Dear kids,
When you where born I remember having the same thought, and as I heard the first sounds of life. "How can I protect you from all the bad things you will face in life"? This little person that was coming into the world and looking to me for answers. I didn't have the answers myself, but I knew that each of you would be better than me! As my grandfather would always say "Know better, do better"! I was a young black man in a world full bigotry, hatred, misogyny, and lies and wondering why I would ever subject anyone else to this madness? I made so many mistakes as I grew up and learned some tough lessons, and as I looked at the prospect of me being the person you learned from, I shuttered at the thought. Time after time, I tried to live up to the expectations I had for myself and I failed every time. My dreams, as I saw them never came true. I was rude and evil to people at times, I did things I couldn't look to face myself in the mirror in the morning, and I am supposed to be the person to lead you to a better life? But then, I talked to my grandparents and listened to the struggles they had. Being born in the 20's and 30's with 6 plus kids, multicultural and racial backgrounds, 6th grade educations, systematic oppression, lack of opportunity, and still found a way to raise kids that aspired to be better and change their circumstances. A generation later your grandfather becomes one of the wealthiest and most famous people on the planet, and a generation after that (me) your dad becomes the first person in our family to graduate from college. The civil rights movement takes place, women's rights expanded, a love and peace culture was the binding force for most Americans, and then the first black president is elected!!!! I have become a motivational speaker, consultant, and activist speaking out against sexual harassment & abuse, Domestic Violence, and Mental health issues to 1,000's of young military soldiers! Ray Leonard Jr., The kid that thought all I could be was an athlete, entertainer, or deadbeat had become much more and learned from the lessons of my past. So now I think maybe everything can change if our family and our culture has made so much progress in less than 100 years!! But now I feel that same fear in my chest, that all the progress we have made is being stripped away with a lack of respect for the truth and a rebirth of a culture war that was slowly fading. A true lack of dignity and respect for your fellow human race. So what do I give you? I realized that I cannot protect you from every bad thing that happens, but I can prepare you how to act and react. I can teach you about the correct way to treat someone, whether man, woman, or child. I can show you examples of triumph over tragedy, and I can teach you the power of LOVE over FEAR! I promise to do my very best every day to not just be the words of wisdom, but show the actions that match the expectation. I will not be able to be there every time you fall, but I promise to be that lifeline when you are drowning, that shoulder to cry on when your heart is broken, and the direction you need when you waiver off course! To my daughters, I want you to know that your dad is doing all I can to be a voice for you and other women to be cherished and respected and I take pride in the work that I have been doing the last few years to speak out against harassment and abuse and I hope I have been a part of this recent revolution of courage for people that didn't have a voice to finally have one! To my sons, I want you to know that I get up every day determined to show the actions of what a MAN should be! I Challenge you to be a leader and not a follower and treat everyone woman with the same respect you would your grandmother, mother, and sisters. I encourage you all to not fall prey to the negative atmosphere and try more to listen and understand, than to over-talk and demand. I pray that you never take a moment for granted and live life with a hopeful curiosity. I ask you to be kind and always choose substance over Hype, Respect over Acceptance, and Dignity over Dollars! I demand that you challenge me when I am wrong, and be support me when I am right and no one else is on board. I will always be your biggest fan and the person in your corner when everyone else is gone. #NoLoserTalk Love Dad
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The "Building Blocks of great Leadership" are a defined base of core beliefs and clear vision of the organizational mission! The path you choose to build upon can vary but the elements you add must fit in with the base structure to develop a solid foundation. In some form or another, leadership is about inspiring a group of people to achieve a common goal. It’s measured by performance at every level … growth, profits, longevity, turnover, succession and employee engagement.
