DU SLPA BLOG

Duquesne Host 3rd Annual 5K Walk/Run in Honor of Fallen Marine

2012-03-01T15:26:00.000-05:00

Sgt. Ryan Lane

On March 24, 2012 the Duquesne University Community will once again gather to join in celebrating the life and service of Sgt. Ryan Lane, USMC, by conducting the third annual 5K Run/Walk in his honor. Sgt. Lane was a Marine killed in action overseas in Afghanistan in July 2009 on his second tour of duty. The run, sponsored by SLPA, is a collaborative effort organized by ROTC students at Duquesne, with the proceeds contributing to a scholarship endowment in Ryan's name. The endowment will help a deserving veteran student, spouse or dependent defray their education expenses at Duquesne. To date the run has raised $12,500 towards the goal of $25,000.

Don Accamando, Military Program Director at SLPA says "I am touched by the patriotic support the ROTC and other student volunteers show by volunteering their time to this worthy event".

WTAE's coverage of the 2011 5K Run/Walk

The entry fee is $20and participants will have the chance to win prizes and get T-shirts (whilethey last). Last year over $8,000 was raised and the hope is to break that amount this year. If you are unable to attend the event, please consider registering anyway and wearing your T-shirt on the day of the run to show your support.

Participants in the 2010 5K Run/Walk

Information and registration forms are on Facebook. Questions may be directedto Don Accamando, military programdirector, at 412.396.366.

Leader's Viewpoint: SUCCESS

2012-02-28T11:34:00.002-05:00

Don Charlton, CEO of The Resumator, a Pittsburgh-basedcompany that provides hiring software to fast-growing small businesses. Featured on TechCrunch, Mashable and CNET, they empower growing businesses with fun-to-use recruiting tools. Included in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of “100 Brilliant Companies”, The Resumator has been widely heralded as an innovative, essential product for businesses that need to hire.

Part III: Being A Better Leader - 3 Keys

2012-02-24T15:29:00.002-05:00

This is the final installment of my three part series on howto become a better leader. In parts one and two I indicated that you become a better leader throughexperience, trial and error and reflection, and by developing a leadership philosophy that guides your actions and decisions. In this way, you knowhow you want to approach the common practices of leadership and whether yourpreferred style fits with your current organization and situation.

Once you've developed your philosophy, you now have to liveit. But, as we all know this does not happen overnight, it's a continuous, dynamicprocess. The most important thing you need to do now that you have yourphilosophy is to develop a feedback process that helps you to figure out ifyou’re living it. This is where learning to lead through experience, trial anderror, and reflection comes into play.

At almost any level, the really successful people inorganizations are the ones who try to structure their lives to learn and getfeedback and be self aware. That’s not necessarily a natural thing to do, soyou have to be very mindful of it. Many leaders fail quite frequently becausethey don't develop a process that enables them to capture and critically usefeedback. Denial can be the greatest hurdle that leaders face in becomingself aware. Without feedback that enables you to understand how you're performing and functioning as a leader, you cannot improve. So you must focus intently on developing a feedbackprocess. I've listed three steps below that help.

1. Listen hard – listen to the off-the cuffand casual remarks that people make about you and write them down. Pretty soonyou will know how you are coming across. Compare it to the words you use todescribe how you want to lead. Do they see you as you wish to be seen? If no,then your actions are not following suit. You also have to listen to hear ifyour philosophy is not valued or needed. Spend a lot of time listening andbuilding channels of communication where you get hear from a variety ofpeople.

2. Ask for feedback – Find a friend orcolleague, who you think will tell you the truth about yourself. don’t say ‘howdo you think I’m doing?’ ASK: ‘how can I be a better leader/team member/colleague’?You don't need to be excessive about it, but it is important to do so. For example, if you say you are flexible and approachable, and others tell you that you canbe more flexible, then you will know that you need to work on that area.

3. Connect – take complete responsibilityfor how you are heard. Effective communication is a fine art, work on improvingit. Figure out how you can get your message across better.Sometimes your philosophy may not be the problem but your communication style is.

This is the key to improving your leadership - creating a feedback process soyou can learn from your experiences and reflect on them. Finally, recognize thatyour leadership puzzle is never completely finished. Your philosophy can and shouldevolve in response to the different expectations you face at different times inyour career. The most important thing is for you to be is self-aware. Leaderswho are self-aware and who have the drive to continuously reflect and evolveare the most successful. You have to pay attention to your feedback process andmake adjustments as needed.

The world needs good leaders in every endeavor, so we mustcontinuously strive to become better leaders. The three key things toremember – become more self-aware, have a leadership philosophy and a process that gives you accurate feedback.

Spotlight on our Alumni: Mary Ann Estok

2012-02-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

It's time to meet another one of our great alumni. Today the spotlight is on Mary Ann Estok, a leader who works in the insurance field, an educator, and a world traveler.

What you do at your job?
My current title is District Sales Manager at the Mutual of Omaha Companies in the Phoenix Division Office here in Arizona. But I spend a lot of my time working with our General Sales Manager in building a LADL (life, annuity, disability and critical illness insurance products) focused Agency. We focus on a number of things: 1) production growth through "needs based" selling; 2) producer development by recruiting, selecting, training, developing, and retaining new and experienced producers; and 3) maintaining profitable operations through prudent management while achieving goals.

Tell us about yourself?
Although I currently work in the Financial Services industry, I hold a BS degree in Education along with my Master's degree from SLPA. I spent 9 years teaching K-12 Health and Physical Education domestically and abroad for the Department of Defense Schools. This afforded me the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and to parts of Asia. I enjoy teaching and am able to keep my skills sharp in my current role by planning and conducting training sessions on various subjects dealing with financial services. I enjoy traveling (will be going to Lisbon Portugal in April), meeting people, reading, cooking and swimming. Most important, despite the move to Arizona, I am still a loyal Pittsburgh Steeler Fan.

What are your best memories about studying at SLPA?
My classmates, the instructors, the course content, and being on the bluff.

What is your leadership philosophy?
I believe in leading by example-it speaks to one’s work ethic. However, while there is a science to business there is also an art. The art speaks to the culture of your organization. In order to have healthy competition versus cut throat chaos in a sales operation the leader must mix and blend numerous styles of leadership for the desired outcome. On a day to day basis I find myself practicing everything from Charismatic leadership, Participative leadership, Servant leadership, Transformational Leadership just to name a few.

