“You must be hungry!” – this can be a famous quote by famous motivational speaker Les Brown. Dr. Mark Holland you can be the primary person to substantiate that you simply need a mentor in your life. With the support of his wife, whose burgeoning educational profession of nearly 30 years would require a move to a special geographic location, he left the ministry and pursued a profession in motivational speaking and leadership development. Today he’s a licensed speaker, teacher, trainer and coach with whom he spoke about mentoring.

: Why is it so necessary to develop more leaders within the African-American community?

Holland: John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls with leadership.” This will not be only a saying, but a brutal reality. While aspects equivalent to slavery, Jim Crow, and sharecropping needs to be recognized as aspects that cause some African Americans to fall economically behind our white counterparts, they can not be used as a crutch or an excuse not to just accept the gifts each of us has been given as individuals and take advantage of our lives.

For this purpose, leaders who’ve undergone all possible mazes and pitfalls and achieved any level of success must share this success in a form that can leave a legacy for future generations. One of Holland’s favorite verses is Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.”

TO BE: Who is a mentor and why do you think that mentors are necessary?

Holland: A mentor is often a more experienced one that provides guidance, support and advice to a less experienced person (mentee) over an prolonged time period. Mentors are necessary because success at all times leaves a mark.

One of the best honors and privileges of my life is to have Les Brown as my mentor. When an organic search is performed on the Internet for the highest-reaching motivational speakers in history, Mr. Brown is the one person in history with greater than 1 billion. I just need to say that if you ought to be the most effective, you’ve gotten to learn from the most effective.

Before hiring Mr. Brown, my speaking profession was mediocre, but now it’s on steroids. I’m fortunate to have access to Mr. Brown who helps me grow. One of his favorite sayings is: “Some things are taught and others can be learned.” I try to not miss any available time in his presence as he learns and catches lots from being around Mr. Les Brown.

TO BE: Who were your mentor(s) and why?

Holland: My mentor is Mr. Les Brown. I met Mr. Brown after I approached him about writing the introduction to my first book, “The Best Race of My Life,” to be published within the spring of 2025. I sought out Mr. Brown because in my lifetime he was the most effective to ever grace the scene , and to be the most effective, you’ve gotten to learn from the most effective. From this request, a friendship was born and a mentor-mentee relationship blossomed.

The best coach I ever had was Coach Larry McCoy, who was originally my highschool cross country coach. In the technique of teaching a gaggle of young men the way to hone their talents as wrestlers and runners, he has developed young men due to who he’s. Mr. McCoy is now a lifelong friend.

John Maxwell is one other coach in my life. I’m John Maxwell certified as a speaker, teacher, trainer and coach. Although we now have met, most of my knowledge comes from studying the body of labor he has developed over 40 years.

TO BE: Can you share some strategies or suggestions on why having a mentor in your life is essential?

Netherlands:

Mentoring: Guidance and support

• : Imagine having to provide speeches for individuals who pays you, and you’ve gotten assist in your corner to show you how to prepare as best as you ever could. Thank God I do not have to assume it. I give you great concepts that I believe are great, and then my friend and mentor helps me put together the most effective presentation for them. Mentors share knowledge based on their experiences, helping mentees face challenges and make informed decisions. If you do not have it, get it.

Skill development

• : Mentors can show you how to discover areas for improvement and provide resources, training and feedback to develop specific skills. I’m learning about productivity boosters I never knew existed as Les Brown immerses me in his world of pros.

Network capabilities

• : Mentors often have extensive networks and can introduce mentees to invaluable contacts of their industry or career. Being with Les, I met the most effective of the most effective.

Responsibility

• : Having a mentor encourages accountability because mentees are more committed to their goals when someone checks in on their progress. There were times in my past after I didn’t feel capable of prepare at a level that required in-depth work. When working with Les, this not exists. I am unable to even imagine showing as much as a rehearsal or event with the most effective to ever do it and not being ready to provide it my all. Having a mentor you’re keen on and respect will lead you to greatness.

