Akande, Baum join Ralcorp Board of Directors

25-October-2010Published in: St. Louis Business Journal

Cereal and frozen food maker Ralcorp Holdings Inc. has named Benjamin Akande and Jonathan Baum to its board.

Akande is dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology at Webster University, a position he has held since June 2000. Also on Monday, Akande was named chief of the university's new Office of Corporate Partnership.

Baum has served as chief executive officer and chairman of George K. Baum & Co., a Kansas- City-based investment banking firm, since 1994.

St. Louis-based Ralcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RAH), led by Co-Chief Executives Kevin Hunt and David Skarie, manufactures private label food products, including frozen bakery products, cereals, crackers, cookies, dressings, syrups, jellies, sauces, snack nuts and candy. The company reported 2009 revenue of $3.9 billion.

Election 2010: Filling in the Gaps

11-November-2010Published in: St. Louis American

The pundits are still salivating over last Tuesday's election. What is evident from the results is that a good majority of Americans are not happy with the state of the economy. They want things to change and are holding our politicians responsible.

The U.S. electorate delivered a crashing rebuke to President Obama, just two years removed from a landslide presidential victory. The propulsion of the Republican Party to a nationwide victory has given everyone a lot to talk and think about. It is not like we didn't know what might happen after the polls closed and the numbers were counted. Pre-election surveys told us the GOP would be celebrating late into the night as more voters expressed their unhappiness with the nation's conditions and what the federal government is or is not doing.

According to the Pew Research Center, the country saw a repeat of 2006 with an overwhelming percentage of voters saying the nation was on the "wrong track." So they voted for the party out of power, giving Republican candidates 75 percent of their votes.

Yes, many cited a more negative view of economic conditions as the country continues to pull itself out of its worst recession since the 1930s. But voters also registered their opposition to a more activist federal government. A full 56 percent said government is doing too much and more should be left to businesses and individuals.

To this, St. Louis, I say, "Okay then." Let's do it. Let's fill in the gaps left by business or those that will be exposed if the newest group of legislators starts making cuts to our city, state and federal services.

No, I'm not asking you to take up arms to protect our borders if slashes are made in the defense budget. Neither am I expecting you to pave your own neighborhood's street. But I am asking you to reach out where no one else dares to stretch their hand; I ask that you take ownership of your neighborhood.

If you're a business owner, it is time to reach out to your community with jobs and services you can extend to put someone back to work or ease their struggle. If you are a community activist, it is time to reach out to those who have shut their doors to giving in the past and asking them once more to help their neighbors in need.

And if you are a mom, dad, sister or brother, it is time to reach out to our next and youngest generation. Reach out with yourself as a role model to show them how great our community can be for everyone, no matter who is in office.

I believe in leading by example, and as such I am committed to Beyond Housing's 24:1 initiative specifically focused on strengthening the 24 cities that are in the immediate vicinity of the Normandy School District. This is my small way of filling the gap. What are you going to do?

2010 Business Salute evokes emotion

17-November-2010Published in: St. Louis American

Michael Kennedy Sr., chairman and CEO of KAI Design & Build, helped to transform part of the former Pruitt Igoe site into an interactive science and math middle school.

For the last decade, KAI's designs have turned rundown neighborhoods in North St. Louis into contemporary affordable housing.

The firm's work on the new William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center at Harris-Stowe State University has won multiple awards.

His work uplifts the community.

Recognition of Kennedy's work, along with the work of many others, embodies the mission of the St. Louis American Foundation. On Nov. 10, the foundation awarded Kennedy the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year award at the 11th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards and Networking Luncheon, which drew some 500 people to the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton.

The United Way of Greater St. Louis received the 2010 Corporate Diversity award.

June Fowler, vice president of corporate and public communications at BJC HealthCare, was named 2010 Corporate Executive of the Year.

And Rod Jones, president and CEO of Grace Hill Settlement House, received the 2010 Non-Profit Executive of the Year award.

Fighting away tears, Kennedy said, "This is yet another example of when we honor God, God honors you. I want you to understand that this is really a momentous moment in my life."

Orvin Kimbrough of the United Way used the occasion to announce that the African-American Leadership Giving Society, the Charmaine Chapman Society, raised $1.8 million for the 2010 United Way campaign, topping last year's amount, with 820-plus members in 2010.

As many did, June Fowler thanked Donald M. Suggs, publisher of The American and the foundation's founder, calling him one of her personal heroes.

"What you do to lift up the African-American community is so important - for us and for our children to see the good," Fowler said. "And Donald, I thank you for doing that each and every Thursday," when the paper is published.

Dr. Henry Givens Jr., president of Harris-Stowe State University,who introduced Kennedy, used the event to announce a new Donald M. Suggs Excellence in Business Scholarship at Harris-Stowe that will provide $40,000 to the recipient for all four years.

Rod Jones said the award reminds him of his vocation at Grace Hill.

"This is a blessing, and I appreciate the recognition," Jones said.

"I come to work every day with the notion that what we do every day allows people to be in a better social class for generations to come."

Silence for Earl

The room of about 500 people held a moment of silence for Earl Wilson Jr., the founder of the Gateway Classic Foundation and the 2005 Salute to Excellence in Business Non-Profit Executive of the Year, who died on Oct. 29 from pancreatic cancer. The event's emcee, Carol Daniel, a radio host with KMOX, told a personal story about Wilson. She said she always volunteers at Gateway Classic events, and one time she asked Wilson for an honorarium.

"Earl told me, 'Now, Carol, you don't need $100. You know what I’m trying to do; I'm trying to raise scholarships. Now come to the event and help me out. You want those kids to go to college, don't you, Carol?'"

