IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - "Leaders are fascinated by future. You are a leader if and only if, you are restless for change, impatient for progress and deeply dissatisfied with status quo. Because in your head, you can see a better future. The friction between 'what is' and 'what could be' burns you, stirs you up, propels you. This is leadership."

That compelling quote on the nature of leadership comes from Marcus Buckingham, a British-American New York Times bestselling author, motivational speaker, and business consultant. Buckingham was a speaker at the national leadership event, Leadercast 2012, and a video of his presentation will be shown at the next 2013 Chick-fil-A Leadercast Recap Lunch & Learn event, sponsored by Results Marketing and St. Ambrose University.

"The speakers chosen to present at Leadercast each year are acclaimed leadership experts with amazing insights to share," said Todd Ashby, Managing Partner of Results Marketing. For the past three years, Results Marketing and select sponsors have been bringing simulcasts of the Chick-fil-A Leadercast to the Quad-Cities area. Each year, Leadercast is broadcast live from Atlanta, Georgia, to audiences in metro areas worldwide.

"At our Lunch & Learn events, attendees can watch these enlightening videos and discuss their content with other area professionals," Ashby said. The first Lunch & Learn event of 2013, featuring renowned author and speaker John Maxwell, was held in January. Each session is facilitated by a St. Ambrose faculty member.

Only 65 seats are available at each Recap Lunch & Learn event, so be sure to register early. The next Lunch & Learn event, featuring Marcus Buckingham, will be held noon to 1 p.m. on February 1. Two additional Lunch & Learn events will be held March 1 and April 5. All three will be held at the St. Ambrose University Downtown Education Center, located in the New Ventures Center at 331 W. 3rd St., Davenport, IA 52801. Cost to attend is $15 per session and includes lunch from Chick-fil-A.

Superior Speakers

While the Lunch & Learn speakers are all experts on leadership, Ashby observed, they approach the concept of leadership from different angles. "Marcus Buckingham promotes the concept that people will get the best results by making the most of their strengths, rather than by putting too much emphasis on their weaknesses," he said. "Many attendees of our Lunch & Learn events have mentioned that they enjoy the different viewpoints on leadership. It gives them a lot to think about."

An acclaimed author, Marcus Buckingham's books include First, Break All the Rules; Now, Discover Your Strengths; The One Thing You Need to Know; Go Put Your Strengths to Work; The Truth About You; and Find Your Strongest Life. His latest project, StandOut, is a book and strengths assessment combination, which uses a new research methodology to reveal the reader's top two "Strength Roles." StandOut gives people practical innovations that fit their strengths, and provides managers with quick insights on how to get the best from each member of their team.

In addition to the Marcus Buckingham event on February 1, the following speakers will be featured at upcoming Leadercast Recap Lunch & Learn events:

March 1, 2013

Andy Stanley is an acclaimed leadership communicator, author, pastor, and the founder of North Point Ministries, Inc. Every month, well over a million people from nearly every country in the world choose to tune in, download, or stream Stanley's teaching content via TV, radio, podcasts, and live streaming. Stanley's books include The Next Generation Leader, Visioneering, Enemies of the Heart, and The Principle of the Path.

April 5, 2013

Patrick Lencioni is a best-selling author and founder/president of The Table Group, Inc., a specialized management-consulting firm focused on organizational health. Lencioni's nine best-selling books have sold nearly 3 million copies, and his work has been featured in such publications such as BusinessWeek, Fast Company, INC Magazine, USA Today, Fortune, Drucker Foundation's Leader to Leader, and Harvard Business Review. Lencioni's books include The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, and Getting Naked.

"We will be hosting a new day-long QC Leadercast event in May 2013," Ashby said, "so anyone thinking of attending the Spring 2013 event should attend these Lunch & Learn sessions beforehand, to get a feel for the topics to be discussed. Each year, Leadercast has a different theme, so there's always something new to be learned."

To register for Leadercast Recap Lunch & Learn events or to find out more, call Marcia Brandt of Results Marketing at 563-322-2065 or email Marcia@resultsimc.com. Feel free to befriend Leadercast Quad Cities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/qcleadercast.