What book have you read or are reading right now that you would recommend?
I enjoy reading books on business, philosophy, management theory, autobiographies, history and sports. Currently, I am reading John C Maxwell, the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It’s a ‘thumbs up’.

Part II: How To Develop A Leadership Philosophy

2012-02-15T17:17:00.000-05:00

How do you become a better leader? When I ask this question, I’m specifically talking about becoming a better leader at home, or in your community, or on your job (whether you’re a manager, a nurse, a truck driver or a jewelry maker). How do you become better at setting a vision and inspiring others to buy in? How do you become better at influencing people to act? For example, your goal at work may be to increase sales by 40%, how do you communicate this and influence others to buy into it – the naysayers who say it’s too high, the ones who think there is only one way to achieve those numbers and it’s not the plan you have; or, the ones who are on board, but are becoming demotivated by the naysayers. How do you go about it?

There is one guiding question you should ask yourself to become a better leader and benefit from your experiences, reflection and trial and error: what kind of Leader do I want to be? Or more succinctly - what is my leadership philosophy?

Your leadership philosophy guides your actions and decisions and in developing one, I usually recommend that people undertake the following set of exercises:

Exercise 1

1. What does leadership mean to you?

2. Identify a great leader you admire.

3. What attributes made him/her great?

The answer to what made the leader you chose great gives you a clue as to what kind of leader you want to be.

Exercise 2

1. Identify the worst leader you’ve ever had.

2. What did you learn from them?

3. What attributes did you not like?

This can help guide you as well. The answer gives you more detail as to what kind of leader you want to be because it shows you where you don’t want to go.

Exercise 3

I’ve placed a list of attributes below. I want you to choose the ones that you want to describe you as a leader. Add them to the ones you already have from the previous two exercises. These attributes will help describe your leadership philosophy – what guides you as a leader.

Strategic	Results-oriented	Energetic	Insightful	Savvy
Collaborative	Nurturing	Flexible	Knowledge-able	Service-Oriented
Deliberate	Calm	Focused	Logical	Thoughtful
Independent	Committed	Good Listener	Responsive	Tolerant
Innovative	Competent	Developmental	Organized	Trustworthy

After you’ve done this, place the attributes that you want to identify you as a leader to complete the following sentence:

I want to be known for being _____________

For example:

I want to be known for being results oriented, authentic, and focused.

You should exploit your strengths here. What are you good at? Add in the attributes from the leaders you’ve had that you admire.

This philosophy should guide you as you lead on a daily basis. And the reason the words ‘known for being’ are being used is because it has to transcend you. You’ve heard leaders say ‘I’m collaborative’ and they’re often the only ones that think so. You ask the people they work with if their boss is collaborative and they would say no. Your style needs to come out of your head and be seen in your actions.

TESTING YOUR PHILOSOPHY

Now that you have your philosophy, let’s examine it in more detail. I’m going to ask you a series of questions so you can test it:

Does this represent the best that you can do?

Are you playing small or safe, or does it reflect what you can do?

Can you live this philosophy?

Do you have the ability to translate the qualities you articulated into day to day behavior? Can you make specific time commitments to live the leadership philosophy you espouse? More importantly, can you translate it into the decisions and choices you make? If your philosophy is to be authentic and trustworthy, then you have to live it in the decisions and choices you make. It’s okay if it’s a stretch philosophy, you just have to know this so that you know how hard you have to work.

Is your leadership philosophy something that is valued or needed in your organization?

In other words, looking at your organizational culture, dynamics and resources what type of leader do you need to be to achieve your goals at this moment? What are the needs of your situation? Because your philosophy may not mesh with your organization, your leadership style may not help you to be successful in achieving your goals. For example, our demo philosophy is results oriented and focused, but if you're in an organization where you need to employ patience, a nurturing style, and a willingness to develop people, then you’re going to need some help. You’re going to have to ensure that when you build your team (formally or informally), or when you look around the organization, you find people that can compensate for areas that are not your strengths, so that you can increase your leadership efficacy. As I've said in a previous post, the belief that a single person, that lone ranger or leader can lead us to a successful future is a myth. Acts of leadership must come from all of us in the organization; it must come from the team. If your style of leadership does not mesh with your organization, I would recommend that you NOT try to take on a philosophy or style that goes against your own personal values or strengths. At least not for an extended period of time, it really doesn't work well. You can hold it for short periods but not consistently. Rather, I would recommend that you try to engage in shared leadership – where we encourage team members to take on responsibility for leadership and help each other.

What’s your leadership philosophy?

Free Webinar - Execution:Getting Things Done

2012-02-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

SLPA is having a free webinar on Wednesday February 15, 2012. It runs from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. EST. If you want to join us, send me an email at laynegartsides@duq.edu and I will connect you.

EXECUTION – GETTING THINGS DONE

“It is no use saying, we are doing our best. You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”

- Winston Churchill

How often are projects significantly delayed or completed below your personal standards because of poor execution? Execution is often the missing link between goals and results. This Webinar will focus on the three critical things needed to get things done in any job or project, particularly if you are not the CEO. People often know WHAT to do; they just don’t know HOW to effectively get it done. This webinar will give you the needed steps.

Leaders Need to Provide Less Noise

2012-02-13T14:08:00.001-05:00

“The problem today is too much information sharing and not enough sense making: too many massages, too many meetings, too many emails, change programs, etc...Leaders need to provide more signal and less noise. If you're a leader, your people need three things: clarity about purpose, honesty about values, and focus about metrics.

They need to see what you see. Tell them what really matters,. Tell them how you connect the dots so they can see the pattern you see. That way they’ll have your template to guide their actions.

They want to know what you feel. Tell them what the company stands for. Then live by it yourself and hold them to it.

They want to track what you measure. Tell them the few things that really matter when it comes to measuring performance – as few as possible. Too many things to measure and you’re back to adding noise, not signal. That’s the definition of leadership: ramping up the signal and dampening down the noise, making sense out of confusion. It’s not breath of vision that defines good-to-great leaders but clarity of focus. Plus that which gets measured is what gets done…”

Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning At Business Without Losing Your Self

by Alan Webber

What I'm Reading

2012-02-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

"Of all the bosses you've had in your career, how many would you call truly great leaders?"

This week I'm reading Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Art of Being a True Leader by Rajeev Peshawaria. It's inspiring and leading to a lot of reflection and action on my part. If you have the time, pick up a copy, I recommend it.

