Category Archives: leadership

Men, listen up!!! It’s time to take your health seriously

“I’d like to thank the Academy for this prestigious award, and thank a few others while I’m here…”

Today is Men’s Health Day, a day set aside to remind us of the importance of watching our own health.  As men, we tend to ignore the signs our bodies give us, either shrugging it off or postponing follow up to a time that is more convenient.  Today is meant to say “that’s not enough”, and to encourage us all to listen and act more frequently to those signs.

I know the drill all to well, having suffered the pain of diverticulitis to the point that I had very little options – either get surgery or risk the next episode being fatal.  Even when faced with this dilemma, I had my reservations.  “Why deal with this now?  I’m far too busy for surgery!”, I recall saying. 

In the end, it wasn’t my wife, or my daughter, or even my doctor that convinced me to have the surgery.  It was another male friend, having recently made a different yet similar choice to address his issues through surgery, that convinced me to do the same.  Man to man, so to speak.

Thankfully I followed through with the surgery, having 8 inches of my colon removed.  Turns out, had I ignored the issue the next episode would have been fatal.  They literally found portions of my colon fused to my bladder, with an abscess forming.  And if it had burst – lights out.

So today I’d like to use my leadership blog’s pulpit to offer some encouragement to men all over to take their health seriously.  And if you’ll allow me, I’ll use some humor to drive the point home.  Consider this my acceptance speech for having made the right choice on my own health…

“I’d like to thank the Academy for this prestigious award, and thank a few others while I’m here…

To my legs, for always being there to support me.  When times were tough, you were always there to lift me up and take a stand for what’s right.  And if it wasn’t for you, I would never have able to put my best foot forward.

To my feet, for helping me walk the right path, even when the road ahead was rough and unpaved.  It was you that helped me go the extra mile.

To my arms, for always giving me a helpful hand.  You’ve always been that shoulder to lean on, not just for me but for so many others. 

To my ears, for always being there to listen.  It is your clarity and understanding that has always helped me to hear the wisdom of others.

To my eyes, for showing me the way.  You have always been there to look out for me, and for that I am grateful.

To my torso, for always having my back.  I’ve always admired your strength, and its that character that has helped me stand tall in the face of adversity.

To my digestive system, who sounded the alarm so many times recently.  I’m sorry I didn’t listen, next time I’ll trust my gut.

To my liver and kidneys, for all the times we celebrated.  My true drinking buddies – we’ve had some fun times haven’t we?

To my brain, for your wisdom, guidance, and advice.  And for always being at the center of everything I do.  It is you I’ll remember most.

And finally, to my heart, for never quitting on me.  It was you who has kept up with me throughout all of this, and you who I depend on every day.  Thank you for always loving me!

While meant to be light-hearted, there is a clear message I want to give to all of you men out there.  Our body and our health are far too important to overlook.  When our health is good, we tend to overlook their importance.  When they aren’t, we realize what we had.  Address what you have now before it’s too late.

Happy Men’s Health Day 2022.  Take care of yourself…

Especially when no one is looking…

“Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.  But especially when no one is looking”

– George Devine

I was recently having a conversation with several of my colleagues when the subject of parental impact and lasting nuggets of wisdom/guidance was broached in conversation.  One of those at the table, Lindsay Hale, offered the quote above as one she took from her father’s words and actions, remaining with her today.  I found it so profound that I asked if I could use it as my leadership quote for this month’s message.

Do the right thing

While it may seem a bit cliché, I have always loved this axiom.  It’s simple and straight forward.  Do the right thing.  But oh, how difficult it is to live by.  Life comes at you with such velocity, bringing challenges and opportunities, all of it requiring difficult choices.  Often, the easy path is to take short cuts, to compromise, or to do what’s in our own personal interests. 

On the other hand, the right path is generally the more difficult one.  It doesn’t follow short cuts but requires your full commitment.  It shuns compromise, and gives no extra credit for incorporating morals, ethics, or values.  And it requires us to balance both the instinct of self-preservation and the impact our decisions might have on others. 

In relationships, that means thinking of others as much as you think of yourself.  Give as much as you take.  Reach out, embrace, and connect.  Protect, defend, and support.  Offer gratitude, appreciation, and respect.  But for most of us, we aren’t naturally wired that way.  Our instincts kick in with a focus on our own wellbeing.  Not in a malicious way, but with a lack of awareness of the impact our choices will have on others. 