Many of the attendees laughed, remembering how Wilson's upfront manner and big heart helped 108 students through college with scholarships.

At the 2010 Salute to Excellence in Business, the St. Louis American Foundation also introduced a new group of younger professional awardees.

The inagural Excellence in Business Performance Awardees were Karen A. Davis of Regions Bank, Roger Macon of Edward Jones, Gail Holmes-Taylor of Energizer and David Walker of Brown Shoe Co.

The St. Louis American Foundation also cited the top 25 African-American businesses in the St. Louis region.

Awardees were joined in support by their staff, family and friends as they went onstage to receive their awards.

Karen A. Davis said she appreciated the fact that she could celebrate amongst "like-minded people," people who have a passion for giving back and uplifting their communities. Davis was accompanied by her mother, who gleamed as her daughter received the award.

After being in St. Louis for three years, Davis said, this recognition "validates this is where I need to be." Davis moved to the St. Louis area to expand and elevate community outreach at Regions Bank.

"I have met some wonderful people, and to be here with all these people is very inspiring," Davis said.

Stories with Akande

After all the recipients received their awards onstage, keynote speaker Benjamin Akande, dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University, reminded the audience of the importance of storytelling in business.

He spoke of one of the greatest tales he had ever heard – a story about risks.

"It's a story about failure and perseverance," Akande said. "I find it very relevant to the challenges our country faces in the most severe economic downturn in our generation."

The story revolves around an anthropomorphic egg who was bent on defying the odds and was met with interest and results, he said.

It is the story of Humpty Dumpty. He asked the audience to join him in reciting the poem:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Akande emphasized that the key word is the last word – "again."

"This confirms that this is not the first time that Humpty had fallen," he said. "Humpty Dumpty was a serial risk taker. Humpty was bold. He was fearless. He was unrelenting. He was an entrepreneur."

Many people in America now find themselves confronting the greatest wall of their lives. Although they are often called slowdowns, recessions shake things up, he said.

"Recessions reward strength and expose weaknesses," Akande said. "Recessions create new opportunities and break down old habits. Recessions destroy old business models. Recessions make talented unemployed. And just like Humpty Dumpty, how do we get up again?"

Even when people do everything right and remain loyal to their employers, sometimes they fall short. But Akande reminded the audience that courage does not occur without fear.

"You cannot be courageous if you are not first afraid," Akande said. "Courage takes place after you are afraid."

Akande also shared snap shots of his life through stories of personal and professional failures and successes.

Rosalynn Smith, an attendee at the luncheon, said Akande's personal stories were motivating to her. Akande, now a business school dean, had said he was once ranked last academically.

"You would never know that now," Smith said.

Awardee Roger Macon said he was "intrigued by Akande's use of humor and metaphors."

In addition to Humpty Dumpty as "a serial risk taker," Macon was struck by Akande's metaphor of climbing a wall or a mountain.

Akande said, "God does not promise mountaintop life experiences, because there is no room for growth on the mountaintop."

The Value of Kindness to Strangers

23-November-2010Published in: St. Louis American

For me, storytelling is a true leadership tool. It can help kick start a new idea, socialize new members into a team, and mend relationships or share wisdom. I want to tell you four short stories.

As a child growing up in Africa, my sisters and I must have heard our dad tell this story a hundred times. The story began on a rainy night, in a faraway place called America.

It's about 11:30 p.m. An older African-American woman was stranded on the side of an Alabama highway in a gusting rainstorm. Her car had broken down, and she desperately needed a ride home. Soaking wet, she tried to flag down the cars as they passed by, but nobody stopped to help.

After what must have seemed like eternity, a young white man stopped. My dad would then pause to remind us that this act of kindness by this young man was rare in those conflict-filled, racially tense 1960s.

The young man was gracious and took her to safety, and even waited to get her a taxicab so she could make it home to attend to an urgent matter. Although she was in a hurry to get home, she asked the good Samaritan for his name and address just before he drove away.

A few days later, the young man received an unexpected surprise in the mail. It was a giant console, black and white TV with a special note attached. My dad, being the dramatist, would take out a piece of paper from his pocket and read the note to my sisters and me. The note read:

"Thank you so much for helping me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but also my spirits. But, because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and serving others unselfishly. Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole."

The wife of one of the greatest musical icons of the 20th century!

One of the most remarkable things about America is the willingness of strangers to reach out and help others. St. Louis knows a thing or two about helping others and lifting up those in need. Today we honor individuals and organizations whose mission and reason for existence is enabling others to reach their goals and by doing so transforming lives and entire neighborhoods.

Edited from his keynote address given at the St. Louis American Foundation's 2010 Salute to Excellence in Business. The speech will be continued in future editions of The American.

Commerce Matters – Review of Love is the Killer App

25-November-2010Published in: Ladue News

I admit to being skeptical when receiving Tim Sander's book, Love Is A Killer App, from a friend. A lot has happened in the eight years since its publication, and I was sure that applying Sander's philosophy of then to our post-recession economy now was going to be dated. Then I read a few pages to find that what the author discovered in 2002 through experience is a universal truth: "Men and women across the country were all trying desperately to understand how to maintain their value as professionals in the face of rapidly changing times." Welcome to 2010, Mr. Sander. You got my attention.

It turns out this author's insight into business is timeless. In fact, you could say some of it dates back to the Golden Rule. In Love Is The Killer App, the author outlines the benefits in business of being a "lovecat" over a tiger, a sharer over a hoarder. What's a lovecat, you ask? According to Sander, it's "a businessperson known as a promoter of business growth." They are filled with great information, a network of contacts they have turned into relationships and a personal quality that a computer can never have: compassion. And what do they do with their knowledge, network and compassion? They pay it forward so the three values can drive their career to the top.

