Legacy 2018 South Florida: Power Issue | Page 8

8BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL MONDAY , APRIL 23 , 2018
COMMISSIONER ' S REPORT
By Commissioner Barbara Sharief
In business , many people measure success based on power , and some synonymously use the words power and influence . The English dictionary defines power as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or modify the course of events . If you follow that definition , we all exude power in our

Power , Influence and Leadership - You Decide

everyday activities as parents , partners , administrators , supervisors , presidents and even CEOs , whether we are aware of it or not .
Power and leadership go hand-in-hand . Powerful people have influence over changing both the present and the future , and are able to problem solve complex issues . Great leaders take risks and move their organizations forward through progressive thinking . One of my favorite leadership quotes originated from John Quincy Adams , " If your actions inspire others to dream more , learn more , do more and become more , you are a leader .” Empower your staff and , in turn , the productivity , creativity , and progress of your company will be better for it .
As a female in business and political office , I often feel underestimated , and my talents are sometimes minimized . If one person does not see another as having the potential for power , that person will never have any in their eyes . For example , some men make decisions about women ’ s careers based on unconscious gender biases . If a woman has a child , it is often assumed that she cannot focus as well as a man , or will not have the time to commit to an upper-level job . These associations become engrained through our cultural experiences and become something we must work to overcome .
Women have proven again and again that they are exceptional at multitasking and leading when given the same opportunities as their male counterparts . Unfortunately , many women leaders in their rise through the ranks , often fail to competitively negotiate for their true value . Many settle and are far underpaid compared to their male counterparts .
I encourage women in leadership roles to take time to think about how you value your capabilities and compare that view to the position you hold in your job . If the two do not match , then it ' s time to reevaluate where you are and make plans for your upward mobility . This is not to advise you to quit your job , but perhaps speak to your superiors about opportunities for advancement and let them know that you can contribute to your organization in a more advanced capacity .
Another option would be to volunteer to take on additional responsibilities or create new solutions to problems or inefficiencies that you see can be improved within your organization .
Leaders seek out opportunities to prove themselves and elevate others to their maximum potential . So , ask yourself , are you a powerful and influential leader ? If there is any doubt in your answer , then you have work to do .
Congratulations to Legacy magazine for honoring its 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Professionals of 2018 .
POLITICS
By Chris Norwood
Nearly two weeks after the tragedy at Stoneman Douglass in Parkland , Florida , I appeared on AtlanticLive ' s “ Schools Across America : a Miami Town Hall .” When asked about Parkland , I responded , “ The gun laws we have in our state and country are deplorable . We are

Florida Can Lead the Way on Gun Control Reform

one of two countries that constitutionally have a right to bear arms . Personally it motivates me to think more about what it takes to do a constitutional amendment because that ' s what needs to be done .”
Gun control will never get around the 2nd Amendment . We can dance around it like Ali , perhaps jab at it with policy like Sugar Ray , but we will never Tyson TKO gun control without completely repealing and / or amending the 2nd Amendment so that individual states can determine for themselves how to regulate personal gun use .
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens agrees as he recently challenged the youth to take it a step further and “... demand a repeal of the Second Amendment .”
To even discuss a constitutional convention to ratify a constitutional amendment draws the ire of Democrats and Republicans alike . Do we honestly feel that the 39 men who signed the U . S .
Constitution 230 years ago are some sort of deified superheroes that cannot be questioned ?
The late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said he would not accept offers to speak at constitutional bicentennial celebrations in 1989 , “ For I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever ‘ fixed ’ at the Philadelphia Convention . Nor do I find the wisdom , foresight , and sense of justice exhibited by the framers particularly profound . To the contrary , the government they devised was defective from the start , requiring several amendments , a civil war , and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government .”
Florida should be leading the charge . We have more ways to amend our constitution than any other state . Florida is in the midst of a mandatory revision process as the Constitutional Revision Commission meets every 20 years by law .
The revision-commission process is entirely unique to Florida .
Why not a constitutional convention to discuss gun control ? Shootings kill more than 36,000 Americans each year . Every day , 96 deaths and 222 injuries are result of gun violence . Of all firearm homicides in the world , 82 percent occur in the United States . African-American children have the highest rate of firearm mortality overall . They are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns in this country .
When it comes to the 2nd Amendment , we can ' t just stop in the middle of the road like a deer . We don ' t have to stand still and get run over . We need to adjust the 2nd Amendment . Either repeal or amend , but enough with the deer in headlights .
Christopher M . Norwood , J . D . is the spokesman for the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida ; member of the Democratic Executive Committee for Miami-Dade ; and principal consultant of the Norwood Consulting Group .