Webster says that “Betrayal has to do with destroying someone's trust, possibly by lying”.  So if that is where this starts, how does it apply in the marketplace, especially for women?  I should start by saying that my mother and father were separated and divorced when I was eight years old.  So I grew up with a mother and three sisters.  I’ve had a real sensitivity for women from a very early age.  In addition, my mother was chiefly responsible for my upbringing.  She was a strong woman who achieved things that were unheard of during her career.  She ran her own successful business, was a radio personality before it was in vogue, an accomplished writer, and a world traveler.  She taught us to be the very best we could be and not ever accept mediocrity. 

My sisters and I have advanced degrees and have been successful in the workforce.  I did recognize the fact that I excelled and was promoted faster than my sisters.  I also received more money in salary and bonuses during a similar period.  Actually, my two older sisters were much smarter than me but I received greater accolades.  My sisters would not be the only women who have not been recognized for their achievements.  There are a host of reasons given:

·       Waiting for the “right” promotional opportunity

·       Being married and having children

·       Needing the proper mentor

·       Requiring more seasoning

The list is endless.  There have been those women who have forsaken everything for the corporate requirements.  If there was a requirement to travel, they traveled.  If there was a requirement to hang out with the guys and drink, they drank.  If there was the need to use crude talk and tell obscene jokes, they told them.  Finally, if they needed to sleep with the boss, they did that as well.  In the end, many women were swept to the side lines and told that they weren’t leadership material.  It’s happened way too often.

Has that changed? Yes…and no.  There are more female senior leaders than ever before.  These women are talented and extremely capable.  They are establishing themselves as role models and mentor for women that are following them.  There are more forums for women in the marketplace and they are trying to raise the bar and change the conversation.  The thought is that, given the opportunity, women provide a diverse set of ingredients that help to drive greater revenues, increased profits, and enhanced customer experiences.  In addition, the “pay for performance” discussions are changing as well.  Women are starting to be compensated at levels greater than ever before.  But it can’t stop.  It must continue.  So that there are no distinctions between male and female contribution.  But there are still women who are being put in compromising situation and told that they have to perform in a certain way or get passed over.  This ancient way of thinking has to stop.  Whenever it happens, women have to be willing to bring the injustices in to the light.

My mother would say, “Don’t accept mediocrity.  If you do, you are giving up on yourself and your legacy of smart, brilliant women of the past. 

Writing non-fiction has a number of challenges, you have to make sure your information sources are accurate, if you make stuff up, you won’t be credible, often the material could become boring, suffering from too many fact, figures, and data points, the characters already exist so you can only use your imagination so much. 

When writing fiction you get the opportunity to “make stuff up”.  I like the fact that my imagination can run wild.  I have the freedom to allow the plot, the dialog, and the characters to run off in the direction they desire.  My job is to try and “hold the reigns”. 

Character creation is a fun part for me.  Once I decide on the main protagonist and antagonist, I start to think about all of the others that will lift up or tear down the story line as the plot evolves.  I strive to make the characters believable.  I ask myself, “Why will anyone like or hate them”? “What will they be remembered for?” “How will they advance the plot?” “Why should I care about them?”  In addition, I work to make sure they aren’t one-dimensional characters.  Here are a few additional questions I ask, “Ok, why are they in the book?” “What about them will make the story more interesting?” “If they are introduced, will they have an important impact on the plot? “Will they be memorable?”  If I don’t feel strongly about their contribution, then I likely won’t use them.

One last thing is dialog.  This was a difficult thing for me.  I couldn’t determine how to control the character.  I wasn’t sure how to give them the proper voice and still create tension and advance the plot.  Someone gave me some great advice, “If you let them, the characters will take the dialog where it needs to go.”  My takeaway was to give each character a voice and then let them express what they believe needs to be said.  It seems a bit surreal, and I guess it is.  But once I allowed this to take place, character dialog and development became easier.  Character development is still a work-in-process but I’m getting better at it.

Keep Writing!!! 