"At the end of the day the difference between leaders and nonleaders is this: Leaders find the energy to stay on and fight, and energize others around them, while nonleaders give up. Energy can neither be learned in a classroom nor automatically acquired by accepting a big title or position of authority. Leadership energy must be discovered, and there is no shortcut to the discovery process. This book is all about how to discover your own leadership energy and how to help others in finding theirs."

What are you reading this week?

Do You Have Any Great Ideas?

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Spotlight on our Alumni: Kelvin De’Marcus Allen

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday, so time to meet another one of our great alumni. Today the spotlight is on Kelvin Allen, a multifaceted graduate residing in North Carolina.

Tell us what you do at your job?
I am the Marketing Coordinator for Distance and Online education at North Carolina Central University. I am responsible for writing and disseminating information about our programs in the form of press releases and feature stories. I provide content for our website, design marketing collateral and manage our social networking sites, i.e., (facebook and twitter). I also counsel academic departments on best practices for marketing new and existing academic programs and services through the media.

What are your best memories about studying at SLPA?
I thoroughly enjoyed the many reading assignments. Whether it was a chapter from a textbook, or a case study assigned to provide more clarity on a leadership topic, I always felt as though I was privy to cutting-edge information. I could be assured that my assignments were never in vain, and that I could integrate them into my work life immediately.

barnesandnoble.com

You're an author, you publish a magazine and you're on the Faculty as an Instructor at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies. You're obviously engaged in a lot of other activities that you find meaningful.

I've always had a fascination with history. As a matter of fact, as a youngster I dreamed of one day becoming a history teacher. Although teaching history did not pan out as I imagined it would, my fascination with things, old and nearly forgotten never left me. I suppose I realized early on, just how deeply our past affects how we act, and react to everything in our lives. So armed with that bit of wisdom, I’ve managed to pursue not one, but several creative endeavors that add meaning to my life and hopefully some meaning to the lives of others.
My work as an author, documentary filmmaker and publisher constantly advances the great historian and sociologist, W.E.B. Dubois’ thesis that our collective memory as a people and our memory of personal experiences have everything to do with “our sight and strivings”, and how we perceive ourselves. Finally, I am always hopeful that my work will be an inspiration to others.

What is your leadership philosophy?
I have a straightforward leadership philosophy, and it’s simply this, “lead by example”. Never ask anyone to do anything that you would not first do yourself. The respect you gain from your colleagues when you demonstrate this tenet, last for a lifetime.

Kelvin is the Publisher of The Urban Journal Magazine

What book have you read or are reading right now that you would recommend?

One of my favorite books was required reading for the SPLA program, Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership by Howard Gardner. I would definitely recommend this book. Gardner convincingly asserts that our leadership philosophies are tied to our past. He cleverly utilizes well-known historical figures to get his point across and does so with dramatic effect. A great read!

Part I: What Leadership Books Tell Us

2012-02-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

Type in a search on amazon and you will find over 50, 000 books on leadership. Leadership is a very popular topic. It begs the question - why are there so many books on Leadership? I think it's because while leadership is easy to define, or there are commonalities in the definition of leadership, there’s no one prescription for making someone a great leader. With all of the books and research on leadership out there (and over the past 50 years Leadership scholars have conducted more than 1000 studies in an attempt to determine the definitive styles, characteristics, or personality traits of great leaders), there is no basic underlying theory of how it all works. We may come to a common understanding on what leaders do, or at least, what they should be doing, but there is no universal agreement on the best way to go about becoming a great leader. What works for one leader, may not work for another. What works in one situation, may not work in another similar situation. So, if you took a look at all of the literature on leadership, you will find two major themes emerging.

First, there is a drive to create models or theories to tell us how to become a successful leader. These models/theories are often referred to as leadership styles. To date, we have had about 10 major Leadership theories, and most of us would have come across them at some point:

(1) Great Man Theory – leaders are born and not made

(2) Trait Theory – leaders are distinguished by the traits or attributes that they display, e.g. integrity and trustworthiness

(3) Psychoanalytical theory – Freud’s idea that all social groups are representations of the family

(4) Charismatic Leadership – a figure attracts followers purely on the basis of their strong and charming personality

(5) Behavioral theory – effective leadership results from certain behaviors

(6) Situational theory – the way leadership is executed depends on the situation

(7) Contingency theory – takes account of variables such as the kind of task for which leadership is required and how much power the leader has.

(8) Transactional vs Transformational – which contrasts a fairly conventional style of leadership with a more visionary, inspirational style

(9) Distributed Leadership Theory – leadership roles are shared naturally rather than formally assigned.

(10) Servant leadership - leadership is carried out purely for the benefit of the group

The truth of the matter is that the qualities of leadership are intangible. They are defined, not by books or lectures, but by our instincts and personalities. What this collection tells us is that all of us have the spark of leadership within us, the challenge is to understand ourselves well enough to discover where and how we can pull out and use our leadership gifts to serve others.

Another common thing emerging from these books is that leadership is often talked about in lofty terms. It’s romanticized as if it's something only great people or the CEO of an organization does. This is wrong; there must be effective leaders at all levels within an organization for it to succeed in today’s challenging environment. We see this need manifest in our daily lives as we work, guide our children and plan for our future. Sometimes leadership takes place “out front” and "on stage", and sometimes as leaders we work quietly behind the scenes – greasing the wheels and easing the path. Great leadership today is about more than one figurehead, that lone great man at the top, and organizations with CEOs that recognize this are among the most successful.

Leadership development can and should follow many paths - you can take a course, have a mentor, read a book, etc. Books are a great source for that development. But the most important thing to note is that learning to lead is actually a very personal undertaking. It means making sense of your personality, the organization you’re in, the challenges you’re facing at any given moment, and the personalities of the people you’re managing.

Discovering your authentic leadership requires a commitment to developing yourself. Like musicians and athletes you must devote yourself to a lifetime of realizing your potential. The onus is upon you to learn from your experiences, good bosses, bad bosses, colleagues, peers, and other leaders’ stories. Think of leadership as a puzzle that you have to put together yourself, in a way that makes sense, and in a way that works for you.

What I'm Reading

2012-01-30T17:13:00.000-05:00

I'm reading Users, Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Business. A fascinating look at what it takes for a business to succeed in the digital era. Whether you work in large or small organization, this book gives you actionable steps that you can take to ensure that your business thrives online. The author is Aaron Shapiro, CEO of the digital marketing agency HUGE, and he writes a book that is not only easy to read for those unfamiliar with marketing, but gives you great advice for all areas of your company - hiring, customer service, sales, marketing. I recommend it.