In business, that means taking the high ground.  Knowing the broader picture and contemplating the impact of decisions and actions on the whole of the team/organization vs the individual.  It means operating under a code of ethics, a set of values, and the purpose and principles that define the company.  Short term gains are never long-term successes if they compromise these fundamentals.  That applies to every aspect of your operations – your clients, your suppliers, your competitors, and your fellow team members. 

Even when no one is looking.  But especially when no one is looking.

All of which makes the second part of George’s quote so profound – “…even when no one is looking.  But especially when no one is looking”.  It’s hard enough to do the right thing, but the presence of others provides a temperament that can govern behavior in the right direction.  Yet when no one is looking, it’s much more tempting to take the easy way out.  To take the short cuts, compromise too much, and act in our own self-interest. 

But if you can develop the discipline to do the right thing when you are alone – especially when you are alone – you are well ahead of the game.  Doing so reflects awareness of the impact your decision has on others, and yourself.  Better to take the right path, however difficult it is, and be comfortable that you don’t have to look over your shoulder wondering when it will catch up to you. 

So, Lindsay and George – I, too, will aspire to do the right thing, even when no one is looking.  But especially when no one is looking.  It won’t be easy, and I’m sure I’ll stumble more times than not, but its sound advice worth following.  Thank you so much for sharing. 

Hispanic Heritage Month – An Interview w/ Nina Vaca

“[My family] had faith that if they worked toward their goals, they could achieve them. So, I grew up believing that if I wanted to do something, I needed to work to achieve it… and I would” – Nina Vaca

For this edition of Leading Wright, I’m going to shake it up a bit. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, I thought it appropriate to recognize and feature a successful Latino leader – providing insight to a leadership approach and perspective different than my own. That’s the beauty of diversity isn’t it? Different backgrounds, different experiences, and different perspectives provide the fundamental building blocks for new ideas and approaches to solving the challenges we all face in leadership.

With that, I asked a fellow business leader, successful entrepreneur, and good friend of mine – Nina Vaca – to join me in writing this message by sharing some of her thoughts and insights on the secrets of her success, the importance of diversity in the business community, and what advice she can offer to those aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs to help them achieve similar success.

Nina is both an accomplished leader and a fierce advocate for the Hispanic community. Born in Quito, Ecuador, she and her family immigrated to California early in her youth before eventually taking permanent residence in Texas. Her academic career includes an undergraduate degree at Texas State University, and a number of executive education programs at several prestigious schools – Harvard Business School, Tuck School of Business, and Kellogg School of Management. She also holds honorary degrees from Northwood University, Mary Mount University, and Berkeley College.

Nina is the founder and Chair/CEO of Pinnacle Group (a direct competitor of my own Genuent). She and her leadership team have led Pinnacle on a tremendous growth curve, including recognition as one of the fastest growing Women Owned Businesses in 2015 and again in 2018. She also serves as one of the few Latinas on the boards of publicly traded companies, & has dedicated much of her time to empowering women and minorities and expanding their opportunities.

Her background not only includes success in business, but also an active role in the promotion of women and Hispanics in business and leadership. In 2014, Vaca was appointed by the White House as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship to help inspire entrepreneurs worldwide. Last year, she was also elected as a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

A passionate advocate for higher education, Vaca supports many organizations helping grow the next generation of global leaders, including through programs like Pinnacle Group Academic WorldQuest and Dallas ISD/Dallas Community College District’s P-TECH program. She has also spent two decades raising scholarship funds for minority students through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Law School Yes We Can, and the Nina Vaca Foundation, among many others.

Vaca was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and has been called one of the country’s 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs. She has also been named one of the top 101 Most Influential Latinos in America by Latino Leaders Magazine for over a decade.
Impressed enough yet? Good. Now let’s hear directly from Nina.

Kip:
So Nina, tell us a little about yourself – your background and your journey.

Nina:
I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and my dream was always to grow a business that no one would want to leave while supporting my family.

Pinnacle’s evolution and astronomical growth is the result of fearless approach to overcoming challenges and intense focus on two core values: delivering impeccable service to clients and putting people at the heart of everything Pinnacle does.