After reading the article of Robert Quinn in Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within, I agree with him.  One of the biggest barriers to organizational change is within us.  I believe in the adage..."The speed of the leader is the speed of the team".  Here are five aspects that I’ve communicated and personally adapted in my life:

1) Acknowledging that there is a problem.  A company, a family, or an individual can't make the required corrections until there is full acknowledgement that a problem exist,

2) Embracing the possibility for change.  Once I open myself up to change, I get a flood of ideas and thoughts that before seemed unnecessary and worthless. 

3) Seeking input from others.  It written that there is wisdom in the counsel of many. What helps in the transformation process is having a community of people who will be open and honest with me.  Outsiders like consultants, advisors, and mentors can be a great resource.

4) Creating a roadmap. Once there is clarity associated with the need for a change, a transformation, it's essential to establish a vision (what the new change will look like and what new things will be realized), some objectives, a plan of action with completion dates, and a list of required resources.  

5) Consider the potential obstacles.  Like the title of the old Daniel Day Lewis movie, "There will be blood".  Every change will exact its own "pound of flesh".  It's essential to be aware of the possible hurdles that can arise and prepare for them.

In the end, like the old song says..."It's going to be worth it".

Who’s a writer?  What does it take?  When should you start?  From my perspective, there are so many intangibles for a writer.  You have to first determine if writing, and the rigor associated with it, is something that intrigues you, calls you, and you love. Then, find a subject that is a strong interest, be committed to the process, find your unique writing style, and work to make it the best it can be. Also, pay close attention to details.   My wife reminds me all the time…God is in the details.  Sometimes your writing style is predicated on the writers you like best to read.  There are a few writers that I enjoy and I read everything they write.  A few of my favorite authors are John Grisham, Jim Collins, David Baldacci, Malcolm Gladwell, Randy Singer, D.L.Buffa, John Maxwell Joseph Finder, and Rick Warren.  Since I am writing fiction these days, not all of these authors are on my current radar, but I still appreciate their writing styles.  

Another key ingredient for me is the writing process.  Some authors write every day.  Others only write when they get “inspired”.  So, each person is different.  My days are all different.  My day is a combination of writing, reading, planning, investigating, and holding business meetings. I believe that I am the king of multi-tasking. Some days I will allocate several hours to writing, especially when I encounters a story angle that I hadn’t previously considered. Other days I may only devote a short time to the writing process. But my motto is “Make sure you write something every day, however long or short.” I have a habit of completing a draft, giving it to a community of people to read, and not looking at my work for an extended period of time. 

In the end, writing is like your DNA.  Each of us has one that is unique.  Some elements will be the same as others.  Some will be quite different.  It is important to recognize your own and allow it to guide you and your writing direction. Keep Writing!!! 

My mother was an amazing woman.  She had incredible insights and she achieved things that no one I knew personally had ever achieved.  She had the only bridal rental agency in Chicago’s downtown Loop for more than twenty years.  She designed gowns for many very well-known personalities.  She had her own radio program and was featured on a local television station long before it was acceptable for women of color.  Later, she lived in Mexico, wrote for the Mexican Consulate, and traveled to Europe, Egypt, China, and Japan.  Much later, she taught writing and publishing in Chicago area colleges.  For most people, that would be more than enough in a lifetime, but not for my Mother.  She went on to establish a reading center for children and then created a Black History telephone hot-line. 

In the midst of all these achievements, she raised four children; a son and three daughters.  Each of us was greatly influenced by her.  My mother could have relied on the government to raise her children after she and my father were separated and divorced.  We could have been swallowed up by the south side neighborhoods of Chicago where we grew up.  My siblings and I could have been added to the growing statistics of bad stuff that happens to children from divorced parents.  My mother refused to allow any of those scenarios to transpire.  She would tell us…”You come from a long line of very successful people.  For you to accept mediocrity is deciding to give up on yourself.”  She sometimes worked three jobs to insure that we were provided for.  That was just the kind of woman she was.  Today, there are seven advanced degrees and several awards between my siblings and me.  We have never been in trouble with the law and have worked really hard at continuing the legacy of my mother.  She had four grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.  My siblings and I have been working diligently at instilling in them the very things that my mother instilled in us.  I will be every grateful for her as a force for greatness in my life.

A Smart woman, my mother, she gave me a great set of examples to follow based on her life and the life of her ancestors.