Today’s leaders face complex challenges in a highly demanding business world with an increasing need for a clear strategy, smooth execution and the unleashing of people, rather than controlling them. While analysis of revenues, profit margins, price per share and operational costs remain essential, they are not the only indicators of success. The quality of leadership must also be assessed. In today’s environment, no business should be without data and processes that identify the strengths and challenges of its leaders, or without the processes that help to develop the skill sets of those leaders. The building blocks of great leadership must be considered against the backdrop of business performance objectives. Managers and leaders must be results driven, and their efforts and priorities must be devoted to the development of leadership, interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills as applied to the needs of their specific business situation. In today's leadership the values haven't changed but the way we get our goals has created challenges for managers, executives and CEO's rooted in the old way of thinking. For more information on our Building Blocks program go to Http://www.LaunchTeamConsulting.com #Leadership #Organizationaldevelopment #Management #Communication #Employeeengagement The 10 Richest U.S. PresidentsBy Ashley C. Allen February 12, 2015 7:51 pm EST
PrintEmailinShare9 The ongoing debate over income inequality has picked up steam, especially as the economic recovery is widely considered to be benefiting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. In fact, President Barack Obama promised to tackle income inequality in this year’s State of the Union address. Obama said that the key to the country’s success is “middle-class economics — the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.” Income inequality will likely be a central issue in the 2016 presidential elections. A struggling middle class stands in stark contrast to the wealth of America’s presidents. While presidents were regularly middle class or even poor in the 19th century, they were far wealthier in the 20th century. Each of the last four presidents, including President Obama, is a millionaire. Current presidential candidates are also far richer than the average American. Though President Bill Clinton likes to point out that he was the poorest president elected in the 20th century, his great success as a public speaker after his term in office has made him among the wealthiest presidents of all time. After resigning from office, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has enjoyed similar success, amassing a fortune from book deals and speaking engagements. Click here to see the 10 richest presidents Click here to see the 10 poorest presidents Secretary Clinton received an estimated $14 million advance on her book last year, and she has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for each speaking engagement, figures that rival her husband’s. In all, the couple’s net worth is estimated by 24/7 Wall St. to be $60 million, making it one of the wealthiest presidential estates in history. Five years ago, 24/7 Wall St. published “The Net worth of Every American President, from Washington to Obama.” Each year, we have updated our figures to reflect the earnings of the still-living presidents. One thing remains clear: these days, it pays to be president, especially after leaving office. In this year’s updated list, the only currently living president who is counted among of the wealthiest of all time is President Clinton. President Obama is not one of the richest presidents. Obama receives a salary of $400,000 a year as president, which, while quite generous, doesn’t come close to the salaries of today’s top executive. The president’s annual income has actually dropped steadily since he entered office. In 2009, the president earned $5.5 million. That figure fell to less than $1 million in 2012 and fell again to just over $500,000 in 2013. This is primarily due to a decline in revenue from his prior book deals. 24/7 Wall St. estimates the president’s net worth to be unchanged at $7.5 million. The net worth of the presidents varies widely. George Washington’s estate was worth more than half a billion in today’s dollars. On the other hand, several presidents went bankrupt. The fortunes of America’s presidents are often tied to the economy of their time. As the focus of the economy has changed, so has the way the presidents made their money. It is not surprising then to find that the first few presidents — from Washington’s election to about 75 years later — were large landowners. They generally made money from land, crops, and commodity speculation. Of course, this left them highly vulnerable to poor crop yields, and they could lose most or all of their properties because of a few bad years. By 1850, the financial history of the presidency entered a new era. Beginning with Millard Fillmore, most presidents were lawyers who spent years in public service. They rarely amassed large fortunes and their incomes often came almost entirely from their salaries. These American presidents were distinctly middle class and often retired without the means to support themselves in anyway close to the presidential lifestyle. Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, and Garfield had modest net worths when they died. At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, there was another significant change to the economy. Large, professionally organized corporations in the oil, mining, financial, and railroad sectors allowed individuals to amass large fortunes. The Kennedys were wealthy because of the financial empire built by Joseph Kennedy. Herbert Hoover made millions of dollars as the owner of mining companies. Since the early 20th century, the fortunes of many presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and both of the Bushes were driven by inherited wealth. The net worth figures for the 10 wealthiest presidents are in 2010 dollars. Because several of the presidents, particularly in the early 19th century, made and lost huge fortunes in a matter of a few years, the net worth of each president is for the peak time. The exception to the 2010 rule are the presidents who are still living and have more recent earnings. In the case of each president, we have taken into account hard assets such as land, estimated lifetime savings based on work history, inheritance, and homes. Wages considered were earned for services as varied as collector of customs at the Port of New York to royalties on books, as well as ownership of companies and yields from family estates. This is 24/7 Wall St.’s list of the richest U.S. presidents. Read more: The 10 Richest U.S. Presidents - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/02/12/the-10-richest-u-s-presidents/#ixzz3RxXpS8al Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook "THE WORDS WE SPEAK CAN MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT OUR ACTIONS NEED NO TRANSLATION."