Before you start singing Kumbaya thinking this is just a "feel good" book urging us to go into our next business deal without a competitive edge, think again. The author argues this is our competitive edge. "My book really isn't about succumbing to the enemy or not competing," Sander said in an interview, "because I say in the book that bizlove is the sensible sharing of intangibles to promote other people's growth." That, he argues, is what separates the smart businessman or woman from the rest of the business pack.

We do this first by gaining the knowledge others need. Comparing the brain to a piggy bank, the author insists we must feed it to accumulate anything. If we don't, we are stopping in the middle of a race, waiting for our competition to catch up. Veteran business leaders with enviable resumes and years of experience can find themselves in second place because they don't equate knowledge-added as value-added in the business world.

The author's promotion of the power of networking is one I've embraced for years. Those in your network can do almost anything for you, from finding your next job to making your current one more successful. But in addition to collecting networking members, the author encourages connecting them with others. Linking your contacts with each other can not only solve their immediate problems, it can also strengthen your business bond. Who doesn't want to go the extra mile for someone who has already helped them?

Of course this dovetails into the author's final value: compassion. Unlike the first two, everyone already has this resource at their disposal. They just need to use it. Showing appreciation to colleagues through words or actions, verbally supporting ideas and growth, even the simple act of eye contact shows commitment created by compassion. Being human doesn't make someone less business-like. It creates an experience people remember. And that's good for business.

Humpty Dumpty as recession lesson

2-December-2010Published in: St. Louis American

A story from a Business Salute keynote speech

My second story - one of the greatest tales ever told - is a story about risk, failure and perseverance. I find this story very relevant to the challenges that our nation faces today in the most severe economic downturn of our generation.

It is a story that revolves around an anthropomorphic egg who was bent on defying the odds and met with interesting results. It is the story of Humpty Dumpty, remembered in rhyme.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

The key word is the very last word of the rhyme: "again." This confirms that this was not the first time that Humpty had fallen. Humpty was a serial risk taker.

Humpty was bold, fearless, unrelenting and entrepreneurial. And he was very familiar with the reality called failure. But, this egg refused to allow failure to define him.

Failure for Humpty was real-time feedback. Failure was an opportunity to regroup, to reassess and to try again until success was eventually achieved.

The "wall" in this rhyme is a simple metaphor which describes the singular act of overcoming challenges. Climbing a wall is moving beyond where we are. Climbing a wall is overcoming adversity.

It is challenging tradition, pursuing goals that are not easily achievable and refusing to give up in that pursuit. Indeed, we all spend the rest of our lives climbing walls.

There are so many people in America today who now find themselves faced with the greatest challenge of their life. They have lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings and they are losing confidence. They are down because they have fallen.

Although they are often called slowdowns, recessions shake things up rather than slow them down. Recessions reward strengths and expose weaknesses, create new opportunities and kill old habits.

Recession has a way of releasing pent-up energy and destroying old business models. Distressed assets can be bought for a song, talented people are let go... just like Humpty. How do we get up again?

As we all contemplate the severity and hopelessness of the present and seek to overcome the uncertainty of the future, I find solace in the story of one egg's journey of endurance that speaks to the willingness to keep trying; a story about courage and about gratefully accepting help when needed. To persevere when there is no apparent reason to do so.

It's a vivid reminder that even when we do everything right - when we remain loyal to our employer, invest our money in "fool-proof" funds, pursue the American dream - that we may still fall short. Somewhere in our life's journey, we will face adversity. Some we will overcome, and some will overcome us.

Humpty's story is a tale of the power of courage. Eddie Rickenbacker reminds us that courage is doing what we are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless we are afraid. There is a little Humpty Dumpty in all of us. We all have fallen. Yes. We have been broken, certainly.

But somewhere deep inside our heads - behind the doom, beyond the gloom - we refuse to take our eye off that wall and are ready to climb it, cracks and all, as impossible as it may seem.

I have met many real-life Humpty Dumptys, ordinary people who are battling against unimaginable odds: young men and women fighting incurable medical conditions, friends and loved ones facing physical and mental adversity; and there are untold millions facing unbelievable economic challenges. Yet they are unwilling to give up.

I am particularly impressed with Humpty's support group, his family and friends, you know "all the king's horses and all the king's men," who provided the ultimate safety net for Humpty. If it wasn't for our "king's men" and "king's horses," getting back up would be impossible. They are the ones who encourage us to keep on keeping on. They are there helping to put us back together again. Infact, that's what the st. Louis american foundation is doing; serving as a safety net for current and future generations.

This is the second of four stories told by Akande in his keynote speech at the St. Louis American Foundation's 2010 Salute to Excellence in Business. The series continues next week.

When Boeing went to Kenya

8-December-2010Published in: St. Louis American

Through my third story I learned the importance of empowering others through a story shared with me by John T. Quinlivan, an executive at Boeing Corporation. It's a story about a simple act we all take for granted.

You see, a few years back John was the person in charge of delivering Boeing jets to countries around the world. This particular delivery was to the nation of Kenya. The day began with much pomp and ceremony, as Boeing entertained airline executives and top government dignitaries with a demonstration flight in the 767 over the beautiful landscape of Kenya.

Later, the aerospace giant opened the airplane up for a static display, where people are invited to walk through the plane to sit on the seats and get an upclose view of the plane.

