If we are not careful, we can find ourselves living someone else’s version of our life rather than our own. Whether from a parent, spouse, friend or simply societal expectations, the pressure to follow a path in life that is not our own choosing can be enormous. In his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs emphasized this point to the graduates. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”   Jobs struck a chord with this speech which went viral on YouTube. I was reminded of this quote as I visited with my interviewee this week, Tyler Raborn, co-founder of Raborn Media. Tyler and his wife, Amanda, are young entrepreneurs on the fast track to success.

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Tyler Raborn

Tyler moved around a lot growing up (over 19 times), but he finished high school in Metro Jackson before going off to Mississippi State where he majored in accounting. After interning with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Atlanta, he decided to pursue a law degree at Tulane University. He excelled in school and worked as a law clerk as he plotted his career path as an attorney. However, sometimes life takes you in a different direction as Tyler soon found out.

While he was in law school, Amanda worked at a marketing firm in New Orleans where she specialized in social media. At heart, they are both entrepreneurs and so they felt the tug to pursue a different path.

In early 2013, they began to discuss and pray about starting their own marketing company. They shared a passion for technology, marketing, and helping people. They conducted significant research and planning and in early fall 2013 launched Raborn Media. By the end of 2013, their business had exploded with clients as their ROI oriented approach to digital marketing connected with many business owners searching for answers on how to grow their business. Tyler faced a difficult decision as he needed to focus full time on his growing company, but he still lacked one semester to finish law school. He made a difficult decision and chose to focus on his business and relocate to Jackson.

Tyler candidly noted, “In addition to the financial risk of starting a business, I realized that I was breaking a societal norm by pursuing this path.” He was on the track to be a tax lawyer, but that was not his passion.  He shared, “While I was interested in helping people protect their assets, what I truly enjoy is helping people grow their assets through effective use of digital marketing.” I respect that fact that an early age Tyler has taken the “road less traveled” and pursued his dreams.  Journalist Christopher Morley once noted, “There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” It takes wisdom and courage to understand what you really wanted to do with your life and to vigorously pursue it. I think that is why Steve Jobs emphasized it to the class at Stanford. Faced with significant health issues, Jobs knew that life was short and that you have to sometimes block out the noise of the voices of others to make sure you understand your own inner voice.

Amanda and Tyler have clearly followed this advice and are charting their own course. I always kept my eye out for up and coming entrepreneurs, and I believe Tyler and Amanda are ones to watch.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, July 25, 2014.] Read More


I  often hear people say about a particular business or idea: “I thought of that a long time ago, but I never acted on it.” They indeed may have had an idea for a very successful business, but unfortunately, it remained just that – an idea.

Novelist Andre Malraux said, “Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one’s ideas, to take a calculated risk – and to act.”

Unfortunately, the prize only goes to those who take initiative.  I subscribe to the theory, “Ideas are cheap; execution is expensive.”  Obviously, the reality of taking action is that there is risk.  However, as author Denis Waitley noted, “Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.”

Gary Watts, Founder and CEO of Broadband Voice, is one of those entrepreneurs that is not afraid to turn ideas into action.

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Gary Watts

Watts grew up in Jackson and graduated from Mississippi College.  Upon graduation, he had the opportunity to own and operate a Dairy Queen franchise which he did for almost a decade. He went on to work in the sales division for a startup technology company, Unity Communications, based in Jackson. He was rapidly promoted to VP Sales in 2000, and in 2006,

Watts recognized that the next generation of telephony would be rooted in hosted VoIP solutions. That realization led him to start Broadband Voice to provide Voice over IP (VoIP) products and services for small to medium-sized businesses.  The company has now become one of the fastest growing VoIP technology companies in the Southeast.

Watts shared with me some words of wisdom for other leaders and entrepreneurs.  “Take chances. One thing that I do (probably to my wife’s dismay) is take chances. I’ve never heard of anyone growing and learning without some failure. And failure affords us opportunities that we might not otherwise experience.”  Watts candidly noted, “I walked away from owning a franchise in a situation that most people would have seen as a failure. But if I never had that experience, I would have never been able to establish the relationships and learn what I have to help build our growing business at Broadband Voice.”

