s most vulnerable and precious young people.  In just five years and under Susan’s leadership, CARES, now located in nearly 60 cities, has recruited and placed more than 160,000 African American mentors with children who need little more than a caring, stable and wise voice to help guide them across the often difficult terrain they call their lives.

In recognition of all she has done—and all she continues to do—the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, bestowed upon Susan the 2011 Freedom Award for Activism.   In so doing, they said that the National CARES Mentoring Movement “speaks to the legacy left for all of us by Dr. King, who was an advocate for all people, but especially our young people.”  The Museum, named by USA Today as one of America’s Top Ten Treasures, has welcomed more than 3 million visitors since they first opened twenty years ago.

The Freedom Award has been bestowed upon the most inspiring leaders of our time since the Museum’s opening in 1991.  For their contribution to philanthropy, humanitarian work and social justice, past honorees have included President Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, James Farmer, Thurgood Marshall, The Dalai Lama, Diane Nash, Marian Wright Edelman, Bono, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, B. B. King, Stevie Wonder, President Lech Walesa, Myrlie Evers Williams and Elie Weisel among others.   In November of 2011, in recognition of their twentieth anniversary, their honoree was my friend, my colleague, my mentor, Susan L. Taylor.

asha bandele is a journalist and the author of five books, including two award-winners, The Prisoner’s Wife: A Memoir, and the novel, Daughter.  asha’s work has been widely anthologized and has been taught in classrooms from Harvard University to the University of Ankara, Turkey.  She’s published articles in The New York Times, Essence, Vibe, Family Circle and scores of other publications.  In addition to writing, asha serves as VP of Communications for National CARES Mentoring Movement, Director of the Advocacy Grants Program at the Drug Policy Alliance but is most proud of being mother to her pre-teen daughter whom she is raising in Brooklyn, NY.

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When I interviewed women who had survived breast cancer for my art project The Woman Inside, I noticed that they all shared one remarkable thing in common.

They had all faced down death and decided to live every day like it might be their last. And then they all beat cancer.

The more interviews I did, the more I noticed that these women were living differently than most of the people I knew who had not been diagnosed with cancer. Here’s what I learned from those survivor women. Learning these lessons changed my life, and I hope they’ll change yours.

1.     Be unapologetically YOU.  People who survive cancer get feisty. They walk around bald in shopping malls and roll their eyes if people look at them funny.  They say what they think.  They laugh often. They don’t make excuses. They wear purple muumuus when they want to.

2.     Don’t take shit from people.  People who survive cancer stop trying to please everybody. They give up caring what everybody else thinks. If you might die in a year anyway (and every single one of us could), who gives a flip if your Great Aunt Gertrude is going to cut you out of her will unless you kiss her ass?

3.     Learn to say no. People with cancer say no when they don’t feel like going to the gala.  They avoid gatherings when they’d prefer to be alone. They don’t let themselves get pressured into doing things they really don’t want to do.

4.     Get angry. Then get over it. People who survive cancer get in your face. They question you. They feel their anger. They refuse to be doormats.  They demand respect. They feel it. Then they forgive. They let go. They surrender. They don’t stay pissed. They release resentment.

5.     Don’t obsess about beauty. People who survive cancer no longer worry about whether they have perfect hair, whether their makeup looks spotless, or whether their boobs are perky enough. They’re happy just to have boobs (if they still do). They’re happy to be alive in their skin, even if it’s wrinkled.

6.     Do it now.  Stop deferring happiness. People who survive cancer realize that you can’t wait until you kick the bucket to do what you’re dying to do. Quit that soul-sucking job now. Leave that deadbeat husband. Prioritize joy. They live like they mean it.

7.     Say “I love you” often.  People who survive cancer leave no words left unspoken. You never know when your time is up. Don’t risk having someone you love not know it.

8.     Take care of your body. People who survive cancer have a whole new appreciation for health. Those who haven’t been there may take it for granted. So stop smoking. Eat healthy. Drink in moderation. Maintain a healthy weight. Avoid putting toxic poisons in your God Pod. Get enough sleep.

9.     Prioritize freedom. People who survive cancer know that being a workaholic isn’t the answer. Money can’t buy health. Security doesn’t matter if you’re six feet under. Sixteen hours a day of being a stress monster is only going to make you sick. As Tim Ferriss writes in The 4-Hour Workweek, “Gold is getting old. The New Rich are those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility.”

10.Take risks. People who survive cancer have faced their fear and told it to go to hell. They know life is for living. Fear is powerless. And joy lies in taking risks. So go sky diving if you want. Bungee jump. Hang glide. Spend your savings.  Live like you might die tomorrow.

Are you doing these things? Or are you waiting for cancer to test out how much you want to live?

Don’t wait for cancer, my love. Don’t tempt the Universe that way.

Be brave enough to live NOW.