More than two thousand Kenya Airways employees and the invited public showed up to get a glimpse of the plane that afternoon. At the completion of the static display, with the plane cleaned and secured for the night, a group of children showed up from a nearby orphanage. Despite protests from his Kenyan hosts, John Quinlivan offered to give them a tour of the plane.

When the children arrived on the tarmac, they stood transfixed at the bottom of the stairway, looking up at massive plane. From the top step, John motioned to them to come up. But no one moved. They just stood there.

It took awhile for John to realize that he had a problem. The problem was a simple one. The children and their handlers had never walked up stairs before. They didn't know how.

So, with the help of the Boeing staff, the children made their way up to the plane. It took a while, but they all finally made it to the top of the stairway, where they stretched out on the large seats in first class, checked out the cockpit, sat in the pilot's seat, and even tried out the restrooms!

At the end of the tour, it was a sight to see the kids attempting to walk down the stairway. A few found it more comforting and ensuring to just sit on the steps and make their way down as carefully as they could.

What stories are being told in your organization that speak to the value that you bring, that conveys the overwhelming reason for your existence?

My friends, walking up the stairs is enabling others to reach their goals. That's what Michael Kennedy Sr. is doing. That's what is taking hold at the Gateway Middle School for Science and Technology. Walking up the stairs is the good work at Grace Hill, where they are enabling St. Louisians from all walks of life to participate in the American Dream.

This is the third of four stories told by Akande in his keynote speech at the St. Louis American Foundation's 2010 Salute to Excellence in Business. The series concludes next week. Akande is dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University.

Rising from the valleys of life

15-December-2010Published in: St. Louis American

Let me share with you a personal story of redemption and perseverance.

I was born and raised in Nigeria, and one of the lingering traditions is the annual end-of-year recognition award day at the high school. It was the end of the ninth grade, and all the parents were invited to celebrate.

The teacher entered, announced that she was going to recognize the students in numerical order from the top performers on down. The first place position went to a student named Toun.

Toun was a petite, extremely well-mannered, intellectually gifted girl who knew all the answers to all the questions and loved doing homework. She was also the first to complain when we didn't get any homework assignment! Yes, we hated her.

After Toun's name was announced and she walked to the front of the class to receive her first place certificate, she hugged her parents then exited the classroom with her mom and dad.

The countdown progressed quickly, and as the room emptied out, the applause that followed the reading of each name became thinner. By the time the teacher reached #20, the classroom was unbelievably quiet. When the teacher reached #30, the remaining students drew together in the middle of the classroom, supporting each other in our collective shame.

The teacher, however, continued her announcements - 31, 32, 33 - in the same enthusiastic tone as if the classroom were full. And then the moment arrived. She was going to announce the last two positions.

"The 34th position goes to Tunde Adeoye." My friend Tunde was so happy that he let out a loud yell and literally ran out of the classroom overjoyed. Only I remained standing.

Finally the teacher announced to an almost empty class: "The 35th position for this year goes to Benjamin Ola. Akande." I walked briskly to the front of the classroom to receive my certificate, then turned towards the doors to meet my dad.

We began the slow, awkward walk toward the parking lot.

After a long pause, my dad said, "Benjamin, we can only go up from here." He did not say "Benjamin, you can only go up from here." He said "we." This was the moment when everything changed for me.

Some years later, while visiting my parents in Nigeria, I decided to take a walk around the old neighborhood. I had just stepped out of our compound when I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey, 35, is that you?"

At first I didn't answer. I just kept walking. I finally turned around to see a face from my past, #1, Toun.

I told her I lived in America and was a professor at a business school at Webster University in St. Louis. Toun told me she had risen to a leadership position and ownership at a major bank.

As I turned to walk away, Toun called out "#35 - you can't control where the winds of life will take you, but there is one thing you can control. You can control what you do with your life."

I returned to the states a few weeks later, and soon after received a call from home. My dad said Toun was sick and encouraged me to give her a call. I called her and Toun told me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and that it had spread to other organs.

Despite the prognosis, she was upbeat, her voice radiating the strength and composure that made her so successful. I told Toun that I wanted to help by connecting her with my older sister Nickie, who is a cancer scientist.

But then, Toun turned it on me. "Look, 35, I'm going to beat this thing. Don't worry about me. I'm going to be okay."

Less than a week later, Dad called in the wee hours of the night to let me know that Toun had passed away. I sat in bed, crying. Not only had I lost a friend, I had lost a friend who taught me by example that indeed the valley is where real growth happens.

God doesn't promise us a life full of mountaintop experiences. We will all experience valleys in our lives. I'm talking about dark valleys, steep slippery valleys, and valleys of despair. There are no maps to detour the valleys of life. All we have is our faith and our willingness to persevere in those valley days.

You won't find growth on the mountain tops above the timberline. It is in the valley.

Yes, I'm still #35, striving every day to continue the climb. There are hundreds of #35's out there. Perhaps you know one. Perhaps you are one. What will you do about it?

This is the last of four stories told by Akande in his keynote speech at the St. Louis American Foundation's 2010 Salute to Excellence in Business. Akande is dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University.

Commerce Matters: Review of Money for Nothing

23-December-2010Published in: Ladue News Section: Commerce Matters 

What's the cost of not doing your job? A letter of reprimand? An unpaid leave? Dismissal? What, if by failing to do what's expected of you, you cost shareholders $60, $90 or more than $200 billion? That's just what happened to Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae and Citigroup when their corporate boards dropped the ball. Unfortunately, according to the authors of Money for Nothing: How the Failure of Corporate Boards is Ruining American Business and Costing Us Trillions, unless we change our game plan, that ball is still loose.