What are you reading?

Multitasking Does Not Work

2012-01-19T05:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we had a free Webinar on Time Management. Specifically we answered the question: how do you function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control when you have an overwhelming number of things to do? One of the points we covered in the Webinar is that multitasking does not work. This short video below summarizes the point:

Improving Your Presentation Skills

2012-01-18T05:30:00.000-05:00

This video is great because it shows every mistake you can possibly make in a presentation. If you want to improve and get better at making presentations, I recommend that you do the following:

1. Read two or three key books on making presentations:

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds
Confessions of a Public Speaker by Scott Berkun
Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte

2. Practice, practice, practice.
3. Record your presentations, then watch to see how you can improve.

TED Talk: How Leaders Inspire Others

2012-01-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

Work Life Balance - Can Women Have It All?

2012-01-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

View Video

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to women:

"the most important career decision you'll make is who your life partner is."

Best Leadership Books of 2011

2012-01-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” ― Harry S. Truman

To start the New Year off right, I've compiled a list of what I consider to be the best Leadership books published in 2011. As is always the case with these types of lists, it is entirely subjective. Over 100 books on Leadership were published in 2011 alone. Type in a search on Amazon and you will find over 50, 000 books on leadership. Leadership is a very popular topic. Why are there so many books on Leadership? I think it is because while leadership is easy to define, or there are commonalities in the definition of leadership, there’s no one prescription for making someone a great leader. With all of the books and research on leadership out there (and over the past 50 years Leadership scholars have conducted more than 1000 studies in an attempt to determine the definitive styles, characteristics, or personality traits of great leaders), there is no basic underlying theory of how it all works. What works for one leader, may not work for another.

Leadership development follows many paths - you can take a course, have a mentor, read books, etc. But the most important thing to note is that it is actually a very personal undertaking. Discovering your authentic leadership requires a commitment to developing yourself. Like musicians and athletes you must devote yourself to a lifetime of realizing your potential. Think of leadership as a puzzle that you have to put together, in a way that makes sense, and in a way that works for you.

Ultimately, you become a better leader by learning from your experiences, the good and bad bosses you encounter, from other leaders’ stories, through trial and error, and most of all from personal reflection. The most important key to becoming a better leader is to be more self-aware. In 2012 what kind of Leader do you want to be? The books selected, have been chosen with this level of self-reflection in mind.

Why People Fail: The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them
by Siimon Reynolds

Published in 2011, but it's probably the first book you should read in 2012. It's a great primer and motivator if you're looking to make a change for the better. Why People Fail offers strategies and ideas for defeating the 16 most common failure habits such as destructive thinking, low productivity, stress, fixed mindset, lack of daily rituals, and more.

Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking In Your Organization
by Daniel Patrick Forrester

I bought it just for the first line alone - “STOP, THINK, AND DON’T DO SOMETHING STUPID!” - and I wasn't sorry. Forrester shows us that taking time and giving ourselves the mental space for reflection can mean the difference between total success and total failure.

If You Will Lead: Enduring Wisdom for 21st-Century Leaders
by Doug Moran

Wherever you are in your leadership journey, this is still an engaging read. Moran has taken Rudyard Kipling’s classic poem "If" and created a leadership framework out of it that comprises 16 essential leadership attributes. He draws on noteworthy historical events to illustrate how great leaders like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and others applied these leadership attributes to achieve extraordinary results. I like that it combines bigger-than-life examples with everyday stories to help leaders apply its lessons to their own leadership challenges,

Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up
by Paul Schmitz
I really agree with the title of this book - everyone leads. Quite often, leadership is only talked about in lofty terms. It’s romanticized as if it's something only great people or the CEO of an organization does. There must be effective leaders at all levels of an organization and yes, in our communities. This book focuses on how to lead communities and we can learn a lot from it. It takes you into the real world of how to actualize a mission from the community up.

Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself
by William C. Taylor

Practically Radical is a manifesto for change and a manual for making it happen—in an era when change is the name of the game. Change is difficult. This book helps you understand how to adapt and embrace change by giving you an inside look at 25 companies that have not merely survived but thrived in today's challenging environment. It gives you actionable prescriptions and meaningful examples. If you're tasked with leading a change in your organization, this will be a good read.

Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You
by Betsy Myers

This book was recommended to me by a presenter at a conference I attended in 2011. It was a great read. Betsy Myers was the senior adviser to two US presidents and the former executive director of Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. In her first book, she establishes how each of us has opportunities to take the lead every day and shares seven core principles that will enable us to be more productive, engaged, and successful.

Did you read any great Leadership books in 2011?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

We wish you a healthy, happy and productive 2012!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-22T13:50:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy Hanukkah!

During this season of thanks, we're grateful for your support and we're wishing you a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

We leave you with a picture of our alumni and students in the Duquesne Breakfast Club (DBC)* presenting a check to SLPA for one of their many charity activities - the Shawn Gearing Memorial Fund. The Fund was created on Friday, February 20, 2009 in memory of our SLPA colleague, Shawn Gearing. Our hope is to collect $25,000 over five years to establish an endowed scholarship fund in Shawn’s memory. As of today we've raised $15, 000.

Members of the DBC giving a check to the Shawn Gearing Memorial Fund

*The DBC is a club made up of SLPA students and alumni who meets most Saturdays at 6:15 am at DeLucca’s in the Strip District.

Jeffrey Pfeffer on Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't

2011-12-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

Spotlight on our Alumni: Haydee Olinger

2011-12-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday, so time to meet another one of our great alumni. Today the spotlight is on Haydee Olinger, a Vice President whose work focuses on creating a strong ethical culture and takes her around the globe.

Tell us about your job?
I am the Global Chief Compliance Officer for McDonald’s Corporation. I am responsible for developing, monitoring and implementing McDonald’s compliance program around the world. The program is designed to ensure compliance with the company’s code of conduct, all other company policies and all applicable federal, state and local statutes, laws and regulations. It is also designed to encourage ethical decision making.

What are your best memories about studying at SLPA?
I enjoyed the daily, on-line student interaction. I learned many things from the other students who could, during any particular course, be located anywhere around the world. Their varied work and life experiences added a unique dimension to our student discussions.