Some of the important early lessons are the same lessons that still apply today – you must be able to adapt to changing circumstances – the current pandemic is a perfect example, but another early example was 9/11 which happened after we were in business for less than 5 years, and then again the Great Recession in 2008-2009 – each time we’ve had to reinvent the business based on what customers need now.

Kip:
You have achieved amazing success – entrepreneur, public company board member, philanthropic leader – What has been the secret of your success?

Nina:
When I started my own business, I wish I had known that I was not alone and in fact belonged to something much larger than myself or my company. I had become a part of the American economic engine. I didn’t yet understand everything that I was capable of achieving until I started working on the business, not just in the business.

Being an entrepreneur is extremely hard work. It’s time consuming, risky, frustrating, and, sometimes, downright terrifying. But it’s also the most rewarding work you can do. So, to put yourself through all of the tough things that come along with entrepreneurship, you better have a really solid reason why.

Kip:
As a female Latino entrepreneur, you can appreciate the importance of diversity. Can you give us your thoughts on the importance of diversity for corporate America?

Nina:
As a Latina entrepreneur, I am living proof of the ways that immigrants can make positive contributions to this country. I’ve been blessed many times to be the first Latina at the table, but I don’t want to be the only Latina.

For me, true success is opening doors for others and expanding opportunities for women and minorities in business. I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to invest in people and what motivates me is helping the next generation to reach even greater heights than we ever dreamed.

As a business leader, I have seen firsthand how diversity and inclusion fosters a more creative and innovative workforce. These benefits translate into improved bottom line performance for companies, which has been studied and reported on by McKinsey and others for several years.

Kip:
For aspiring future leaders, what advice would you give them?

Nina:
Surround yourself with people who truly want to be successful. After all, no one accomplishes anything alone, in business or in life. Look for groups, like councils and chambers, who can share experiences and wisdom with you.

Mentorship is another invaluable tool on the journey to success. Find someone to guide and push you to achieve greater.

Understand the realities of your situation and what you’re facing, both in terms of business impacts and the significant personal impacts this is having on your team.

And finally, leaders must respond, not react. This means taking the time necessary to gain perspective and be thoughtful in setting a course before taking action.

Amazing insight from a Latino leader who has not only achieved professional success in business but has a clear and impactful history of giving back to the community and helping others in their own personal path to success. I’m grateful she was willing to share her thoughts here on Leading Wright.

What You Learn in a Low Tide

“Just because the Tide is low doesn’t mean there is less water in the ocean” – Seth Godin

In my most recent leadership blog, I shared a message about surviving the storm. That post was shared on March 5th, before all of this COVID madness hit us. Little did I know the lesson would be so relevant today as we find ourselves in unchartered waters navigating one of the worst social, economic, and medical crises of our time. Truly a surreal moment for all of us.

In that article, I shared how relieved I felt to have reached the safety of the harbor. Most times the harbor is a safe place. But, in the crisis we now face, the harbor doesn’t feel so safe. Metaphorically speaking, it seems the tide is out, and we find ourselves in a much different predicament than the storm we’ve been navigating.

With no water in the harbor, the dangers that lurk below the surface are all around us. Sunken ships once 20 feet below now tower above the water. Pilings, rocks, and other debris are now clear obstacles we previously never concerned ourselves with – obstacles that prove increasingly difficult to navigate. Continue reading →

I Miss My Friend

NOTE:  For this month’s post I am hijacking my blog to share a tribute to a great man – Jamiel Saliba.  On January 9th, 2020, Jamiel was called home to be with the Lord and serve as one of his angels.  And on Saturday, January 18th, family & friends gathered in Birmingham, AL to send him off on this new journey.  Today I share my thoughts and reflections on this great man in hopes it is a small tribute to an unbelievable life, and to the impact he made on so many of us.  www.leadingwright.com is here in part because of that impact, so its only fitting that I post this. 

I MISS MY FRIEND

I remember the first time I met Jamiel.  It was sometime in 2004, and we had just completed the merger of COMSYS and Venturi Partners.  Jamiel was the head of their MSP program, vWorx, and I was running ours (COMSYS VMS).  We met at Don Shula’s Steakhouse in Birmingham, AL, but the initial meeting wasn’t instant friendship.  In fact, both of us approached it trying to show the other who was the “bigger man”.  I was on my phone, as was he, and we both gave each other the “wait a minute” finger to let the other know who was more important.  As we sat down for dinner, the topic of drinking came up immediately.  “You able to hold your liquor?”, he asked.  “I got a PhD in drinking from LSU”, I responded.  And then it was on.  Cocktails, bottles of wine, after dinner drinks – and somewhere around 1:30 am I called uncle and admitted defeat.  Score one for Jamiel.