Money for Nothing examines how company directors and their negligence played such a big part in the globe's recent economic meltdown. The book also argues that unless things change, the same is destined to happen again, costing consumers even more.

As authors John Gillespie and David Zweig explain, it starts at the core. Many who are entrusted to act for the benefit of the company are simply warming board meeting seats. And instead of monitoring risks, providing judgment and supervising managers, company directors (who can receive more than $500,000 for their time) serve only as 'yes' men and women for the CEO.

"Some CEOs want sports and entertainment celebrities with little or no relevant experience in the boardroom," Gillespie recently told Fortune magazine. "They add a kind of prestige, ask few questions and are especially prone to agreeing with management." And this, the authors say, is one of the biggest problems with the system. The lack of checks and balances of the board, and not necessarily from legal regulations, is what's causing carelessness.

In the end, the authors offer 24 ways they think boardroom culture could be changed for the better. They include imposing term limits for directors, limiting directors to serving on three or fewer boards, allowing the removal of directors through the call of an 'extraordinary general meeting' and vote, and banning CEOs from also serving as board chairs.

Right now, the authors say shame is the biggest thing controlling boards, and the release of embarrassing information is the only consistent way of getting something done. What if we started enforcing the rules of good business when it comes to our investments and demand more from the boards who influence the companies we put our money into? Fifty-seven million U.S. households own stock. The money lost by companies going bankrupt and going to CEOs in the form of outrageous pay packages should infuriate us all. The authors say we need to direct our anger at insisting on reform and making sure boards hired to protect our money do just that.

"Ignorance by many enables abuse by a few," they say. Yes, boards play the single most important role in making sure companies and the country's financial future remain bright. But they will only succeed if we make them.

Commerce Matters: Review of The Credible Company

22-April-2011Published in: Ladue News Section: Commerce Matters 

Business has embraced social media. Around the world more and more industry leaders are seeing the advantage to the almost instantaneous and far-reaching communication tools now available on line. 500 million people like, post and poke each other on Facebook. DM's from 110 thousand Twitter users fly on line everyday and LinkedIn is giving more professionals a networking edge throughout the world. But while industry leaders are eager to jump on this communication band wagon to promote and sell their product, work ethics or mission to the public many are leaving their most important resource out of the information loop: their employees.

The Credible Company by author Roger D'Aprix is an argument for business leaders put their employees at the front of the line when it comes to communication. Penned by an expert internationally known for his communication strategy work with scores of Fortune 500 companies, The Credible Company outlines not only the reasons the information links with workers need to stay intact but also how to strengthen them with some practical and effective advice. No longer are workers the cost of doing business, D'Aprix writes. They are in these times of lean resources the means. Added to that is an increasingly complex global economy where employees now work between companies and across borders and an increased skepticism from employees about the communication they receive at work. The result is angst among a workforce that not only affects performance and output but also erodes confidence and trust.

Preventing this is easy, says the author, who has identified several principals for any organization which wants to improve communication, embrace employee enthusiasm and maintain trust among its workers. INFORMS is the acronym D'Aprix uses to pull his principals together: Information, Needs on the job, Face-to-face, Openness, Research, Marketplace, and Strategy.

Scattered throughout The Credible Company are lessons learned directly by the author from a career of communication in the business world. Some herald the success stories. Others are mistakes none of us want to make. Take D'Aprix's experience at Xerox in the early 1980's as an example. Just weeks after proposing a "full employment" policy essentially guaranteeing certain employees lifetime job security, D'Aprix learned of management's plan to lay off up to 15% of its workers. Overwhelmed by the reversal of policy but determined to implement a plan for internal communications of the issue, D'Aprix found himself facing a leadership group who refused to talk to their employees. The results were devastating. Rumors elevated the number of workers to be fired; the media bombarded Xerox with questions and market shares collapsed. The inability of senior leaders and communication professionals to work together blew up a problem that would send Xerox into a tailspin. Only after seven long years would the industry leader pull out of its dive.

The Credible Company is a quick read of less than 160 pages from cover to cover. But its size is no reflection on the importance of its essential message and the ease that we can all put the author's ideas and experience to work. In today's ever-changing world, communication professionals need to realize the importance of information to a skeptical audience and organizations must recognize the need to become more transparent. As I write this our political leaders have only just averted a government shutdown. I can't help to wonder whether an agreement might have been reached before the 11th hour if some of our elected had copies of The Credible Company in their briefcases.

Review of The E-Myth Revisited

26-May-2011

A lot has happened in the 15 years since CEO and bestselling author Michael Gerber first published The E-Myth. More people are blazing an entrepreneurial trail and starting their own business. Some make the move with the belief they hold the business plans to the next Wal-Mart or Starbucks. Others yearn to be their own boss. And a few feel forced to hang out a company shingle due to the economy and their current employment outlook. The unfortunate truth is that this year alone, more than a million people in the U.S. will start a business. And in the end, according to the Department of Commerce, at least 40 percent of them will be forced to close shop within the first year.

The problem, the author argues, revolves around the 'e,' or entrepreneurial myth. This falsehood is based on an assumption by those starting out that they will prosper with the formula Desire + $$$ = Success. Nothing, according to Gerber, is further from the truth. In reality, most businesses fail because the entrepreneur is not a visionary at all. Most businesses are started by the workers, the doers and the technicians behind a specific job. Without a true entrepreneurial outlook or 'wonder,' these business owners will find themselves not working for another, but instead working themselves to death in an attempt to start their new life. They don't ask and force an answer to the most important entrepreneurial question, I wonder what my business will be like?