What is your leadership philosophy?
My leadership philosophy is simple--get to know your employees, and treat them the way you would like to be treated. I believe in continuous interaction with subordinates. Leaders should not just sit in their offices working and delegating tasks. Engaging subordinates in conversation helps a leader to identify what motivates each individual and what concerns the employee may have.

What book are you reading right now that you would recommend?
I am currently reading– 501 Ideas for Your Compliance and Ethics Program, by Joe E. Murphy, JD, CCEP. We are working on revitalizing our compliance program as we enter our 10th year, and I find that many of the ideas in the book are things that are simple to implement, yet can improve the program.

What Every CEO Should Know

2011-12-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

We're highlighting two great articles that together paint a clear picture of just what it takes to be a CEO. If you're a CEO, it gives you some great advice. If you're not a CEO, it helps you to see and experience what your own CEO might be going through.

"By far the most difficult skill for me to learn as CEO was the ability to manage my own psychology. Organizational design, process design, metrics, hiring and firing were all relatively straightforward skills to master compared to keeping my mind in check...”

Read More: What’s The Most Difficult CEO Skill? Managing Your Own Psychology

"Lately, several CEOs of troubled businesses have come to me for help, and they've reminded me of an important lesson: You've got to take responsibility for the messes you get your company into. Problems will keep resurfacing until you recognize how your actions helped create them in the first place. That may seem obvious, but most people have a hard time seeing the role they played. It's always easier to point the finger at other people or circumstances or bad luck or forces beyond your control than to admit that you're to blame..."

Read More: Growing Up as a CEO: Learning to take responsibility for your mistakes

Benjamin Franklin's Daily Schedule

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Maira Kallman

What's your daily schedule?

5 Must Read Stories for This Week

2011-12-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! As usual here are five great pieces that you can read during lunch this week:

From Sciencedaily.com: A study finds that humble leaders are more effective and better liked. Humility Key to Effective Leadership found that although leaders were from vastly different organizations -- military, manufacturing, health care, financial services, retailing and religious -- they all agreed that the essence of leader humility involves modeling to followers how to grow. What is interesting though, is that the study found that some humble leaders were more effective than others. Read the story to find out which ones were more effective and why.

From Greatleadershipbydan.com: A great article on how to effectively communicate appreciation in the workplace. Great performances in the workplace usually result from leaders and managers communicating that they appreciate the actions of employees. In 5 Keys to Effectively Communicating Appreciation in the Workplace, Dr. White tells you exactly how to do so.

From slate.com: Did you know that Facebook sorts your email messages and determines which ones are important and which ones are not? Neither did I. Messages don’t appear in your main inbox unless they’re from friends or friends-of-friends. Read Furious at Facebook Again! When a man tried to return my lost laptop, Facebook hid his messages from me. How come? to see where the other messages are hidden.

From seapointcenter.com: Have you ever tried changing a behavior and no one noticed? For example, did you ever get feedback that you were too critical or didn’t listen enough or were not a team player… changed your behavior, and it didn’t make any difference? Well, it happens a lot. In What If You Changed and No One Noticed? Jesse Lyn Stoner explains why this happens and what you can do to counteract it.

From forbes.com: 5 Ways To Spot A Bad Boss In An Interview. Use the signs to evaluate yourself and see if you're sending the wrong signals as a boss.

What have you been reading lately?

SLPA Director Honored

2011-12-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Great news here at SLPA. Our Director of Professional Development and Corporate Outreach Dr. Erroline Williams, was named one of Pittsburgh Professional Women’s 2012 Women of Integrity award winners. The Women of Integrity award is presented to four Western Pennsylvania business women each year. Awardees are women of distinction who have balanced career and civic responsibility, and who share their success by mentoring others and supporting their communities.

Erroline was honored for her incredible work ethic and indefatigable spirit to help those in needs. In addition to her heavy workload, Erroline commits her remaining time to mentor, volunteer and serve the community in multiple and meaningful ways. To name just a few of her volunteer activities, she serves on the board of directors of Dress for Success, Pittsburgh and is a Leadership Council Member and Mentor for Tomorrow’s Future, Inc.

Michelle Wright, WTAE Action News, Dr. Williams, and Beth Caldwell, President Pittsburgh Professional Women during the presentation

In her SLPA role, Erroline designs, develops and implements various professional training programs, workshops and seminars for corporations and nonprofit organizations through the Center for Leadership Development. She manages and designs the Foundations of Successful Leadership Program for Duquesne University's administrative staff and runs the region’s only Certified Financial Planning (CFP) program.

All of us here at SLPA congratulate Erroline!

The Way We're Working Isn't Working

2011-12-07T15:47:00.001-05:00

Free Managing Change Webinar

2011-12-06T11:29:00.001-05:00

SLPA is having a free Webinar tomorrow on Wednesday December 7, 2011. It runs from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. EST. If you want to join us, send me an email at laynegartsides@duq.edu and I will connect you.

MANAGING CHANGE

Organizations need to innovate and change in order to survive. Yet, while many in organizations seem to be able to solve complicated technical problems, they fail miserably at implementing even the simplest changes. Whether it comes through strategic planning or as a response to outside events, change must be managed effectively to achieve organizational excellence. This webinar will help you to answer the question - How do you help people open themselves up to change? Leaders must learn how to not only manage change, but also how to manage the inevitable human transitions that people experience when faced with significant change. Participants in this training will learn how to deal with these dual challenges and how to lead their organizations through the change process.

Recommended Books for Managing People

2011-12-05T12:20:00.001-05:00

As you know, every month here at the SLPA we offer a free webinar to our alumni. Last month's webinar - Managing People - looked at how you can work with others, and achieve your objectives through managing the work of others. Today, we're highlighting the three books recommended in that webinar. These books detail the results of the Gallup organization's research into great managing. If you are charged with managing the work of others, I highly recommend these books as a great source of knowledge and advice that helps you become a better Manager.

Major Finding: Over the last 25 years, the Gallup organization has surveyed over one million employees and 80, 000 managers from a broad range of companies, industries and countries. The most powerful finding in their research: the manager, a person’s immediate supervisor is the key to retaining talented employees. A talented employee may join a company because of its leader, its generous benefits, or its training programs. But how long that employee stays and how productive he/she is while there, is determined by the relationship he/she has with their immediate manager. The company that lacks great managers will suffer because most often, people leave managers, not companies.