I miss my friend.

Our work relationship was built from that point forward.  While I was given the nod to lead the new combined group, it was clear this wouldn’t be a one man show.  Our business debates and arguments were epic.  I was the dreamer, Jamiel the realist.  And it seemed every single idea I had would be countered with all the reasons why we couldn’t.  Thank God, as more often than not he was right.  But even when we didn’t, once it was decided he would step forward and make it happen as if it were his own.

I miss my friend.

In business, Jamiel was simply the best operator I have ever worked with.  He never missed a budget.  Let me say that again, he never missed a budget – EVER.  If you worked for him, you knew you had to perform.  Compassionate, yes, but he had expectations and you never wanted to let him down.  As I look across this audience, I see dozens and dozens of people who all worked for him and know this fact well.  He was the best.

I miss my friend.

His leadership meetings were unconventional but effective.  He would assemble the team in either Orlando or Destin (generally at his time share), and you would be asked to bunk up with your fellow co-worker as part of it.  The meetings themselves would be held at vacation resorts in their on-site activity centers, if they weren’t held in one of the rooms.  Dinners were routine – we would generally cook in.  One night was always spaghetti, and the other steak.  Cooking and cleaning were a group effort, and everyone was expected to do their part.  No fancy hotel conference rooms, no group dinners at The Palm.  That wasn’t how Jamiel wanted it.  No, this was about building culture, building a team, and creating trust.   Oh, and saving money to make budget.  And it worked.

I miss my friend.

When we were acquired by ManpowerGroup, Jamiel and I were charged with driving the TAPFIN program globally.  “The World Tour”, he used to call it.  Oh the fun we had.  Well, if you can call that fun.  From London to Paris, from Brussels to Frankfurt, we pushed forward to spread the TAPFIN way.  The Belgians were the first to come on board, the Germans followed shortly thereafter.  The French fought us for a good year before finally giving in.  And I’m not sure the Brits ever really complied.  But ever the soldier, Jamiel pushed forward.  “Attack in Force”, he used to say.  In the end, he helped build TAPFIN in to the world leader in MSP, with a geographic reach that is the envy of the industry.  The World Tour became World Dominance.

I miss my friend.

A creature of habit, he was ever the loyal patron.  If you flew overseas with him, you flew Delta.  Period.  The man must have achieved some godlike status on that airline.  Hotels?  You got it – Marriott or bust.  There was never a discussion – if you traveled with him, you stayed at his hotels.  And dinners?  Epic!  They were always the same – Bone’s in Atlanta (and it had to be Peter serving us); Amarone’s in New York; Orjawon in London (Fatima always ordered for us); Tuscany in Destin.  I’m sure many of you have a similar list specific to each city.  That’s just the way it was.

I miss my friend.

Our relationship was based on business, but it quickly became something more.  The man has a personality that was infectious, and I was infected from the first time I met him.  We had so much in common, and yet so little.  And in the end, that’s what made our friendship special.  Ever the Alabama fan, I had to endure the full force of his passion.  That’s not easy for an LSU fan, I assure you.  “27 SEC Championships, 17 National Championships, and the Greatest Tradition in College Football – This is Alabama Football” he used to say to me.  And to make matters worse, I had to listen to that every year as the count increased.  It would piss me off – and yet I’d look forward to his beaming face every time they won another championship.

I miss my friend.

Jamiel had many passions, but there were four that stood out above all else.  God, Country, Family, and Friends.  He was clear and steadfast in his religious beliefs.  He didn’t need to be a man of the cloth to do so.  Christ was his man, and he made no apologies for his beliefs.  No doubt he is sitting in heaven right now singing “Sweet Home Alabama” to the angelic masses attracted by that magnetic personality.  Heaven is better today because he is there.

To say he served his country would be an understatement.  Tours in Germany, Italy, and Bosnia capped a 23 year career in the US Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.  I could never do justice in speaking to his career as a soldier – I’ll leave that to his good friends such as Tommy Fricks and Al Lumpkin.  What I can say is that this country is safer today because he was there, and there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of soldiers whose lives were forever enriched after serving under his command.