Unapologetically and fearlessly living for today,

Lissa

© Copyright Lissa Rankin 2011

1. The world, this planet, is divided up between the haves and the have-nots. “We” are the haves.
2. People must earn the right to live. Breathing is not an inalienable right.
3. Scarcity and fear, are motivation for reaching ones higher self.
4. Money determines true value and worth.
5. We are care takers for the planet and we are doing a good job.
6. Love your neighbors, when you see them or are related to them or they agree with you.
7. We are never responsible for what someone else does.
8. Where you were born determines the contributions you can make.
9. Your past determines your future.

We have envisioned ourselves as enlightened and benevolent, yet we avoid responsibility for the poor, hungry, oppressed, disadvantaged or the cruel. We reject concepts, like abundance, win-win and empathy because they are not competitive.  We are, unfortunately, passionate about life being a zero sum game, that in order for someone to win someone has to be the loser and when we or others lose, we are eager to determine fault, so that someone is blamed.

Don’t believe me, keep a tally on how often you ask yourself, “Whose fault is it? Who should get the blame for what is going on?”

In our workshops, “Conversation on Leadership”  we look to bring alive what it means to be a “Positively Powerful Person”, to providing a fuller understanding of “Responsibility”  and to how finding fault or blaming others diminishes ones own power.

Roland Kemokai

Roland started his journey very early in life when he was adopted at three-month young. According to his adopted parents, they heard a baby crying from a cardboard box on a dump pile in Grass Field neighborhood in Robertsport, Liberia, Africa, and there was baby Roland. He later traveled to the United States in 2000 to attend college. He graduated from Fruitland Bible College with an Associate’s Degree in Pastoral ministries and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, Radio Broadcast and Religious Studies & Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University.

Roland hosted an inspiring, syndicated radio show for four years, and performs as a multi-instrumental musician and recording artist. Roland recently forgave is birth parents for his ordeal and inspires audiences of the power of forgiveness.  ”That which we intend we become.”  Roland is working on his first book, Power Through Forgiveness.

Register for this Telesiminar Here

“She saw more than what we were. She saw what we were to become.”

The Positively Powerful Woman of Global Leadership Award will be given to Kay Kallander for her many contributions as Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW); for her design and launch of The Grove, an acclaimed memory support program; chairpersonship of EMERGE, Aging Services of California’s leadership development program; the launch of Leadership ABHOW; her contributions as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging; representation of the U.S. in Australia at the first Alzheimer’s Association/E-Rotary conference on Alzheimer’s disease; leadership in the  structure of the innovative Leadership AAHSA fellowship program in which she serves as the lead coach and being the recipient of the 2008 AAHSA Mentor of the Year award.

Kay Kallandar is a role model for what it looks like to “have it all” – family, meaningful career, servant leadership and the ability to be positively powerful with grace, humor and style. Florence Nightingale was a history maker. So too, is Kay Kallander.

For her many contributions, Kay Kallander will receive the first Global Leadership Award in the Positively Powerful Women Awards’ 4 years history. She embodies what the Positively Powerful Women Awards stand for: “The empowerment of all people through the celebration of women’s accomplishments in ways that inspire all others to live their dreams.” This annual award is given to women who have founded or lead legacy organizations…organizations that have stood the test of time. During a  gala awards luncheon May 20, 2011 at the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton, Kay Kallander will be honored as royalty for her hard work, resourcefulness, diligence and stand for excellence in global leadership for the aging and health services. While she preferred to remain silently in service (as do so many women making a significant difference), Kay was assured that the commitments near and dear to her heart would share the spotlight with her. Consider these statistics:

• With over 100,000 vacant positions and an ever-growing need for healthcare workers, the career outlook is excellent for the nursing field. Nursing is a highly regarded profession. A 2004 Gallup Poll announced that the public again voted nurses number one for “honesty and ethical standards of various professions.” For those who have a passion for the care of others, we will salute you.
• This year, the first baby boomers turn 65. While Alzheimer’s is not normal aging, age is the greatest risk factor for the disease. “Too many of America’s baby boomers will spend their retirement years either with Alzheimer’s or caring for someone who has it.” For care givers and those searching for a cure, thank you.
• In partnership with Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., AAHSA convened a National Summit on Affordable Senior Housing and Services on May 25, 2010. The event brought together nearly 100 experts to discuss role of affordable senior housing and service models to help lower-income seniors “age in place”; share promising practices and policy initiatives; and identify barriers to the of models. Aging in place, ABHOW’s CCRCS, nursing care, affordable housing and assisted living are important initiatives for us all to consider.

If you would like more inspiration on what is possible when one chooses nursing as a profession, please read on. Then let your imagination about your contributions soar.