Spotlight on SLPA Staff: Meg Barefoot

2011-12-01T11:24:00.001-05:00

We're turning the spotlight on our staff today - meet Meg, an Academic Advisor here at the SLPA. She supports and guides our adult students through the journey to complete their degree. She has been an employee of Duquesne University for more than 12 years, having first worked in the School of Education before coming to us.

Were you an adult student and what kept you going as one?

Yes, I was an adult student, don’t even ask how long it took me to complete my undergraduate degree! I didn’t want my children to see me give up, and I wanted them to know the importance of education. I had great support at home with my husband taking on more than his share of the responsibilities. I also had a great advisor who believed in me. He is the reason I knew I wanted to advise adult students.

What keeps you doing what you do at SLPA?

I love and respect my co-workers. SLPA employees are very hard working and I feel blessed to be a part of a team so dedicated to the success of our students.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are cooking and playing golf. I am a much better cook than golfer!!

What's the most common questions you are asked by students?

How soon can I graduate? Do I have to take math?

What is your leadership philosophy?

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” (John F. Kennedy). I love this quote because to me leadership is a continual process of on the job training. The most effective leaders that I have encountered are the ones who are continuously inquiring about the mission, goals and the task at hand and those who are not afraid to make changes to accommodate all of those aspects. I think the process of leaders teaching leadership is what makes the SLPA so successful.

Meg's tips for success if you are going back to School to get your degree:

Set goals, both short and long term.
Save every paper you ever write. It is so cool to look back on your work and see how far you have advanced and improved.
Keep your mind open to new ideas and information. Embrace and enjoy this experience.

Daniel Goleman - Improving Your Emotional Intelligence

2011-11-30T10:38:00.001-05:00

Leadership Myth – My Business Is Different

2011-11-29T10:41:00.001-05:00

“But my business isdifferent!” Well actually, no it’s not. I cannot even begin tocount the number of times I’ve had a CEO tell me that certain immutablebusiness principles just don’t apply to his/her business because, “thisbusiness is different.” I don’t dispute that all businesses havecertain unique characteristics or contextual differences - I don’teven dispute that recognizing and leveraging said differences areimportant. What I do vehemently dispute is the assertion aparticular nuance is reasonable justification for flawed business logic toprevail. In today’s post I’ll share why most businesses have far more incommon than most executives and entrepreneurs care to admit…"

Read More

Must Read Book of the Week

2011-11-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! This week, instead of stories, we are recommending a book - Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie. It is a short book, so if you read several pages everyday during lunch, you should finish it by the end of the week.

Creativity is crucial to business success. But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a "giant hairball"--a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the past--that exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. Gordon McKenzie worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years, many of which he spent inspiring his colleagues to slip the bonds of Corporate Normalcy and rise to orbit--to a mode of dreaming, daring and doing above and beyond the rubber-stamp confines of the administrative mind-set. In his deeply funny book, exuberantly illustrated in full color, he shares the story of his own professional evolution, together with lessons on awakening and fostering creative genius.

My favorite quotes from the book:

Take the best course of action to get the job done rather than following the pallid path of corporate appropriateness.

Survival Strategy: Any time a bureaucrat, that is, a custodian of a system, stands between you and something you need or want, your challenge is to help that bureaucrat discover a means, harmonious with the system, to meet your needs.

A management obsessed with productivity usually has little patience for the quiet time essential to profound creativity. Its dream of dreams is to put the cows on the milking machine 24 hours a day. Crazy? It is happening in workplaces all over the country: workers being sucked inside-out by corporate milking machines.

They lust for the fruits of creativity (especially when they see the very measurable results of a successful competitor's creative efforts) but mistrust the act of creativity, which remains invisible and elusive.

If an organization wishes to benefit from its own creative potential, it must be prepared to value the vagaries of the unmeasurable as well as the certainties of the measurable.

If you are in a position of power and want to lead well, remember: allow those you lead.....to lead.......when they feel the need. All will benefit.

What are your favorite quotes?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

On behalf of Duquesne University, we wishyou and all your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving.

We hope you willexperience the simple joy of being together with family and take a moment toreflect on your many blessings.

We will resume normal posting next week.

SLPA Alumni Volunteering

2011-11-23T13:19:00.001-05:00

Alums Mark Moore, Keith Glabb, and Stephen Buccilli from the DBC

For the past two Saturdays, the *Duquesne Breakfast Club has been volunteering at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. SLPA alumni and more than 40 students from the area's Schools helped with a "Book Cleansing". Many of you are probably asking - what exactly is a 'book cleansing'?

Mark helping to unpack donated books

Well, Fed Ex donated over 10,000 books to the hospital’s 'Adopt a Book' program. So on November 12 and 19, 2011 our alumni helped to unload the books, sort them by content, and then physically sanitize the books before dispensing them to the various book shelves around the hospital. Hence the term book cleansing. It's yet another way our alumni chooses to give back to our community.

Alums and students sorting the donated books

Keith and Mark helping to sanitize the books before distribution

*The Duquesne Breakfast Club is made up of SLPA students and alumni who meet most Saturdays at 6:15 am at DeLuca’s in the Strip. If you've never been before, please consider joining them on Saturdays.

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

"Truly great leaders understand they’re in the service business, which means they’re in the people business. They recognize the best relationships are not built on the backs of others, but rather they are built by helping others succeed. They understand they’re not in the business of creating followers, but of developing leaders. They value execution over rhetoric, pursuit over preservation, ethics over optics, vision and discovery over short-term metrics, and people over process. Exemplary leaders have differing styles, approaches, and traits, but they all share the commonality of placing the care and development of their people first."

Leadership Is Not An Entitlement Program

5 Must Read Stories For This Week

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! As usual here are five great pieces that are must reads for this week:

From brainpickings.org: Stuff - we all accumulate it and eventually form all kinds of emotional attachments to it. But in this article 7 Ways to Have More by Owning Less, we discover seven services that help you shrink your carbon footprint, lighten your economic load and generally liberate you from the shackles of stuff through the power of sharing.

From the New York Times (NYT): Walter Isaacson is the author of “Steve Jobs,” the best-selling biography published last month. One on One: Walter Isaacson, Biographer of Steve Jobs is an edited version of the NYT’s interview.

From socialmediaexaminer.com: Have you kept up with the changes at LinkedIn? Did you know you can do more for your company on LinkedIn? 5 Tips for Using the New LinkedIn Company Pages tells you what’s new with LinkedIn for businesses.