"United is voiding the bookings of several thousand individuals who were attempting to take advantage of an error a third-party software provider made when it applied an incorrect currency exchange rate, despite United having properly filed its fares," a company spokesperson told CNN. United Airlines would not honor the first-class flights from Europe to the US for $69. So much for the customer is always right! ha. In the past, several airlines, including United Airlines (UAL), have honored "mistake fares" that offered tickets for as little as $5. Delta (DAL) also honored a similar fare in 2013. To take advantage of this deal, travelers had to jump through several hoops. First, travel could only originate in Europe, mainly from the U.K. Second, passengers had to use United's Denmark site to book and pay for the tickets. The deal was posted early Wednesday on many travel blogs and forums, including Flyertalk.com, a popular site for frequent travelers and enthusiasts. By 9:30 am ET the deal was no longer available. Listening to sports talk radio in my car and every other word I hear is about keeping the integrity of a sport. This got me to think about the history of the major sports leagues and wonder if they follow the rules that they impose, and if there is a double standard with the participants/employees/partners of these games. This will be a series of exploration, because I have uncovered waaaay to much information for 1 blog. Growing up in a sports family, I never looked at the big picture until it began to effect me. The powers that run the games live by a total different set of rules than those that play the game. The sad thing is that, the players of the game are harder on each other than the leagues could ever be. @MoneLynch aka Marshawn (Beast Mode) Lynch has knowingly or un knowingly raised awareness to the power of a brand. His refusal to give the bare minimum to reporters has been demonized by the mass media, but he fulfilled his obligation and in turn he has shown, that controlling your own content is power!!!
The picture above of Legarrette Blount further shows the crabs in the barrel mentality that needs to be broken. I don't know mr. Blount but he can take a page out of Marshawn's book instead of following the all to familiar status quo. (Break someone down to build yourself up). Understanding the true power of your value changes the game and the conversation. My father unknowingly had the luck and foresight to have good people in his corner that took a gamble on his appeal. He was a free agent in boxing before there was such a thing and in turn, did not have to sign with promoters, because he controlled his brand. @FloydMayweather is doing the same thing now. @MoneyLynch will become the highest paid running back in the game, and has the opportunity to be one of the highest paid athletes if he can leverage and control his brand. This is power and it levels the playing field. The double standard of rules changes when you have something of value and know the power of it. Ok, so I went in a round about way of to discuss the double standard in sports and entertainment. I did this to emphasize a point, that when you are in control you can adjust the narrative and rules to fit you. The NFL unilaterally imposed a new personal conduct plan outside of the union and controlled the conversation through the media. Although it is a good thing to have stronger stance on the issues that the league faces, there is a reason that the standards are collectively bargained!! The general public will say that these athletes make so much money that they shouldn't complain. WOW! Its all relative. Let me have mr. Einstein explain relativity: Einstein stated that the theory of relativity belongs to a class of "principle-theories". As such it employs an analytic method. This means that the elements which comprise this theory are not based on hypothesis but on empirical discovery. The empirical discovery leads to understanding the general characteristics of natural processes. Mathematical models are then developed to describe accurately the observed natural processes. Therefore, by analytical means the necessary conditions that have to be satisfied are deduced. Separate events must satisfy these conditions. Experience should then match the conclusions. Did I lose you on that one? Simply put, The majority of employers won't spend over 20% of gross revenue to pay for employees and this holds true in the NFL and other major leagues, no matter how much they try to convince you it is a true partnership. This is just a little "food for thought" teaser. I will bring it all together in my next series of blogs and hopefully we can answer the initial question. I welcome your comments. Ray |
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