One of Watts’ other key beliefs is that it is critical to operate a business with integrity.  He noted, “I’m a firm believer in running a business of ethical excellence. More and more, I see that honesty is becoming less valued, and it concerns me for our future. Our business and communities will thrive if we focus on transparency in our relationships.”  He also emphasized that trusting the people he hires is a key business philosophy.  Watts said, “I remain dedicated to choosing good people to lead Broadband Voice and allowing them to enhance their skills set within the workplace so that they are aligned to help lead this company to great things. Micromanaging leads to stifling the people within your business, which can lend itself to high turnover and an unhealthy business model.”

Watts is a great example of a leader who is not afraid to take a calculated risk and act.  Once he realized there was an opportunity in the marketplace to serve customers using VoIP technology he thoughtfully analyzed the marketplace and then with passion and persistence executed on his plan to deliver great service to customers.   Leaders like Watts remind me that true accomplishments occur when ideas are put into ACTION.

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Whether in art, sports, academics, or business, we are inspired by excellence. We celebrate those who have the commitment to achieving the highest levels of success in their respective fields.  Aristotle once said, “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” His statement reminds us that excellence is truly a choice.

We can choose the level of commitment we are willing to give to a task. Colin Powell once noted, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” We see that it is striving for excellence in the little things that has the compound effect of creating a life of excellence.

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Dr. Jason L. Walton

My interviewee this week, Dr. Jason L. Walton, brings that kind of passion for excellence to his new role as the sixth head of school at Jackson Preparatory School, which he assumed July 1, 2014. He succeeded Susan Lindsay, who served in the role since 2004, and retired this June after 40 years of service to the school that has founded in 1970 and is one of the leading private schools in the state.

Walton is a fourth-generation Mississippian who grew up in Greenwood and Hernando.  After getting his associates degree from Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Mississippi, he went on to earn his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Mississippi and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

Walton’s work experience includes serving as a classroom teacher in the DeSoto county schools, associate editor for the Peabody Journal of Education and a legislative staffer. Prior to joining Jackson Prep, Walton served as chief of staff/staff liaison to the board of trustees at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.  Inspired by the Presidential debate held at his alma mater Ole Miss in 2008, he personally pitched, built internal institutional support for, and orchestrated the strategy that brought the third and final 2012 Presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney to Lynn University.  This debate, held on Oct. 22, 2012, was viewed by 59.2 million households, had a $13.1 million immediate economic impact on Palm Beach County, and yielded a combined $63 million publicity value for the university, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach County.

Walton shared with me that his educational philosophy is best captured in one simple axiom… excellence without exception. He emphasized, “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.” His philosophy aligns well with Jackson Prep’s mission, which is “Striving to educate and inspire students toward academic, athletic, and artistic excellence.” For future leaders, he encourages them to maintain a sense of wonder.  He noted, “I encourage them to cultivate a restless curiosity about everything that fascinates them in the world and then endeavor to search out and consume all the content you can about those things.”  I am excited about Walton’s return to his home state, and I know that he will make a positive impact on the students at Jackson Prep and the community in the years to come.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, July 10, 2014.] Read More


Follow your bliss. That summarizes the philosophy of 20th century author and mythologist Joseph Campbell. In his book, Reflections in the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion, Campbell said, “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living… I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.” I bring up Campbell and this idea because I believe it is a very important concept for leaders and entrepreneurs. I find that successful leaders and entrepreneurs understand that they will be most effective when they live authentic lives and are true to themselves. I thank my interviewee this week, Coyt Bailey, for introducing me to Campbell and his work. Bailey is the owner of Mercury Aviation, a leading helicopter aviation company based in Flowood, Miss.

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Coyt Bailey

Bailey is a Jackson native who received his undergraduate degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Out of college, Bailey followed his passion of the outdoors and worked for a number of years for Outward Bound. His travels also took him to Mexico where he was a teacher. However, he kept coming back to a desire to fly helicopters. When he looked into pursuing his training to become a helicopter pilot, he was strongly dissuaded from that path. People told him there were not any jobs and that he should become a fixed wing pilot instead. He followed this guidance and earned his pilot license in Oklahoma and flew for about a year, but he still wanted to pursue being a helicopter pilot. In spite of his detractors, he decided to “follow his bliss” and went to Oakland, California, to get his credentialing as a helicopter pilot.

Out of training, he landed a job doing traffic reports back in Jackson. For those in the local Jackson market, they will probably remember his tenure where he was Captain Coyt who flew with Chopper Bob for WLBT.

