■ Enterprising Women in Commerce
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
■ Enterprising Women in Commerce
been attending classes , studying and simply enjoying college life . But she had a higher purpose and was actively involved in the U . S . Civil Rights Movement . On February 21 , 1962 , my mom went to the Kress Five & Dime to participate in a lunch counter sit in .
At that time in the U . S . South , Black people were not allowed to sit at the same lunch counters , drink from the same water fountains or use the same restrooms as white people . So , this was a brave and courageous act for a 19-year-old young woman .
My mother had a light complexion and was able to order food without being noticed as a Black person . When the food arrived , she signaled for the Black male students to enter , pushed the food down to them and they began to eat .
As you can imagine the white customers in the store became enraged . The Sheriff ’ s officers quickly arrived carrying black jacks and Billy clubs . The students were dragged out of the store by their shirt collars and threatened outside by water hoses and police dogs as they were tossed into the back of the sheriff ’ s vehicles . That was one of the many times my mom was jailed during the civil rights movement .
During this jail stay , she decided to write her story on a roll of jailhouse toilet paper . On this roll of toilet paper , she describes her fight for equality and freedom and why it was so important to her . The passage that means the most to me is when she writes to her mother : ‘ Mommy , I know you told me not to get in jail . But I don ’ t mind being in jail , as long as I know one day , when I have children of my own , they will have privilege and can do the things we are fighting so hard for today .’
I grew up seeing this roll of toilet paper proudly displayed in our China cabinet and listened to my mom ’ s stories about the civil rights movement . I learned the value of fairness , equality , diversity and inclusion and the impact on society . Those lessons helped me
to be a successful leader in business and in my community .
Grill-Goodman : What ’ s the one thing you hope people will remember you for ? Bryant Hope : Beyond any professional achievements or successes , I hope to be remembered for the positive impact I had on others , ensuring they felt valued , respected , empowered and supported !
Bryant Hope delivered a memorable speech after receiving the award at CIANJ ’ s Enterprising Women in Commerce awards ceremony in August .
Photo : Russ DeSantis Photography and Video
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
Lose the Script
By Steve Adubato , PhD Freelance Contributor
There are millions of professionals who are currently obsessing over their next public presentation . One of the biggest mistakes people make is to convince themselves they must write out their presentation and read it verbatim . Yet , it is the rare public speaker that can deliver an effective presentation from a prepared text . Consider the following tips the next time you are asked to speak :
◾ Make a human , personal connection . Your goal should be to view this interaction as a “ conversation ” with your audience , rather than a “ presentation .” To make a personal connection , you can ’ t do that when your eyes are down on a piece of paper or focused on keeping your index cards in order .
◾ Be helpful . Consider your audience and narrow down your main message based on what would be most helpful to them . Don ’ t worry about sharing every fact about a particular topic , but instead , what will be most useful to the audience .
◾ Prepare . Letting go of your prepared text doesn ’ t mean speaking extemporaneously . If you take your script and create a bullet-point outline with key words in bold type with lots of white space , you will be amazed at how helpful this approach can be .
◾ Be agile . Don ’ t get consumed with the fear of leaving things out if you aren ’ t reading verbatim . Remember , your audience has no idea what is supposed to be in your speech . People don ’ t judge you based on how much information you give them . They are just looking to get some relevant information .
◾ Breathe . Whether you are in a conversation with a few people in a board room or presenting to an audience of hundreds , never underestimate the power of breathing . Before you say your first remarks , ground yourself with a deep breath , pause , and then begin .
Steve Adubato , PhD , is the author of five books including , “ Lessons in Leadership .” His sixth book , “ Lessons in Leadership 2.0 : The Tough Stuff ,” will be released in summer 2023 . He is an Emmy ® Award-winning anchor with programs airing on Thirteen / WNET ( PBS ) and NJ PBS . He has also appeared on CNN , NPR and NBC ’ s Today Show . Steve Adubato ' s “ Lessons in Leadership ” video podcast with co-host Mary Gamba airs Sundays at 10:00 a . m . on News 12 +. For more information visit www . Stand-Deliver . com
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / simonkr