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Corretta Scott King (1927 - 2006)

Coretta Scott King died on the day I write this. As I reflect on her life, I recognize that she became one of the most influential women leaders in our world today. Her life was a life of leadership imbued with Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy of delivering the message of human rights and dignity, social change and equality. Coretta Scott King has carried that message of nonviolence and the dream of interracial community to almost every corner of our nation and world. But she did not just talk about it; she moved people to bring about change and brought it to a national and international level, culminating, most recently, in the establishment of the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture as part of the Smithsonian.

A life-long advocate of interracial coalitions, Corretta Scott King formed a broad coalition of over 100 religious, labor, business, civil and women's rights organizations dedicated to a national policy of full employment and equal economic opportunity, brought together more than 800 human rights organizations to form the Coalition of Conscience, sponsors of the 20th Anniversary March on Washington, one of the largest demonstrations in our nation's capital. She helped lead a national Mobilization Against Fear and Intimidation in Forsyth County, Georgia and re-convened the Coalition of Conscience for the 25th anniversary of the March on Washington. In preparation for the Reagan-Gorbachev talks, she served as head of the U.S. delegation of Women for a Meaningful Summit in Athens, Greece. As the USSR was redefining itself, Mrs. King was co-convener of the Soviet-American Women's Summit in Washington, DC in 1990.

But not only a player in the halls of power, King and three of her children were arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington, DC, for protesting against apartheid.

One of the most influential African-American leaders of our time, Mrs. King has received honorary doctorates from over 60 colleges and universities; authored three books and a nationally-syndicated column; and has served on, and helped found, dozens of organizations, including the Black Leadership Forum, the National Black Coalition for Voter Participation and the Black Leadership Roundtable.

A woman of wisdom, compassion and vision, Coretta Scott King has made history, and in the process made ours a better world.
We thank God for her.

Thank you, Mrs. King. You'll be missed.

by Valarie D. Willis

To stay in the picture, leaders today should:

1. Look to create the future.
2. Stretch yourself. Imagine what is impossible and make it possible.
3. Remember that today's cash cow may be tomorrow's steak dinner.
4. Know who the potential new leaders are in your organization and develop them.
5. Get everyone involved in "trend analysis."
6. Embed innovation into your organization's culture.

Cited and used with permission from The Point Newsletter and Bluepoint Leadership Development. To read the entire article in PDF format, click here.

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While most nonprofits do not have shareholders, we certainly have stakeholders, who are just as interested and affected. Rep. Frank's bill would require a company's annual report and proxy statement to provide a comprehensive statement of the issuer's compensation plan, the present value of any pension of such officers, the estimated market value of any other benefits received by such officers, any agreements or understandings concerning any type of compensation, the short- and long-term performance measures that the issuer uses for determining the compensation and whether such measures were met during the preceding year, and the policy adopted pursuant to the rules promulgated.

The Frank bill would also require companies to obtain shareholder approval for the company's plan. A separate section of the bill requires shareholder approval of pay plans developed in the context of a change of control ("golden parachute" plans).

Finally, the Frank bill would require disclosure of a company policy for recapturing any form of incentive compensation that subsequent financial results show are unjustified.

Cited and used with permission from National Association of Corporate Directors. To read the entire article in PDF format, click here.

by Rudy Giuliani

Speaking at CCL's Friends of the Center Leadership Conference, recently, Rudy Giuliani explored six principles of leadership that are critically important for success:

• Develop strong beliefs: He cited Ronald Reagan and Martin Luther King, Jr. as two individuals who exemplified this principle.
• Be an optimist: "When you can visualize success, it helps you figure out the steps to get there."
• Have courage: "To be courageous you must have fear."
• Relentless preparation: Leaders must make an enduring commitment to anticipating obstacles and opportunities and readying for them.
• Teamwork: "It's important . . . to work closely with a trusted team."
• Communication: "When the right ideas and the right team are in place, it's critical for leaders to communicate their plans and goals."

Cited and used with permission from Center for Creative Leadership. To read the entire checklist, click here. To buy the book, click here.

by Katherine Tyler Scott

Trust, gratitude, and generosity are the “coin of the realm” in the not-for-profit sector. Resources are gathered and redistributed for the primary purpose of meeting the needs of others. Individuals are given to in order to help improve themselves and their situations.

Through tangible and intangible gifts recipients are expected to be better off as a result. Their improved capacity is presumed to be a benefit to the larger community and as they contribute the gifts they were given they move into even larger circles and positively impact others.

What is needed to perpetuate this cycle of the movement is leadership with the gifts of trust, gratitude, and generosity.

Used and cited with permission from Trustee Leadership Development. Click here to read the entire article.