What originally started out as following a passion, has turned into a thriving business. Today, his company Mercury Aviation has nine pilots and provides helicopter services all over the country.  His company has expanded to serve law enforcement agencies, utilities, real estate and construction companies, and many others. As I interviewed him for this article, he was flying his helicopter across the Midwest to a project in North Dakota. He shared, “It has been an incredible experience to visit 48 states and view the world from 500 feet in my helicopter.”

It takes courage to follow your bliss. Bailey explained that his mother gave him books by Joseph Campbell when he was in college. He said, “She always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.” He also credits his father, Buster Bailey, with modeling for him how to lead a successful business. He noted, “My father drilled into me from an early age the importance of integrity, honesty and compassion. He modeled these for me in how he ran his business.” For young entrepreneurs, Bailey advises, “Make sure you are passionate about your business. It will take much more work than you expect, and there will be unforeseen challenges along the way. If you are not passionate about your work, it will be very difficult to endure these challenges.” I was encouraged by Bailey’s story and the focus he has to follow his bliss for his life and career. I hope you will consider and follow your own bliss for your career. Life is too short not to.

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Prior to moving to Memphis, I was a member for a number of years of The Rotary Club of Jackson, which is the State of Mississippi’s largest service club.  Most readers are probably familiar with Rotary, but for those who aren’t, it is an international service organization formed in 1905 with over 1.2 million members worldwide. On July 12, The Rotary Club of Jackson will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a special event and will have Rotary International President Gary C.K. Huang from Taiwan as a guest.  This will be a historic occasion to have a sitting RI president visit a local Mississippi Rotary club. One of the things I like about Rotary are its mottoes:  “Service Above Self and One Profits Most Who Serves Best.”

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Scherry Gilliland

My interviewee this week, Scherry Gilliland, embodies these mottoes. She has been a member of The Rotary Club of Jackson since 1998 and as of Jan. 1, 2014, she is serving as executive director of the club. Scherry grew up in Brookhaven and graduated from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Belhaven College. She shared, “I loved learning . . . and still do. Growing up, there were many opportunities to get involved in service activities. I was fortunate to serve in a number of different leadership roles throughout these years.” Scherry had an early interest in music and learned piano from her grandmother. She has shared her love of music for many years as a piano teacher and choir pianist. She also noted, “Raising my sons was the greatest leadership experience I have ever had. It was the lengthiest and the most important. During the years when I was preparing them for life, I didn’t realize that I was being prepared for my own future.”

In 1998, Scherry found her next passion, non-profit public relations and development. She has been a certified fund raising executive since 1998 and has worked with numerous organizations including Mississippi Children’s Home Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mississippi, Junior Achievement and Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi. In 2010, she was contracted to set up a 501(c)(3) organization that drills water wells in Malawi, Africa. I know for many, the thought of fundraising is overwhelming. I asked Scherry how she has been so effective and seemed to enjoy it so much.  She emphasized that she loves to learn people’s stories and see the real joy that comes from giving. Scherry, like other effective leaders, is a change agent and enjoys serving where positive change is needed.

A person of deep faith, Scherry said, “My faith guides every day of my life. My daily opportunities are God’s gift to me. What I do with those opportunities is my gift to Him.” She also shared that her advice for future leaders is to remember that every experience in leadership is preparation for your next opportunity. Don’t be afraid to take the opportunity that is offered to you…It is YOURS! If you don’t take it, someone else will.” Scherry’s passion is contagious. Her current role as executive director of The Rotary Club of Jackson allows her to share her passion with other service oriented leaders. In addition to other service activities, the club’s signature philanthropic project provides college scholarships for at least four high school seniors annually.

I have seen first-hand how philanthropic activities like these can impact lives. My sister, Meg Willoughby Swayze, was a beneficiary of the club’s generosity years ago when she was able to earn a master’s degree as a Rotary scholar. I am thankful for leaders like Scherry who are on the front lines of making a difference in the lives of our communities.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, June 26, 2014.] Read More


Author and speaker Denis Waitley noted, “Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.”  One of things I have noticed in interviewing leaders is a common trait of a thirst for knowledge. They realize that learning is a journey and not a destination.  As Albert Einstein said, “I have found the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” In today’s competitive marketplace, one of the real keys to success is continually building your expertise. Regardless of your role, if you are on a path to becoming a true expert then you are in a better position to contribute and add value to the organization.

