The Power of Partnership

Today the Board of Directors of the Florida Regional Minority Business Council held its annual Board Retreat for strategic planning. The session was moderated by Dick Huebner, President of the Houston Minority Business Council, one of the most successful and well run minority business councils in the country. Dick did an outstanding job of helping the Board to crystallize a plan of action to fulfill its mission of fostering minority business development in South Florida through the work of the Council.

As I listened to the input and the respectful give and take among my fellow Board members, I realized that this is what partnership is all about. The room was filled with representatives from some of America's top corporations, minority-owned businesses, quasi-governmental entities and our awesome CEO, Beatrice Louissaint. Each participant had a point of view, each participant held strong beliefs about the proper course of action on a multiplicity of topics, but each participant checked his/her ego at the door, rolled up their sleeves and got down to work.

The day was stimulating, challenging and invigorating. As a Board, we are united in our mission and empowered to accomplish (and to exceed) our goals. This is the power of partnership at work. I am proud of and motivated by the spirit of rugged individualism that permeates America and the high-powered A-Type personalities that I serve with. However, there is definitely truth in the proposition that Together We Achieve More! That is what a TEAM is all about.

The great basketball player Bill Russell once said, "The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd make my teammates play." That is the essence of teamwork and I experienced it today and I'm thankful for the opportunity to make a difference with folks who I genuinely respect and admire. If you don't have a strong and supportive team, my friend, trust me, you need one!

Go FRMBC for 2008!