Kay Kallandar’s management expertise and commitment to quality are grounded in frontline experience. A registered nurse, she joined ABHOW in 1985 as director of nursing at Plymouth Village in Redlands, Calif., after 12 years of nursing work in hospital and home health settings. Throughout her career, she has volunteered as a nurse through World Vision, traveling to such countries as El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Tanzania and working in refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand.

Once at ABHOW, she took on ever-expanding roles, becoming assistant administrator then executive director of Plymouth Village before joining the corporate team in 1996 as senior vice president and chief operations manager. She moved into her current role in 2001.

While at Plymouth Village, Kay Kallander launched The Grove, an acclaimed memory support program that ABHOW has since expanded to five communities with several more programs in development. Her goal is for The Grove to be in every ABHOW CCRC. Designed for her MBA thesis at the University of Redlands, The Grove emphasizes residents’ abilities rather than disabilities and encourages staff to enter the world of residents. She has shared The Grove’s approach with national and international groups. In 2004, she represented the U.S. in Australia at the first Alzheimer’s Association/E-Rotary conference on Alzheimer’s disease.

Kay Kallander’s work has led to other invitations to lead and speak. She served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. She currently serves as chair elect of Aging Services of California. In addition, she is a trustee for American Baptist Seminary of the West and an advisory committee member for the health care administrator certificate program at the University of Redlands, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree and was named Alumni of the Year in 2001.

Much of her focus today is on cultivating the next generation of senior living leaders.  She understands that a commitment to excellence must include the intentional formation of leaders. She helped structure the innovative Leadership AAHSA fellowship program in which she serves as the lead coach. She received the AAHSA Mentor of the Year award in 2008. (AAHSA is now named LeadingAge.)

In addition, she is chair of EMERGE, Aging Services of California’s leadership development program, and she launched Leadership ABHOW, the company’s yearlong initiative to create a ready reserve of trained and licensed team members who can move into management-level positions as they become available. In her teaching and coaching, Kay Kallander’s aim is always the growth and self-development of others. She motivates people by first having faith in them. As one AAHSA fellow put it, “She saw more than what we were. She saw what we were to become.”

It’s this belief in potential, coupled with her passion for excellence, which brings Kay Kallander into relationship with emerging leaders. She invests in others because she is ultimately a person of hope. In the words of another AAHSA fellow, “Kay affords people the opportunity to turn their potential into reality, their dreams into destiny. Her impact cannot be measured because there is no telling where her influence will stop.”

Kay is known for her commitment to excellence in the service of others. For more than 25 years, she has advanced the senior living profession through pioneering efforts in Alzheimer’s care and memory support, planning for the future of aging services, and mentoring of the next generation of leaders.

As senior vice president for strategic planning for American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW), Kay Kallander guides the company’s award-winning initiatives in quality management, governance, leadership development, and communications. She oversees the accreditation process for ABHOW’s continuing care retirement communities, and she promotes the companywide commitment to Quality First, a national initiative of American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging to build public trust through exceptional service. ABHOW’s Quality First efforts are considered best practices across the nation.

Note: After this post appeared, we received this message from Michele Hollaran. Her thoughts provide background on why we said in our post, Kay has it all. “Kay has been my role model for many years. What… is so important to Kay, is her family. She is an exemplary wife, mother and person of deep faith. When I think of all the people who have touched my world in a profound way, Kay is right up at the top of the list. She has been by my side, lending me support and hope, more times than I can count. She is a positively powerful person in every aspect!”

For more information on the 2011 Positively Powerful Women Awards please click here.

Rev. Dr. Cathy Clardy Patterson, Pastor, Fountain of Life Church will receive the first Positively Powerful Woman Award for Spiritual Leadership for her vision as expressed through the founding of Fountain of Life Church and her global ministry; for  serving on the ministerial staff at Tanner Chapel AME Church in Phoenix; for her academic credentials and contributions; for her success in the world of business as only the second African American woman in U. S. history to be named a Managing Director of a major investment bank; and for being a role-model as a community leader.

Rev. Dr. Cathy Clardy Patterson founded the Fountain of Life Church (“FOL”) in 2006 with 12 individuals “like the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Disciples they set forth in obedience to the Word of God.”  Rev. Patterson believes that the church, following in the footsteps of Jesus, must meet people where they are and minister to their needs.

Rev. Patterson entered the ministry in 1999 and was granted a license to preach by the Presiding Elder of the Phoenix-Albuquerque District of the Desert Mountain Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (“AMEC”).  Rev. Patterson was ordained by the AMEC in 2002 as an Itinerate Deacon and upon her successful completion of the denomination’s 5-year course of study she was ordained as an Itinerate Elder in 2004.  Rev. Patterson earned her Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Rev. Patterson’s academic credentials also include: a Juris Doctorate from The Harvard Law School; a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University (where she was designated a University Fellow by the faculty); a Bachelor of Science in Management and Industrial Relations from Minnesota State University at Mankato where she was the first graduate of the University’s Honors Program.

