Exploring mental obstacles both in one’s personal life and in business was among the messages delivered Monday during the Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum, an event that included an evening keynote address by Steve “The Woz” Wozniak, a co-founder of technology firm Apple Inc.
More than 1,000 people packed the Columbus Convention and Trade Center’s ballroom for the first day of the 13th annual forum dubbed, “Art of Leadership.” Tuesday’s speakers will include Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the U.S. Army.
“One of the things you have to learn eventually is that if you do not take responsibility for your life, you do not have the power to change your life. You must take ownership or you relinquish power,” said Monday’s opener Erwin McManus, an author, entrepreneur and pastor of a church in Los Angeles.
McManus, an immigrant from El Salvador whose writings delve into the human spirit, touched on the notions that some people are simply structured for failure, and that everyone should take “ownership” of their lives and strive to reach their full potential.
“I think we’ve created a culture that’s so afraid of failure that we’re now afraid of risk. But everything that we need to create, everything that we need to be innovative, is on the other side of failure,” said McManus, who recalled his mother and stepfather suggesting he see a psychiatrist at age 12 because he was withdrawn.
“I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy!” the engaging speaker punctuated loudly onstage, pointing out it would have been easy for him at the time to use his immigrant heritage, not having his biological father around, and the fact that English was a second language as an excuse to not strive for more and fail in life.
McManus said it’s important for people to find passion and energy in whatever they do as they go about their daily lives at home with their families, but also in the workplace. He noted that fear can be a part of anyone’s mindset, establishing boundaries that hold them back. He also related his diagnosis of cancer nearly two years ago and the long surgery and pain he endured, but overcame to resume his career.
“In the end, art is just an expression of the human spirit, an extension of who we are,” he said softly in closing. “Please, never forget, you are a work of art and an artist at work. Let your life be your masterpiece.”
Following the author on stage was Lori Lee, chief executive officer of Dallas-based AT&T International and global marketing officer of AT&T Inc., a company with 170 million customer connections via cellular phone, land lines and Internet service. It has a presence in 15 Latin American countries.
Lee, whose duties include brand strategy, advertising, corporate communication and events, centered her message on how values influence leadership in government, schools and businesses. She said leaders need to give more thought about their principles beyond establishing a vision, setting lofty goals, measuring success, holding everyone to high standards and developing a workforce and management team.
“Beyond core principles, there’s something else to great leadership, and that’s having clear values from which you can make your decisions,” she said. “Because everything we do as leaders, who we are as individuals, how we operate, how we treat people, all of it, is defined and guided by our values. It sounds simple, but I would offer that it requires a considered and deliberate approach.”
Lee quickly turned to today’s expectation that companies remain aware constantly of issues throughout society. Long gone are the days when businesses, in particular, simply could mind their bottom lines and stay out of the social fray both in the U.S. and around the globe. It all has changed as social media messaging via smartphones, computers and other devices has flourished.
“Nearly 3 out of 4 engaged consumers now expect companies to be more active in society. Half of consumers say a company’s stand on a social or political matter is important when it comes to buying a product or service. As a global marketing officer, I’m listening to that,” said the executive.
Lee’s presentation included a short video of AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson addressing a large group of the firm’s employees in 2016 following the shooting deaths of five law enforcement officers near the corporate headquarters in Dallas during a rally against the killings of two officers elsewhere. The CEO, drawing loud applause, disagreed with a friend who had used the term “All Lives Matter” as the nation also was reeling from “Black Lives Matter” protests.
“Technology is disrupting and transforming nearly every business and institution, that’s a given,” Lee said. “But societal issues are also challenging leaders like never before. In years’ past, businesses generally weren’t expected to weigh in on policies outside their industry or on contentious social issues. In fact, avoiding controversy was long a 101 of good leadership. But the relationship between companies, their customers, employees and investors has fundamentally changed.”
The shift to online communication will only deepen, the AT&T executive said, with the Millennial generation between the ages of 20 and 35 now being followed by Generation X, which has grown up using social media and the Internet. She noted that by 2020, about 40 percent of all U.S. consumers will be in the category of Gen X.
“As a result they are much more aware of what’s happening around the world and the societal issues faced by themselves and others around the globe,” said Lee, pointing out her 15-year-old son doesn’t know what a telephone is and that he’s not tethered to a TV. For the teen, his news and information comes via an iPad, through social media websites and from text messages.
The Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum, launched in 2006 and presented by Columbus State University’s Leadership Institute, is named for the retired chairman and CEO of Synovus Financial Corp., the bankholding firm headquartered in Columbus and spun out of the former Columbus Bank and Trust. The latter’s name was retired within the last year in a companywide rebranding to “Synovus.”
Aside from Milley, Tuesday’s speakers include Paul Hostetter, the director of Orchestral Studies at Columbus State University; Lee Thomas, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office; and Erik Wahl, an artist, author and expert on creativity and innovation.
This story was originally published August 27, 2018 8:28 PM.