What can I say about his love for his family?  In a short moment you will hear directly from them.  What I can tell you is that nothing was more important to him.  He adored his wife, Ellen (who doesn’t?).  His daughter, Jeannie, meant the world to him – and her passing tore him apart.  His two sons – Jamiel III and Jonathan – were his pride and legacy, and sharing his passion for BAMA football with them his greatest joy.  His life’s commitment was to raise his granddaughter, Shauna, in honor of Jeannie.  And his grandchildren meant the world to him.  I’m honored to be considered a small part of this family, and I have Jamiel to thank for getting to know them as such.

And last but not least were his friends.  I look around this room today and I see so many of those faces – so many people who’s lives he touched in profound ways.  Just to be in the same room with Jamiel was an experience.  Its like his energy drew you in.  And if you let him get to know you, you became one of those friends.  Dave McGonegal said it best to me recently – “I’ve never met a man who would wake up, walk down the hall, and meet three new people who would be friends for life.”  That was Jamiel.

I miss my friend.

But for all of that, I want to be selfish for a minute.  To me, he was more than a friend.  He was my brother.  My father.  My idol.  What defined him was his authenticity.  He was real.  He was present.  He was caring, compassionate, empathetic.  He was tough on the outside, and a big soft teddy bear on the inside.  I’ve learned so much about life, family, friends, business, and being a leader from him.  My life is SO MUCH BETTER having met him.

His departure from this world has left me shattered.  I am completely broken.  I am lost.  I ache.  I yearn to hear his voice again, and grieve that while I am in this world, I will never spend another minute with him.  Maybe one day in the future I will find a way to fill the hole he left in my soul.  But today….

God, I miss my friend.

Contrasting Success Factors – Accountability vs. The Blame Game

“Take accountability… Blame is the water in which many dreams and relationships drown” – Steve Maraboli

I’m a little behind in my blog posts this year, probably not the best way to showcase attributes of successful people. I’ll take the blame on that one and chalk it up simply to letting my schedule get overwhelmed. That’s not what successful people do. Then again, successful people take ownership for their actions, don’t they?

I find it amazing how quickly we make excuses or tend to point fingers when things go wrong. I don’t know if this has become a cultural phenomenon, but it sure feels like an epidemic. When things go wrong, we immediately look for someone to blame. Someone who didn’t do their job. Someone who failed to see the warning signs. Someone who simply dropped the ball.

I have a routine I have done every morning now for years. On the way in to the office, I flip between CNN and Fox News, largely for entertainment purposes. I guess I could tune my SiriusXM to the comedy channel, but I find more humor in these two networks. To be fair, they sprinkle in a little bit of news here and there, but most of it is one sided color commentary, and often it’s an amazing example of the blame game on steroids. Continue reading →

Captain, my Captain

“The easiest way to lead, it turns out, is to serve.”

“It’s the notion that the most crucial ingredient in a team that achieves and sustains historic greatness is the character of the player who leads it.”

[Sam Walker, The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams]

For those who do not know me well, I am a bit of a sports fanatic. Many a posting on this sight has been inspired by sports legends – coaches and players alike whose leadership drove their team to unimaginable heights. Although it’s a bit cliché these days, I’ve always loved the sports analogies – largely because their notoriety helps us relate to the principles we see them embody.

When it comes to NFL football, I am a die hard New Orleans Saints fan. Having been born in Louisiana, it’s a birth right to be one (or better put an expectation). Who Dat Nation! In good times and bad! Whether its suffering through seasons where fans wore paper bags over their heads with cut out eyes, or celebrating our first Super Bowl victory in 2010, once a Saints fan, always a Saints fan.

Continue reading →

Reflecting on the Legacy of Sen John McCain

“We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears.” – Sen John McCain

“I don’t mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I’ve had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way: In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.” – Sen John McCain

When Sen John McCain passed away last week from brain cancer, our country lost a national treasure.  There is simply no other way to put it.  There are few men or women in our time who have made the impact that Sen McCain had on our country.  Courage, compassion, respect, integrity – all of these are words that are often used when describing Sen McCain.

So if you will allow me, I would like to dedicate this leadership blog to John McCain, pay respects to the qualities that made him such a great leader, and offer parallels on how we can live our lives in the spirit John showed in his own.

Continue reading →