As we pass the five-year anniversary of the start of the economic recession in December 2007, many observers focus on what was lost:

• 8 million jobs
• 146,000 employer businesses
• 17.5 percent average individual earnings

But the businesses that survived the Great Recession and are thriving today didn't focus on losses then - and they aren't now, says Donna Every, a financial expert who has published three non-fiction business books and recently released her first novel, "The Merger Mogul," (www.donnaevery.com).

"The entrepreneurs who are successful during times of uncertainty are so because they don't rely on the standard approaches they'd use in predictable times, and they look for opportunities - the positives -- in situations that would have been considered negatives five years ago," Every says.

"It's similar to how we deal with the weather. In places where it's sunny most of the summer, we wouldn't leave our house each morning packing coats and umbrellas just in case. The weather's predictable. But in the winter and other seasons when the weather can quickly change, we head out with a different mindset."

For businesses, switching gears to deal with inclement economic conditions involves adopting new perspectives and practices, she says.

"I incorporated some of these in 'The Merger Mogul' because it's set during the recession and my protagonist, the mogul, had to adapt," Every says. "He used many of the strategies I teach my business clients for thriving during economic uncertainty."

What are some of those strategies? Every outlines them:

• Build on what you have, not toward what you want: Instead of setting goals and then seeking out the resources you'll need to meet them, assess what you have available and decide what you can achieve with that. This not only saves you the time and expense of pulling together resources you may not have, it also gives you the advantage of working from your business's individual and unique strengths.

• Follow the Las Vegas rule: Tourists planning a weekend in Las Vegas will often set aside the amount of money they're willing to gamble - and lose -- on cards or the slots. That way, they won't lose more than they can afford. During an uncertain economy, entrepreneurs should calculate their risks the same way. Rather than going for the biggest opportunities as you would in prosperous times, look for the opportunities that won't require as much of your resources. Calculate how much you can afford to lose, and always consider the worst-case scenario.

• Join hands and hearts: Competition is fine when things are going well, but when times are tough, you need allies. Explore forming partnerships with other entrepreneurs so you can strategize to create opportunities together. With what your partners bring to the table, you'll have more strength and new options to work with.

• Capitalize on the unexpected: Surprises can have positive outcomes if you handle them nimbly by finding ways to use them to your advantage. Instead of planning damage control for the next unexpected contingency, look at it as an opportunity. Get creative as you look for the positives it presents.

• When life is unpredictable, don't try to forecast: Focus on what you can do and create now rather than what you can expect based on what happened in the past. In good times, that information can be a helpful and reliable way to make predictions, but savvy entrepreneurs don't count on that in uncertain times.   

"While the U.S. economy certainly is improving, there's still too much uncertainty both here and abroad to go back to the old ways of doing business just yet," Every says.

"If you've survived the past five years, you've probably been relying on many of these strategies - maybe without even realizing it," she says. "Don't abandon them yet, and if there are some here you aren't using, work toward incorporating them, too."

About Donna Every

Donna Every is director of Arise Consulting Inc., a company that offers business training, and consulting services. She is a Chartered Certified Accountant with a master's in business administration. She is the author of "What Do You Have in Your House?"; "The Promise Keeper"; "Arise & Shine"; and her first novel, "The Merger Mogul."

Five tips on paying down credit card debt acquired during the holidays

Des Moines, Iowa - In the current economic climate, it's more important than ever to plan and adhere to a budget, spend responsibly and to set aside savings for unplanned expenses. The key to spending responsibly during the holidays is to not spend more than what you have earned or saved. In the coming weeks, consumers will be faced with paying off their credit card bills, and Iowa credit unions have suggestions to help them tackle their debt.

In a survey of 930 Iowa consumers conducted by the Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL), 36.2% of respondents said they saved throughout the year to pay off holiday debt, and 29.8% said they have no firm plan in place to pay off newly-acquired debt.

"It is not uncommon to spend more than you planned during the holidays, and much of what you spend ends up on your credit card," said Emily Caropreso, Director of Communications & Marketing. "If you don't have a plan to pay off your balance, now is the time to create one. Doing so will save you money along the way."