If they do, then the independent business owner must prepare to face the phases of any business' life (infancy, adolescence, beyond the comfort zone, maturity and the entrepreneurial perspective). Gerber says successful business owners embrace these phases and establish a business development process, which gives them needed tools to face and sometimes pre-empt the world full of changes each business confronts. The real 'secret sauce' of success then comes in the operating system of the new business, which enables a company to differentiate itself from others. The standout brands who excel at this are McDonald's, Dell Computer and FedEx. Each has found that uniqueness and has moved fast forward. Rest assured, the author says, any business can do it, and do it well. According to Gerber, this turn-key system is nothing more than an organized methodology for "producing their result in their way for their reason" and solving a genuine problem with a genuine solution.

Every year at this time, I have the honor of addressing the outstanding graduates of Webster University's Walker School of Business. This year, I reminded the Class of 2011 that if they learned anything while at Webster, I hope they learned that learning is not a destination: It's a lifelong journey. Such is the lesson of The E-Myth Revisited and in the end, what we can learn from it is how to keep learning and wondering, so any of us can achieve the right business attitude needed to succeed.

Review of Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs

6-Jul-2011 Do you have what it takes to occupy the corner office? Does residency require myriad academic degrees, a history of moneymaking successes or maybe a family friend on the board? The truth, according to author Adam Bryant in his new book, The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs, is that most leaders share some specific qualities or 'X factors' any of us could develop. And better yet, obtaining them will make anyone a great manager or better employee.

The author, a Sunday weekly featured columnist for The New York Times, compiles more than 70 interviews with CEOs, such as Alan Mulally of Ford Motor Company, Ursula Burns at Xerox, John Donahoe at eBay and Steve Ballmer at Microsoft. Bryant's book offers first-person accounts that resonate with lessons from leaders at all levels of industry-leading organizations. These leaders offer rich and entertaining lessons learned in the school of hard knocks.

All of Bryant's interviewees share five unique qualities: passionate curiosity, battle-hardened confidence, team smarts, simple mind-set and fearlessness. These characteristics, the author contends, make the difference between getting that corner office or being relegated to a room without a view.

As an educator, I love that the first quality of great CEOs is that they are the best students in the room. In front of employees, customers and shareholders, they exude self-reliance to spare. But behind the scenes, Bryant writes, all the CEOs admitted to an intense curiosity for how things work and what others know. Their ability to ask the right question was more important to them than being the smartest guy in the room. The inquisitiveness of being a lifelong learner is an important attribute of leading that is often overlooked. Every leader can learn from Bryant's assessment of a corner office holder's 'team smarts.' Who among us doesn't need the ability to know who has their back, who is a playmaker or who will make a great assist? Successful CEOs know how their employees will act and more importantly, they know how they will react. Team smarts, Bryant writes, is the skill of recognizing the players a team needs, then bringing them into the huddle around a common goal. But my favorite stories are those about fearlessness. Risk-takers are those who do more than they're told to do. They knock things off-kilter, not because they want to hurt a good thing, but just to see if 'good' can be made better. This is central to those in the corner office and it is what they look for in others. They eat change for breakfast and are still hungry.

Author Bryant admits that learning to lead is hard and although the title, perks and power might seem alluring, we all know the job is not for everyone. According to The Corner Office, getting to a company's top spot is not something out of reach for anyone. This is a great summer read and you are sure to find some pertinent takeaways to put to use when you get back into the office.

Toyota: Opportunity Born Out of Failure

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010 3:15 PM CST Published: Ladue News

Section: Living > Wealth, Commerce Matters by Benjamin Akande

Author: Benjamin Akande

In his bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell tells a remarkable tale of the relative importance of word-of-mouth and how in the age of e-mails, we may have overlooked this simple yet very valuable and powerful communication tool. The story also speaks directly to the greatest auto recall ever. Toyota is facing the potential death of an illustrious brand name despite doing so much right until just a few weeks ago, when it was revealed that 9 million vehicles manufactured by the company were putting the lives of drivers and passengers at risk due to rapid and unexpected acceleration. Toyota is not new to recalls.

In 1990, just after Toyota’s Lexus division introduced its line of luxury cars in the United States, the company realized that it had two minor problems with the LS400 line that required a recall. Lexus had decided from the beginning to build its reputation around quality workmanship and reliability.  Then, just over a year after the brand’s launch, the company was being forced to admit to problems with its flagship model. While most recalls are handled by a public announcement via TV, radio or letters to owners, Lexus decided to make a special effort in contacting its customers in the most personal and direct manner: The company called each owner individually on the telephone the day the recall was announced.  When the owners picked up their vehicle following the repair work, each car had been washed and the tank filled with gas.  If an owner lived more than 100 miles from a dealership, the dealer sent a mechanic to his or her home.  In one instance, a technician flew from Los Angeles to Anchorage, Alaska, to make the necessary repairs. Toyota emerged from what could have been a disaster with a reputation for customer service that continued until this present recall. One automotive publication later called it ‘the perfect recall.’ By going the extra mile, Lexus successfully kick-started a word-of-mouth epidemic about the quality of their customer service, a message that would have been lost in a letter, fax or media broadcast.

Perhaps Toyota can take a page from its own history to regain the trust of current and future customers by doing whatever it takes to prove the company is dedicated to safety--and providing personal service while doing it. During the repairs, for example, the company could offer free car rental, gas vouchers and even food and restaurant coupons. Toyota is renowned for its manufacturing prowess; it’s time to focus on overcoming its public relations nightmare.