From the UK Telegraph Newspaper: Are you searching for a job, or looking to change careers? Then you’ve got to review the The 15 Most Common CV Writing Mistakes – And How To Avoid Them. These tips come from a comprehensive analysis of over 2,500 resumes. Also check out What Hiring Managers See When They Look at Your Resume. Remember that as an alumnus you can have your resume reviewed for free by the counselors in Career Services here at Duquesne University.

From the HBR blog network: Executives set value propositions for their products - it's why a customer should buy the product. But value propositions go beyond just products. Your personal value proposition (PVP) is at the heart of your career strategy. It's the foundation for everything in a job search and career progression — targeting potential employers, attracting the help of others, and explaining why you're the one to pick. It's why to hire you, not someone else. Find out how to develop a powerful PVP in Build Your Personal Value Proposition.

P/S Check out this note sketched by Nicholas Bate, it encapsulates what I agree are the three dilemmas for all, not just big businesses.

Leadership and Coaching

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Dr. Atul Gawande recently published an article in the New Yorker designed to answer a single question: if top singers and athletes have coaches to enhance their performance, should you? This entertaining and insightful article went on to describe Dr. Gawande’s experience working with a coach to improve his surgical technique thereby decreasing medical and surgical complications and improving his patients’ outcomes. He also detailed some of the emotional and psychological difficulties he wrestled with when he sought out a coach (actually a former surgical mentor) and allowed this man access to his OR.

As a leadership coach and educator, I was delighted that Dr. Gawande highlighted the valuable contributions that coaches make to professionals who are already at the top of their game. I believe he dispelled the myth that coaching is about remediating troubled and ineffective managers and executives as a last ditch effort to improve their performance before they are shown the door. While it is true that coaches can indeed provide assistance in such cases, coaching is so much more than that.

As highlighted in the New Yorker article, coaches spend most of their time asking questions and listening closely to their clients’ responses. Unlike consultants, who are often engaged to assess organizational problems and offer tailored solutions, coaches work to bring their clients’ vision to fruition. This usually begins with assisting the client to articulate in a clear and explicit way where they want to go. This may include clarifying important (and often unrecognized) values and goals. I am often amazed at how difficult it can sometimes be for my own clients to articulate positive visions of their future. They struggle with “reality”: all the reasons they believe can’t ever create the vision they strongly desire. Effective coaches refuse to let their clients be stymied by their own negative vision of what can be done. Coaches challenge their clients to shift perspectives and they hold them accountable for turning their visions into action.

The application of coaching skills however is not just for professional coaches. Several years ago, Google initiated a project aimed at determining what makes a better boss. The giant data mining project, Project Oxygen as it was called, combed through thousands of performance reviews and surveys to arrive at eight simple rules for good managers. At the top of the list: be a good coach. Technical expertise, even at a high tech company like Google, was ranked 8th. What this means, is that you may find your own leadership practice enhanced by learning and implementing important coaching skills with your team and with the people you supervise. Use of these skills is an effective way to build engagement and create trust, compassion, stability and hope among your team. These four themes emerged from an extensive Gallup study looking at why people follow their leaders. My own experience has proven this to be true.

So, whether you are looking to improve skills or realize your vision, coaching may help. After all, if it’s good enough for Rafael Nadal, maybe it’s good enough for you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Written by: Dr. Michael J. Forlenza, Assistant Dean, SLPA.

Dr. Forlenza is the Lead Coach in SLPA's Professional Coach Certification Program

Spotlight on Our Alumni: Angelina M. Petrarca

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday, so time to meet another one of our great alumni. Today it is Angelina who lives her life fully focused on wellness and health.

Tell us about yourself?
I am a Yogi who uses life as my laboratory to learn about myself and others. Yoga continues to teach me how to be still in a world that is in constant motion. I am able to be my best when I make time to slow down and stay grounded. I am someone who likes to understand my internal world as much as the external.

What you do at your job?
I currently am a Wellness Coach Team Lead at Highmark. I have the joy of doing something every day that allows me to connect with multiple areas within my organization. I wear many hats in this role. The coaches are the best part of what I do! While I might be their lead, they continuously teach me how to be better. I enjoy the camaraderie and challenge.

What are your best memories about studying at SLPA?
WOW! How much time do you have? It was the most rewarding educational experience I’ve had to date. The program was challenging, fun and special in so many ways. The instructors, fellow students and content all kept me engaged and hungry to learn more. I feel that I’ve truly walking away with a valuable skill set that I use daily.

What is your leadership philosophy?
I think the saying by Charles De Montesquieu sums up my philosophy. “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”

What book have you read or are reading right now that you would recommend?
I am currently reading the loveliest book “The Last Lecture” by Randy Paush. He was such a humble person who truly understood how to enjoy the simple things in life. He was a very successful man who never forgot his roots. This book is inspiring and stirs the soul. A must read for any leader.

Career Advice Day: Ask SLPA

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Question: Dear SLPA

I know that people just want you to be validated and for you to listen to them. But this can be very time consuming when you have multiple employees reporting to you and lots of work to get done. Any suggestions on how to be accommodating to others to let them know they are important? - M

Answer: Dear M

To paraphrase Steven Covey, you are efficient with things and effective with people. So, when you’re dealing with employees who report to you, you cannot start off by thinking – how can I be efficient here? What you want to do is take only the time that is needed and no more, and that time may be more than you think is necessary. Although time consuming it is incredibly important to stay engaged with your employees by providing constructive feedback and acknowledging their value to you and the organization. This is an important attribute and investment of an effective leader. However, as with all things in life it must be balanced. Following are two suggestions to help you deal with this issue:

1) Determine how much time realistically you need to spend with each employee. Some employees are more emotionally expensive than others. For example, Steve is fine with 10 minutes of your time every two weeks, Susan needs 30 minutes every week, but Rob wants 30 minutes every day. You need to know who you are working with and pay attention to their needs. Don’t spend 30 minutes with Steve because you gave it to Susan, he doesn’t need it.