My interviewee this week, T. Doug Dale Jr., has been committed to building his expertise in the field of wealth management.  Dale, a shareholder at Security Ballew in Jackson, regularly appears in the financial media as an expert on trends in the financial world. Dale has appeared on Fox Business News, CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg and been quoted in media outlets such as Reuters and The Associated Press. Dale is a native of Jackson and rather than follow in the family trade of architecture, he knew as early as high school that he wanted to work in the realm of finance. Dale earned his business degree from Ole Miss and while in college, he interned at Security Ballew which is a wealth management firm founded by Matt Ballew. Upon graduation, Dale returned to Jackson and earned his M.B.A. from Millsaps College.

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T. Doug Dale, Jr.

Dale took a full-time position at Security Ballew in 2005 and has been there ever since. He started as an associate with the firm calling on companies to help them with their retirement plans. Dale noted that Matt Ballew encouraged him early on to truly learn the fundamentals of wealth management. Dale did just that and has dedicated himself over the last 20 years to being a continuous learner in his profession. He noted, “I would have never guessed it in high school, but I have spent a large amount of time studying history in my career.” We discussed the famous Mark Twain quote, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”  As a history major myself, I appreciate his approach. When we see the bubbles and busts that cycle through our economy, it important to learn from the past. As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

In addition to their wealth advisory services, Dale and his partners created their own fund, Consillium Capital Fund, LP for accredited investors in 2013. Consillium means “advice” in Latin. Dale regularly writes newsletters and updates for his clients and investors where he shares his observations based on his research and study. I asked him what has contributed to his success as a wealth advisor and he shared, “We have tried to stay conservative in our approach and to help our clients avoid the extremes in their investing.”

As advice for future leaders, Dale said that he would encourage them to not be afraid to call people to learn about what they do. When he was in college, Dale visited with many professionals to learn about their work. He also said, “I would encourage people start wherever they can in the organization and be willing to work hard to earn the right to move up.”  Dale also emphasized the importance of building and maintaining relationships. Who you know” really does matter in the business world. Dale’s commitment to his craft was inspiring to me. We all can benefit from becoming “experts” in our chosen work.

We just have to be willing to pay the price.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, June 20, 2014.] Read More


In the last five years that I have been writing this column on leaders, I have had the incredible opportunity to visit with leaders from around the state of Mississippi. I have been challenged and inspired by their stories. Each week I try to pass along the tips and wisdom I learn from these leaders. As readers have probably noted, I try to focus on at least one big idea that came from the interview.

When I talk with prospective interviewees, I emphasize that the purpose of this column is to inspire and motivate other leaders around the state. I do this because I believe leadership matters – in a big way. It is hard to understate the importance of leadership in an organization. Unfortunately, we talk about leadership so much in the business community we can sometimes take it for granted. However, as Dr. John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls with leadership.” The longer I live, the more I believe this to be true. Below are just a few of the big ideas that I have seen as recurring themes in my study of outstanding leaders.

Leaders Lead

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Martin Willoughby

While this is stating the obvious, the point is that leaders take initiative. They don’t wait for a title. They see a need and act on it.
When the call goes out for help, they are the first to raise their hand. Leadership is about serving. There are countless ways in every organization to step up and serve. True leaders are servant leaders and are not in it for their own glory. For those wanting to rise in their leadership, I encourage you to begin today by seeking ways to contribute and add value. Titles will follow – leadership can begin immediately.

Leaders Know Themselves

The ancient Greeks used to emphasize the importance to “Know Thyself.” One of the key aspects I have noticed about effective leaders is that they know who they are. They are comfortable in their own skin and have a quiet confidence. They know their strengths and weaknesses and know how to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. They are self-aware. Effective leaders don’t waste time trying to be something they are not. Authentic leadership comes from the heart. People follow that kind of leader.

Leaders Lead Themselves

Former IBM Chairman and CEO Thomas J. Watson Sr. noted, “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” Similarly, Dr. Maxwell pointed out, “Learning to lead yourself well is one of the most important things you’ll ever do as a leader.” It is easy to think about leadership in terms of leading others.