How effective Toyota is in communicating to millions of customers worldwide will determine whether the world-class automaker becomes a memory in the not-too-distant future. There is a real opportunity here for Toyota to create best practices that could become the reference point and industry benchmark on recalls. Somebody once said that we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. I hope Toyota takes heed and makes this very serious situation an opportunity born out of failure. Either way, word-of-mouth is going to count. In a few months, will people be singing Toyota’s praises or its eulogy?

Dr. Benjamin Ola.  Akande is Dean of the School of Business and Technology at Webster University.  Follow him on Twitter: @Benjamin_Akande

Finding Success From Within: #35

by Benjamin Ola. Akande - Dean, School of Business and Technology The Erik L. Bond Lecture Series, MICDS

I grew up in Nigeria, in the town of Ibadan, population about 1 million where one of the school’s traditions was a year-end recognition day. It was the end of my ninth grade year when the head of school invited all the parents to school to celebrate the final day of the semester with their children.

On that fateful day, the teacher made a dramatic entrance into the classroom and announced that she was going to recognize the students in numerical order from the top performer on down. First-place position went to a student named Toun. Hearing Toun’s name called first was really no surprise to any of us because Toun had consistently been the best in our class every year since we were in first grade. She was petite, well-dressed, well-mannered and was an intellectually gifted girl who knew all the answers to all the questions. She even loved doing homework and complained when we didn’t get assigned any to do. After her name was announced, Toun received her certificate, hugged her parents and, in keeping with the usual practice, left the class with her family.

The countdown continued, and as the room emptied out, the applause that followed the reading of each name became quieter. By the time the teacher reached number 20, the classroom was silent. When she got to 30, the remaining students huddled together in the middle of the classroom, supporting each other in our shame.

The teacher, however, continued her announcements – number 31,32, 33 – in the same enthusiastic tone as if the classroom were full. And then the moment that would forever change my life finally arrived. The teacher announced, “the 34th position goes to Tunde.” My classmate standing next to me was so delighted that he let out a loud yell and literally ran out of the classroom overjoyed. Only I remained standing.

Finally the teacher said, “the 35th position for this academic year goes to Benjamin Ola. Akande.” I walked briskly to the front of the classroom, received my certificate, then turned and met my dad at the door. His car was parked less than 100 yards from the classroom. It was the longest walk in my life. It felt like eternity. My dad said nothing to me as we made that long silent walk to the car. But then, after we reached the car, he turned and said, “Benjamin, we can only go up from here.” From that day onward my nickname became #35.

My parents never stopped encouraging me, and with their support I successfully left that day behind and turned my academic career around.

Two years ago I was reminded of just how far I had come when while visiting my parents in Nigeria, I decided to take a walk around the old neighborhood. As I walked outside our compound, I heard a familiar voice call out, “Hey, 35, is that you?” Stunned…I didn’t answer, I didn’t look back, I just kept walking. I kept telling myself this person surely isn’t calling to me. After all, I’ve been gone for 30 years. There must be a lot of 35s in the neighborhood by now!

So, I started walking faster trying to run away from my past. But curiosity got the best of me and I finally had the courage to turn around to see who had recognized me after all these years. There stood number one, Toun, a blast from my past.

“What are you doing these days?” she asked and I told her I lived in the United States and was dean of the school of Business and Technology at Webster University. Toun shared her story with me, saying she was now president of one of the top commercial banks in the country. She was the same Toun, inquisitive, smart, successful, always taking charge.

It was then I told Toun what I felt to be true: that I owed a great deal of whatever success I had achieved in life so far to her because she had set the bar for all of us so high. It was a unique meeting between number 1 and number 35, and before we parted ways we promised to stay in touch.

Only a few months later after returning to St. Louis, I received a call from my dad. Toun was sick, he said, and I may want to reach out to her. I called immediately and was told by Toun that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and that it had spread to her vital organs. Despite the prognosis, Toun was upbeat with her voice radiating the strength and composure that she had shown since our younger days.

“Toun, you’ve got to be strong,” I said. But then, Toun turned the table on me. “Look 35, I’m going to beat this stuff. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be ok.” As the conversation wound down, Toun told me she was proud of me.

Less than two weeks later on a cold Saturday around 3am, I received a phone call from my dad. He called to tell me that Toun had passed away. I hung up the phone, sat up in bed and cried. I had lost a friend, a childhood mentor who had been blindsided by a disease that takes away so many women in the prime of their life.

Mine is a story that speaks to using one’s strength from within to overcome and to seek success. There are hundreds of 35s in America today. Perhaps you know one of them. Perhaps, like me, you are one of them. This begs the question: what are you willing to do about it?

I want to appeal to you this morning to expect to do better than the world expects of you. Expect to live in a bigger world than the one you see. I challenge you to have a sense of constructive impatience and urge you to dream with your eyes wide open.

My message to everyone here today is that when things don’t work out as they should don’t run away from challenges. Seek alternative avenues. Remember, there are many roads that lead to success. I have learned that it is important that you set goals that are not within easy reach. Find value in focusing on purpose and not on avoiding failure.

My appeal to all of you today is to dream with your eyes wide open and to stay focused on the future.

My prayer for you is that you will all live a meaningful life and become true catalysts in the great drama of life.

“May you have enough happiness to give you satisfaction, enough trials to make you strong, enough hope to give you fulfillment.”

Dream big dreams and prepare yourself to pursue those dreams. I ask that you seize the moment, for it is already later than you think and please, don’t live your life content with being good. Believe me, there is nothing wrong with being good, but your ultimate goal is to be better than good, because in my humble opinion being good is just not good enough anymore; strive for greatness.