ICUL suggests the following to pay off holiday credit card debt:

• Pay it all off at once. If you can get away with moving money from savings to pay off your credit card in full, it is recommended. This will help you avoid interest charges on your purchases, and end your monthly payment. It will also positively impact your credit score, saving you more money down the road.
• Pay it off in monthly installments. If paying the full balance isn't possible, create a monthly payment plan you can afford. More than 13% of Iowans indicate they will pay off their debt in one or two months, 8.9% in three to six months. Creating a payment plan will save you hundreds, possibly thousands, in interest charges compared to if you only pay the minimum.
• Use your tax refund. Nearly 6% of Iowans plan to use a refund check from the Internal Revenue Service to pay off their holiday debt. While it is never smart to count on a tax refund, if you have one coming your way, paying down holiday debt is a smart investment. Otherwise, use your refund to replenish your savings, start a rainy day fund, or shop early for the upcoming holiday season.
• Find a card with a lower rate. Incentive-based credit cards attract many consumers, but they usually come with a higher interest rate and/or an annual fee. If you find yourself struggling to pay down the balance, consider shopping for a card with a lower rate. Check out a local credit union (www.IowaCreditUnions.com), which typically offers no-frills credit cards at substantially lower rates.
• Enroll in a holiday savings account. It may not help paying down existing debt, but to avoid future debt, start saving for the 2013 holiday season now. Set-up a payroll deduction of $25 a month in January, and you will have $250 saved up by Nov. 1. Most credit unions offer holiday savings accounts.

The Iowa Credit Union League is the trade association that represents the interests of Iowa credit unions and their nearly one million members. Credit unions are not-for-profit, financial cooperatives owned and operated by their members. Iowans use their credit union membership to receive higher interest rates on savings and lower interest rates on loans. For more information on ICUL and Iowa credit unions, visit www.IowaCreditUnions.com. Follow ICUL on Twitter at www.twitter.com/icul or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iowacreditunions.

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Governor Meets with Suburban Leaders and Strengthens Bipartisan Support for Comprehensive Action

WHEATON - January 4, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin and several Republican legislators to strengthen the push for comprehensive pension reform by Jan. 9, the end of the current legislative session. The governor met with suburban leaders and discussed the urgent need for action by the General Assembly. Today's event strengthened bipartisan support for comprehensive pension reform.

"Every day that urgently needed action on pension reform is delayed, the problem gets worse," Governor Quinn said. "As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to put politics aside and enact a solution that prevents skyrocketing pension costs from squeezing out core services like education, public safety and health care. We can do that now and we should not wait another day."

Without pension reform, the unfunded liability grows by $17.1 million every single day. According to the Pew Center for the States, Illinois has the worst-funded pension systems in the nation. As Illinois' $96 billion unfunded pension liability grows, it squeezes out more and more funding for crucial services such as education, health care, road repair and public safety from the state budget. Without comprehensive pension reform, all areas of the state budget including assistance provided to local communities across the state will be impacted, endangering operations and the ability of communities to improve their infrastructure.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, who also serves as chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party, served in the General Assembly for almost 20 years. Chairman Cronin is a leader among many business and civic figures who recognize the need for a comprehensive solution to Illinois' most critical financial challenge. Yesterday, a group of better government and civic organizations also endorsed the governor's call for pension reform by Jan. 9.

"Illinois' pension disaster is a statewide problem, not a Springfield problem," Chairman Cronin said. "People come up to me all the time to express their concerns about the pension crisis and ask what we can do about it. The consequences of this crisis know no boundaries and the solution should have no sole ownership or obligation. Taxpayers expect all of us who serve in public office - from the statehouse all the way down to here at the county and local level - to step up and support meaningful reform measures. The future viability of our state depends on it."

In April, Governor Quinn proposed a plan that would fully fund the pension system by 2042 and prevent skyrocketing pension costs from squeezing out core services. The governor also launched an education effort to build public awareness about the need for legislative action on pension reform in Springfield and empower citizens to make their voices heard. The governor and his senior staff have been meeting with legislators, leaders and their staffs for weeks to forge common ground on pension reform. The governor continues to work with legislators every day to enact a solution as soon as possible.

The following legislators attended today's meeting: Rep. Darlene Senger, Rep. Chris Nybo, Rep. Michael Fortner, Rep. Jim Durkin, Rep. Michael Connelly, Rep. Patti Bellock, Rep. Franco Coladipietro, Rep. Randy Ramey, Rep. Dennis Reboletti, Sen. Ron Sandack, and Sen. Tom Johnson. 

The legislature is scheduled to end its legislative session Jan. 9. For more information, visit www.ThisisMyIllinois.com.

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