While that is certainly important, true leaders begin by effectively leading themselves. They realize that they must continually be growing as a leader if they are to be effective. True leaders know they need to take care of themselves physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. They are continual learners. Allowing yourself to become burned out does not help the cause of your organization. I believe that leaders who develop a lifelong commitment to growth and proper boundaries are the best suited to make a difference for the long haul.

I hope a few of these leadership lessons I have learned from my interviews will be an encouragement to you in your own leadership journey. Leadership is a journey, not a destination. May your journey continue to be a great one! I will continue to share leadership insights from outstanding leaders as we continue this journey together.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, June 13, 2014.] Read More


When I first began writing this column, my goal was to uplift and inspire leaders and entrepreneurs around the state. By interviewing successful Mississippians and sharing their stories, I hoped to make a positive impact. For those who enjoying learning from the experiences of outstanding Mississippians, I am excited to share with you about Mississippi Entrepreneurs by Polly Dement, which was recently published by Cat Island Books, LLC with University Press of Mississippi. I caught up with Polly to visit about the book in a recent interview:

MW:  Tell me a little bit about the book.

PD:  The book profiles outstanding entrepreneurs from around the state including legends who have passed on and up-and-comers.I interviewed over 100 people for the book which contains 70 profiles of 85 Mississippi entrepreneurs.

MW:  How did you become involved in this project?

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Martin Willoughby

PD:  I grew up in Vicksburg and graduated from Millsaps College before pursuing a career in Washington D.C. I would regularly come back to the state and had always hoped to one day work on a project back in Mississippi. My conversations started with Tim Medley, who had been inspired by a book he saw while in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina on entrepreneurs in New Orleans. He began to think about how to do a similar book on Mississippi entrepreneurs. He formed Cat Island Books along with Paul Calhoun, David Martin, Mike McRee and Rowan Taylor to make that dream a reality.  They asked me to conduct the interviews and write the articles on the Mississippi entrepreneurs.

MW:   Tell me a little more your career and travels.

PD:  After Millsaps, I moved briefly to Atlanta and then found my home in Washington D.C. My husband, John Mayer, and I have spent most of our careers based in D.C.  I have always been interested in communications, and I have worked both in the public and private sector over the years.  One of my first jobs in Washington was working for the Senate Watergate Committee where I wrote profiles of the witnesses who testified.  I had the opportunity to write profiles on entrepreneurs for over a decade beginning in 1981 for the National Association of Investment Companies. I also worked for the National Commission on Children and Hager Sharp Inc., a communications firm in Washington, DC.  n 2005, my husband and I decided to take a career “time out,” and we traveled the country for three years in a mobile home before relocating to Sante Fe in 2008.

MW: What was it like working with the Cat Island Group?

PD:  I have tremendous respect for these gentlemen who shared a passion for trying to encourage entrepreneurs and Mississippians around the state. They had never published a book before, but they were entrepreneurs in their own right who had the vision, figured it out, took risks and enabled this book to be written. They carefully considered who to feature in the book as they wanted to make sure that the entrepreneurs represented the state geographically and a diverse mix of business and social entrepreneurs.

MW:   I understand that you will be doing some book signings.

PD: We launch the book in Jackson on June 3 at Lemuria then we will be traveling around the state for other book signings.  Many of the entrepreneurs will be joining locally as well and there are some special celebratory events.  People who would like more information on these events can follows us on facebook at www.facebook.com/Mississippi Entrepreneurs.

MW:   How did this project impact you?

PD: I had an incredible opportunity to personally interview each of the entrepreneurs or those who knew them if they were deceased. I came away inspired by each of their stories in unique ways. Mississippians have much to be proud of, and I hope these stories will encourage people to reach for their dreams.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, June 6, 2014.] Read More


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Paul McNeill

Management guru Peter Drucker is attributed the quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  His statement is often repeated to emphasize the importance of culture in building a great organization.   Companies like Southwest Airlines or Zappos are some of the most well-known examples of companies that have achieved tremendous success by nurturing their culture.  Zappos CEO Tony Hseigh noted in a Harvard Business Review blog post, “Last year 25,000 people applied for jobs with us, and we hired only 250. Someone told me that statistically it’s harder to get a job at Zappos than it is to get admitted to Harvard, which says a lot about the strength of the culture we’ve created here.”

