The Sankofa Bird

    It's the time of year for sharing love, appreciation, joy and gratitude. At Creative Energy Options we were touched with the gift of a Sankofa Bird, made in Ghana. We were aware of this bird's existence, yet had only seen graphic representations. Catherine Afeku, our "Total Leadership Connections" student from Ghana went into the Ashanti forest to pick out the ebony and asked a fourth generation carver to make this beautiful representation for us. Isn't that the magic of gifts-it's not something you expect or anticipate-it's a wonderful surprise.

    For persons who have completed our leadership course, "Total Leadership Connections", this photo of the Sankofa Bird will have special meaning and we hope it will become a touchstone for you.

    Sankofa translated means, "heal the past to free the present". Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated.

    Leaders are responsible to release patterns no longer working and reclaim those that move life forward. In all work environments the greatest gift in this next year would be to help yourself and your direct reports recognize and transform those patterns.

    On behalf of Creative Energy Options and all our staff we want to wish you and your family a very joyous and peaceful Holiday Season!

Leadership and Diversity

    When you think of the word 'diversity', what comes to mind? The understanding and appreciation of different cultures, not stereotyping people based on race or gender or being open-minded about person's with disabilities. At the recent Diversity and Women Leadership Summit sponsored by the Business Women Network, it was this and more.

    Clara Conti, President and CEO of IPIX Corporation focused on diversity as entrepreneurship. Doing something different, going against the grain, being unique, that's being an entrepreneur and being diverse. Her thoughts include * Don't let fear of the unknown overwhelm you. *Find balance, yet be willing to bend. *Use your intuition. *Focus and stay sharp. *Really be willing to listen.

    Steve Pemberton, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion of Monster gave insight on their diversity research and the difference in what HR professionals say in their initiatives and what they do in hiring diversity. His focus, which can be applied to many situations, is the gap between what we say and do. Today, there is a true commitment and emphasis on demonstrating diversity as a growth initiative in the workplace.

    Diversity in people's preference of work schedules was clearly demonstrated by Best Buy's bold experiment of allowing employees to set their own schedules to get the job done. The scenario went like this:

    These comments we often hear at work when someone breaks the rules and are better known at Best Buy as "Sludge". Words that bring you down and contaminate. After trying this freedom, Best Buy learned, happy employees are hard-working and dedicated employees and guess what? Profits increased!

    Diversity obviously means more than race, gender and cultural understanding, it's about an understanding and acceptance of everyone's uniqueness and abilities. From support of the entrepreneur or allowing employee's to set their own schedules to do their work or giving the freedom for people to truly express their thoughts and ideas without fear of any retaliation.

    As we say in our "Total Leadership Connections" program, "We're all connected; no one wins unless we all do."

It starts with a VISION…
to be an effective and confident leader creating trust among those you lead.

    This action-packed week of leadership development will cultivate your talents making you a daring and dynamic leader that knows how to motivate others! Action events like white water rafting, ropes courses, challenge activities, teambuilding events and more will give you the creative edge to be a true leader. You will learn the REAL skills for the REAL world; skills that will have an impact and change your life forever!

    If you're a teen looking for something exciting to do this summer or if you know of a teen you want to support in their leadership growth then this is the place to be! This program is designed for teens entering 9th -12th grades and is held in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at The Country Place Retreat. Teens will be awed and inspired by the location, the program and the new friendships made.

    The leaders for this program have years of experience working with teens and in leadership development. Mary Jane Saras, B.A. LCSW is the Director of Business Development for Creative Energy Options, Inc. As an educator and social worker with years of experience in group development and group process, Mary Jane brings knowledge and skill to Young Leaders in Action. She knows how to turn a group of diverse people into a strong team with a sense of purpose and passion. Her strong background in teambuilding through ropes courses and experiential workshops is a great asset to helping teens become tomorrow's leaders.

    Rick Yarborough is the Associate Director of The Country Place Retreat. As a retired U.S. Marine, he brings years of leadership experience to his current position. He has served The Marine Corps Staff Judge Advocate Community in many key leadership billets around the world including a tour at the Pentagon. He is a graduate of three military leadership academies. Rick understands how to help teens grow into effective, daring and dynamic leaders.

This fun, innovative program has strong outcomes and makes it a "must attend" event.

Not only did the teens enjoy the program, adults saw first hand the impact of this program:

"Since my nephew's return from Young Leaders in Action, I've seen a definite improvement in his personality and attitude. He is more focused on his responsibilities and is more assertive in his social interactions. The smaller sized environment allowed him to spend quality time with each member of the group. He felt that the activities helped reinforce the lessons that were being taught. He has shared with me some of the ideas he learned about leadership that I didn't learn at his age. Overall, he enjoyed the leadership program."

    Click HERE to download an Application Form or visit our website, www.retreatpa.com. If you have questions or want to learn more please call either Mary Jane or Rick at (570) 636-3858.

Inclusive fee includes…

1. All program events, including Team Challenge Courses and White Water Rafting
2. All meals & snacks
3. Dorm style lodging
4. Graduation Ceremony & lunch with parents on departure day

Young Leaders in Action is the place to be!

PEPtalk is a free monthly eNews from Creative Energy Options, Inc. (CEO)—a global consulting, coaching and leadership development company on the cutting-edge of business transformation. We hope it provides the solutions you need to apply the Pattern Aware Leadership (PAL) System to your daily work and home life. It is published every month and filled with leadership news and views, success stories, special events and valuable tips to energize your leadership.

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