And so I end with a poem by Patrick O’Leary that captures the essence of the journey that lies ahead for each and every one of you. The poem is entitled: “Nobody Knows.”

“There’s a place I travel when I want to grow, and nobody knows it but me. The roads don’t go there and the signs stay home, and nobody knows it but me. It’s far, far away, and way, way afar, it’s over the moon and the sea and high atop the mountains, for wherever you’re going that’s wherever you are. And nobody knows it but you.”

Spicy soup is a taste of home

By Pat EbySPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH 02/03/2010

Hot and spicy is nothing new for Benjamin Akande, who cut his teeth on pepper soup.

"They spoon-fed me this soup since as long as I can remember," said Akande, who is from Lagos, Nigeria. "We lived very close to the Atlantic growing up. We'd drive a few miles to pick up fresh seafood every day."

When the Akande family moved to Louisville, pepper soup with fish stayed on the menu, even in landlocked Kentucky.

While his parents pursued graduate degrees, Benjamin studied his favorite subject — history — in elementary school. An economics class in the seventh grade ignited his passion for what he calls the language of business. "I loved economics — I was enamored with the process — how we can elevate and sustain cultures and nations, creating jobs."

His appetite for history and economics dovetailed throughout undergraduate school at Wayland Baptist University in Texas, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He moved on to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in economics and met his wife, Bola, who was in pharmacy school.

Throughout his college career, he cooked, recalling how his mother had made certain dishes, experimenting and learning. "I'd always watched my mom cook — that was my apprenticeship — and when I went home, I'd watch her more closely, remembering the combinations. But my wife, the ultimate chef — she was my graduate and post-graduate education in cooking," he said.

Their children experiment in the kitchen, too. "My kids are their own individuals — each with different interests. They love music, math, science, theater. They cook, bake cakes. They are finding their own style," he said.

Akande's style includes using combinations of fish such as sea bass, whiting and prawns in his pepper soup.

"The pepper soup — when you first eat it, you eat just the fish, as your mouth gets used to the heat. Then you spoon a little broth with the fish. Soon, you take just the broth — and you enjoy the heat, the taste."

Commerce Matters with Benjamin Akande

Source: The Ladue News Review: Getting to Plan B

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010 11:08 PM CST

Plan B is a place no one wants to go.  In our society, a Plan B isn’t synonymous with success. Even its name comes off as the also-ran, the ‘next best’ thing or the back-up when all else fails. But the truth is, many Plan B’s are better than their alpha predecessors. The smart executive makes sure they are as well-researched and as well-grounded in reality as any of the other plans before them. And as authors John Mullins and Randy Komisar note in their latest bestseller, Getting to Plan B, those ‘also-rans’ could be your answer to beating the odds to succeed.

To prove their point, Mullins and Komisar load their narrative with examples of successes snatched from the jaws of defeat.  To find one of the most striking Cinderella stories, you need to go to Google. No, I don’t mean its search engine.  Look into its business plan.  Google’s original plan was purely academic, with two students at Stanford trying to find a better way of finding information. They did, and by invitation or word-of-mouth, a following was born. But as the demand for Google grew, so did the need for money to maintain its infrastructure. Creators Sergey Brin and Larry Page found themselves in need of revenue.

Brin and Page considered advertising ‘evil,’ so the several Plan Bs that followed focused on investments and licensing. The results were marginal at best, so Google set out to find a better method that wouldn’t fly in the face of their mantra to provide information to all, not just those who can afford it. The answer was paid listings (well separated from Google’s organic searches), and then a cost-per-click model. To this day, no ads are displayed on Google’s home page.

Throughout its evolution, Google’s executives continually identified ‘leaps of faith’ they were making along the way through each of their new plans for revenue.  The reality is that left unguarded, these untested questions (which many businesses bank on) can easily sink a company into failure.  But, according to the authors, Google survived by recognizing them and seeing how they related to the five elements that determine a business model’s viability: revenue, gross margin, operating, working capital and investment models.

As the economy continues its limp out of the recession, more enterprising entrepreneurs will be forced into the world of the self-employed or to take matters into their own hands and start their own business.  For these, the lessons of Getting to Plan B are invaluable.  This is our year to embrace new ideas, to be bold enough to innovate and challenge conventional wisdom. We are all entrepreneurs looking for the next best thing, whether it is a new product or a better way to do things.  All require a solid business plan that is data-driven, strategic, well thought-out and crafted from the lessons learned from other peoples’ mistakes. By heeding the insight in this book, our second plan or backup may turn out to be the best plan of all.

Creating a Strategy and Networking Your Plan

Tuesday, March 03, 2009 - Creating a Strategy and Networking Your Plan Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande, Dean of the School of Business and Technology at Webster University, shared actionable tips and advice for effective networking.

Posted with permission by GO! Network STL and Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande

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GO! Network STL, a non-profit organization delivering hope and encouragement to the growing population of business professionals who have lost their jobs - providing personal and professional growth through life, education and career opportunities.

GO! Network STL and Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande - Effective Networking from GO! Network on Vimeo.

Leading Without Authority

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 – Leading Without Authority – Dr. Benjamin Akande, Dean of Webster University’s School of Business and Technology Dr. Akande built upon the workshop he presented earlier this year with this session, Leading Without Authority. Attendees learned more about empowerment and the ability to inspire people from wherever they are in their life.

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GO! Network STL, a non-profit organization delivering hope and encouragement to the growing population of business professionals who have lost their jobs - providing personal and professional growth through life, education and career opportunities.

GO! Network and Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande - Leading Without Authority from GO! Network on Vimeo.