Rev. Patterson has had a wide-ranging career in law and finance.  She practiced law at major firms in both Washington D.C. and New York.  Rev. Patterson eventually was lured to Wall Street where she held a series of progressively responsible positions at two of the largest investment banks in the world. During her tenure on Wall Street she closed more than $16 billion in complex structured securities transactions.  Ultimately she became only the second African American woman in U. S. history to be named a Managing Director of a major investment bank.

Rev. Patterson moved to Arizona to accept a position as a Sr. Vice President of ING /Pilgrim Securities.  Currently, in addition to her pastoral duties she is the CEO of a consulting firm. 

Rev. Cathy has always given back to the community.  Since her arrival in Arizona she has served on the ministerial staff at Tanner Chapel AME Church in Phoenix where in addition to having the opportunity to preach and teach the Word of God she served as the Vice Chair of Tanner Community Development Corporation.

Rev. Patterson has also been active in a number of civic organizations, having served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Scottsdale Cultural Council, a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Phoenix and a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for Arizona Opera.  She is currently the Chair of the Board for Arizona Cares, Inc, and a member of the African American Christian Clergy Coalition. 

Rev. Patterson has been happily married to Mr. Ross Patterson, Jr. for 21 years. Mr. Patterson has a heart for mission work whenever there is a need he is the first to respond.  His recent missionary endeavors have included extensive work with the Lost Boys of the Sudan, survivors of Hurricane Katrina and developing an outreach ministry for men.

About the Awards Program. The Positively Powerful Woman Award is given to servant leaders who have founded or lead legacy organizations that have stood the test of time. On May 20th, 11:30am to 2pm, at the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix we will honor women as royalty for their hard work, resourcefulness and diligence. Following the Luncheon will be networking and “Conversations On Leadership” for professional & business development. Positively Powerful Guest Speakers include Diana Gregory, Susan Ratliff and Dr. Kay Lovelace-Taylor. You will leave inspired to go for your vision with new friends and information that will assist you in getting where you want to be…faster. The public is invited to attend. Dr. Joel P. Martin Triad West, Inc. president is the producer. Click here to become a sponsor and to attend the Awards and Seminar which follows.

“An award-winning entrepreneur with a passion for empowering others!”

Colleen J. Payne-Nabors will receive the 2011 Positively Powerful Woman Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership for her vision as expressed through the founding of six successful companies including the award winning Mobile Cardiac Imaging, LLC, (dba) MCI Diagnostic Center. Under her leadership as founder and CEO, MCI Diagnostic Center has become one of the most successful and well-positioned companies in the medical industry. Inc. Magazine listed her company as one of the 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America for 2007, 2008 and 2009.

MCI Diagnostic Center provides “excellent patient care and state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatments with the most advanced, modern equipment available.” It has grown to include a team of dedicated physicians who are experts in their fields, a staff trained at many of the country’s leading teaching hospitals, Board Certified radiologists, a skilled management team and medical professionals that are courteous and compassionate. MCI Diagnostic Center is located at 7018 South Utica Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma  74136. For more information, phone them at 918.744.1001 or email them at mobile@mobilecardiac.com.

Colleen J. Payne defeated all odds, overcame all obstacles and built this multi-million dollar business from the ground up. She is a superb business person who has a passion for assisting others.  Because of her humor, candor, integrity and ability to empower others, she is a sought-after speaker who works with organizational leaders who want to create, organize and lead successful businesses that have a competitive edge. Her book I Did it My Way and…It Worked! is a savvy, no-nonsense approach to business and entrepreneurship.

Colleen has written numerous leadership and business articles, and has been featured in many publications, including Washington G2, Black Enterprise, Influence Magazine, and Inc. Magazine. She has appeared on national and local television with segments on Fox News, ABC, CBS and NBC. She was named as one of Tulsa’s Most Influential People in 2008, was the SBA’s Small Business Person of the year in 2007 for the State of Oklahoma, and was selected as Business Innovator of the Year in 2003 by Black Enterprise Magazine.

About the Awards Program. The Positively Powerful Woman Award is given to servant leaders who have founded or lead legacy organizations that have stood the test of time. On May 20th, 11:30am to 2pm, at the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix we will honor women as royalty for their hard work, resourcefulness and diligence. Following the Luncheon will be networking and “Conversations On Leadership” for professional & business development. Positively Powerful Guest Speakers include Diana Gregory, Susan Ratliff and Dr. Kay Lovelace-Taylor. You will leave inspired to go for your vision with new friends and information that will assist you in getting where you want to be…faster. The public is invited to attend. Dr. Joel P. Martin Triad West, Inc. president is the producer. Click here to become a sponsor and to attend the Awards and Seminar which follows.