My interviewee this week, Paul McNeill, understands the importance of building a winning culture. McNeill serves as Senior Vice President-Wealth Management and Resident Director of Merrill Lynch in Ridgeland.   McNeill grew up in Oxford, England and moved to Jackson, Mississippi when he was thirteen years old. After graduating from Millsaps College, he began his financial career back in England.  However, he had the opportunity to return to Jackson in 1991 to join Merrill Lynch and has been there ever since.  After building a very successful wealth management business at the firm, McNeill was asked to become Resident Director and manage the local office in 2013.  McNeill decided to take on the position because of the confidence and faith he had in the team he would be leading, and because he could also continue to take care of the client relationships he had developed over the last 20+ years.

He shared, “My focus as Resident Director has been to create a great place for people to work.  I want our team members to look forward to coming to work each day.”  McNeill has been intentional about creating a great culture at the firm.  One of the ways he does this is to be very open and inclusive with meetings and decisions. McNeill recognizes that the only way to truly take outstanding care of clients is to take outstanding care of your team members.  While this may seem obvious, I have found in my business consulting practice that this principle is often not consistently applied. Too often, employers underappreciate and undervalue their employees and somehow expect them to deliver outstanding customer service.  Unfortunately, that just doesn’t work.  McNeill also noted, “I try to lead by example and not ask people to do things I would not do myself.”  This is another way to show people that you value them as individuals which is critical to building trust.

McNeill is active as a community leader and devotes time to organizations such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (AL/MS), Mississippi Children’s Home Services and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.  He also was recently named to the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College.  In an industry where people often move around between employers, McNeill has remained loyal and built a very successful business.  I am sure that his understanding of how to develop a winning culture will serve his team and clients well for years to come.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, May 30, 2014.] Read More


In my executive coaching practice, I often analyze with my clients the constant barrage of demands on their time. One of the most influential books to me on this topic is a short work by author Charles Hummel titled Tyranny of the Urgent! For a successful leader, there are always more demands on your time than you can respond. Unfortunately, the tyranny of the urgent can cause us to miss the truly important things we need to be dealing with. I think this is one of the most challenging aspects of modern leadership. The key for leaders is to remain focused on what is truly important and to continually remind others to “keep the main thing the main thing.”

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Dr. David Shaw

My interview this week, Dr. David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University, has done a great job of keeping perspective on what is truly important and has had a very positive impact on the university and the state.
Shaw grew up on a family farm in rural Oklahoma. While at Cameron University, his life took a turn as he was originally planning to return to the family farm after graduation. However, as a newlywed he realized that the family farm might not adequately support his family, and with the encouragement of one of his professors he decided to pursue post-graduate education in agriculture. Shaw went on to get his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University.

After completing his studies, Shaw took a teaching and research position with Mississippi State and has now been there almost 30 years. Shaw has been involved in cutting-edge research including remote sensing technology. In 1998, the school received a $25-million grant from NASA to further this research, and Shaw was named director of the Remote Sensing Technologies Center. In 2002, he was appointed director of the Geosystems Research Institute, which focused on the spatial technology visualization of complex datasets and computational modeling in agriculture, forestry, water resources, climate, weather and oceanography.  In 2009, Shaw was asked to serve in his current position of vice president for research and economic development where he acts as chief research officer for the university.

One of the key points Shaw emphasizes as a leader is to “never let the urgent take priority over the important.” He believes in creating clarity about what is truly important and making sure team members are aligned around the real priorities. He also believes in finding the best talent and letting them operate in a zone where their passion, talent, and responsibilities intersect.  He understands that when people are allowed to spend most of their time in this zone they will be truly happy and highly productive. As a man of faith, Shaw has drawn inspiration from studying the great (and not so great leaders) in the Bible. In particular, he has been reflecting on the servant leadership that Jesus modeled.

During his time at MSU, the school has proven to be a national leader on many fronts. Dr. Shaw emphasized that there are exciting things happening all over the campus. In particular, he noted the national reputation that the university has developed in agriculture, engineering, and cyber security.  In his role, he also has the opportunity to work with business and political leaders to create opportunities for economic growth in the state.  He shared, “It is part of the DNA to be involved in economic development and be a positive change agent for the state.” Along with many other fine institutions and leaders in the state, Mississippi State and Dr. Shaw are doing many exciting things to advance the state of Mississippi and improve the economic prospects for the future.

[Originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal, May 23, 2014.] Read More