2) Now that you know how much time each employee needs (or at least have an estimate), be proactive in setting up time limits to listen to your people. For example, you can say to Rob - “I would love to give you 30 minutes today, I only have 10, but I really want to hear what you have to say.” Then actively listen. This means:

a. Don’t interrupt.

b. Don’t finish the other person’s sentences.

c. Don’t say ‘I already knew that’.

d. Don’t be distracted or lose focus – in our attention-starved world 10 minutes can feel like 2 hours. Ensure your body language communicates active listening – no fidgeting, looking at your watch or glancing at your smart phone. At least until the 10 minutes are up.

e. Make that person feel that for the next 10 minutes, they are the most important person in the world.

f. Ask questions to clarify points or move the conversation along

g. You can decide after that if the employee’s issue requires more time. If it does, you can set a time for follow up. You do not have to respond to concerns immediately.

Doing these two things will make your work life easier, and ensure that you take no more time than is necessary to communicate that you recognize the importance of listening to your employees and colleagues.

Free Managing People Webinar

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

SLPA is having a free webinar on Wednesday November 16, 2011. It runs from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. EST. If you want to join us, send me an email at laynegartsides@duq.edu and I will connect you.

MANAGING PEOPLE

People are the biggest resource of any organization and the effectiveness with which this resource is managed determines how successful the organization will be. This webinar is designed to provide participants with the skills to be able to work with others and to achieve objectives through managing the work of others. In the management of people, it is important that we have an understanding of individual behavior and what motivates people to take action. Understanding this and being able to harness it to achieve your organization’s objectives is what separates successful managers and supervisors from the rest.

5 Must Read Stories for This Week

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! As usual here are five great pieces that are must reads for this week:

From Newsweek Magazine: Andrew Weil tells us in Don't Let Chaos Get You Down that we aren't depressed, our brains just aren't equipped for 21st century life. Excerpted from his book Spontaneous Happiness, he gives examples to support his hypothesis. What do you think?

From Moneywatch.com: Have you been reading about the Penn State scandal? What lessons in leadership can we learn from this sad situation? Here are three articles published in the Leadership section of the CBS site for you to review: An Abuse of Power? Lessons From Penn State, Penn State Scandal: You Can’t Teach Leaders Morality, and finally How Penn State Can Recover From Scandal. What do you think?

From the archives of the Wall Street Journal: We as leaders need to pay attention to the phenomenon known as 'executive amplification'. Bosses' Small Gestures Send Big Signals highlights that a leader's smallest acts can cause big consequences.

From BusinessWeek.com: Two executives were asked the big question this week: What Should We Teach Our Business Leaders? See what the Dean of Harvard Business School and the ex-chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard had to say.

From the huffingtonpost.com: Thinking about trying to shake things up at work? Brimming with new ideas and strategies? Hoping to get your organization to try a new way of doing things, or maybe just get your family to alter their holiday traditions a bit? Good for you. But if you are going to be an advocate for change, it might help you to start by understanding what you are up against, psychologically speaking. Read more in Explained: Why We Don't Like Change.

Happy Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day and veterans from the western Pennsylvania region, will gather at Duquesne University for one of the largest Veterans Day breakfast salutes in the Commonwealth. As a military friendly school (we have been consistently named a Military Friendly School by GI Jobs and Military Advanced Education magazines), we feel strongly about recognizing the great service our military men and women provide for us. In these critical times, we at SLPA consistently strive to ensure that the education we provide is a learning experience that exposes our veterans to new ideas and skills that can be readily applied. Veterans bring unique skill sets and an outstanding work ethic to everything they do, so it's no surprise that many organizations are moving to provide assistance to help veterans transition from military to civilian life.

Just this week, Google and LinkedIn announced new job-search tools for veterans. In announcing its new customized job search engine for the National Resource Directory, Google indicated that “thousands of businesses have committed to hiring military veterans and families and as part of this nationwide effort, starting today, job seekers can visit the NRD to search more than 500,000 job openings from employers around the country.” This custom search engine uses the power and scale of Google search to constantly crawl the web, identifying veteran-committed job openings. LinkedIn also announced that it will tag job postings on its site that can be filled by veterans. Then, there’s the MyNextMove.org, a site where vets can explore new career options, find a job they love, or more importantly, find a job similar to the work they did in the military. Here in Pittsburgh, BNY Mellon is holding a special event on November 16th designed to give veterans who are currently enrolled at a college or university the opportunity to network, meet their recruiting representatives and learn about BNY Mellon's summer and full time early career opportunities.

We applaud all of these moves and want to facilitate and promote them where ever possibly. Below is a message issued by the Dean to our service men and women, and quotes from two of our many great military alumni talking about what their degree has meant to them.

Message from the Dean

Dear Veterans,
On behalf of the entire School of Leadership and Professional Advancement (SLPA) staff, I’d like to pause to wish you a Happy Veterans Day. I also wanted to thank you for your decision to join us in your educational pursuit, and in a larger sense, thank you for your service to our great nation. I admire you for the hard work you have done, or are currently doing on behalf of the nation. Your sacrifice has afforded so many of your classmates the comfort of knowing that they can realize their educational dreams safely. I am amazed at how well you juggle your studies in conjunction with the tremendous operational tempo under which you are currently serving. I wish you the best in your missions at home and abroad. You continue to inspire us as ambassadors who embody the motto, “Others before self.” Happy Veterans Day and Godspeed.

SLPA Veterans

“The Duquesne University graduate program is the finest in the country. Where else will you find a highly respected brick and mortar university that understands and serves veterans so well? From the world-class curriculum to the affordable tuition, the Duquesne program is a perfect fit with a professional military career. The online option for classes makes deploying a reality for students, and the university's flexibility in working the unforeseen issues that often challenge military members is truly outstanding. My Duquesne education colors my daily decisions and has made me a better officer and leader.”

David MacMillan,

Colonel,

USAF/ANG

“I take a lot of pride knowing that I chose an institution such as Duquesne University to further my goals as a Veteran of the Armed Services. What’s extraordinary about Duquesne is that they treat all their military students and graduates as if it were Veteran’s Day every day. From the moment I made application through graduation, Duquesne provided boundless support and enthusiasm to help us (Veterans) achieve our objectives. Regardless if I am in an operational or staff assignment, I find myself recounting what I learned from my professors and colleagues in the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement. The two years I spent studying at Duquesne was definitely some of the most important and influential years of my life. Everything I learned is easily transferable to all aspects of my life – as a professional Army officer, husband, father, and colleague. I encourage all veterans and active members of our military, who want to challenge and better themselves, to become alumni of one of the most prestigious and admirable institutions I know – Duquesne University.”

David P. Diamond

MAJ/P, Special Forces

USSOCOM Legislative Affairs