Personal development

• : Mentors encourage introspection, helping mentees understand their strengths, weaknesses and areas requiring personal development.

Setting goals

• Mentors help mentees set realistic and achievable goals while offering strategies to realize them. Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals to alter your life.

Seniority and ripple effects

• : A positive mentoring relationship can encourage mentees to turn into mentors themselves, continuing the cycle of support and development. Every day spent with Les is a present from God to me. I actually have younger champions in my circle who will profit from this as I learn first-hand the advantages of mentoring.

this past weekend I also had the chance to satisfy with Les Brown to listen to his thoughts on mentoring:

TO BE: Why is mentoring necessary within the twenty first century?^street age?

Brown: Mentoring is essential because in case you give it some thought, in sports, if someone has a losing season, they do not fire the team; They’re firing the coach! They found a coach who can win. One of the things in life is that whatever you do, you would like someone who’s an experienced and serious one that has achieved something on this field that may take you to a spot in yourself that you simply cannot reach on your personal because you’ll be able to’t see the image if you end up in frame.

A mentor can begin to show you how to do stuff you didn’t know you might do due to his experience and wisdom.

TO BE: How has mentoring influenced your life?

Brown: It has impacted my life because I actually have to remain ahead of them! I actually have to proceed learning.

Now I train speakers, so once your audience knows as much as you understand, they will not need you anymore. So you’ve gotten to be ahead of them. You must proceed learning and learning to take your impact to the subsequent level.

TO BE: Describe your relationship with Dr. Mark Holland.

Brown: Mark Holland will not be only a business partner, but in addition a friend. And what I really like about him as a seasoned skilled is that he has a heart for people. He is a one that results in serve and desires to live a life that can outlive it.

For more lessons on leadership and mentoring, contact the Holland Leadership Collaborative at www.drmarkholland.com.

In a press release shared with Black Enterprise, Earn Your Leisure, activist Chakabars and developers Alvin Bekoe, Kwame Blay and Tuyee Yeboah announced the groundbreaking development of a 300-acre housing project in Accra, Ghana, that may promote economic prosperity in Africa.

Earn Your Leisure co-founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings and their group named the initiative the Sanbra City Project. The aim of the project is to provide the diaspora with modern and sustainable housing options to help the diaspora reconnect with their roots in the homeland. There are multiple phases, and phase one consists of competitively priced luxury homes called Cascades. It can be built on 30 acres and can feature community amenities akin to a swimming pool, sports facilities, bike paths, a food market and co-working spaces.

Located just quarter-hour from Kotoka International Airport, the complex began work in August 2024 and is predicted to be accomplished by October 2027.

Chakabars and the Earn Your Leisure team hope that this project will help African descendants reconnect with their roots in Africa. By working with Ghanaian developers, they aim to create opportunities for others to invest on the continent, provide opportunities for economic growth and reconnect with what can have been lost. “Our vision is to create a sustainable and thriving community that not only solves the housing deficit, but also encourages people in the diaspora to return home and invest in their future,” Blay said in a statement.

According to The Cascades, it’s going to offer two-bedroom apartments from $180,000, four-bedroom townhouses from $275,000 and five-bedroom villas from $450,000. To help finance this massive project, the developers are working with Plotus Investments Limited under EPC+F agreements, Turkish company ARSAN Group and banks including Stanbic Bank Ghana and First National Bank. Both financial institutions offer discounted mortgages to make home ownership accessible and reasonably priced.

Thanks to this, over 300 potential buyers have already been secured during Investfest 2024, which proves that the interest in the investment is real.

Several big names have been eyeing Africa’s economic growth and development, taking steps to be sure that the continent can thrive in several industries in the longer term. Oscar-nominated actor Idris Elba announced earlier this month that he’s specializing in constructing latest film studios across the continent to give indigenous people “the chance to tell their own stories.” His first project can be implemented on the island of Zanzibar, known for its wonderful white sand beaches.

The island’s government has already allocated nearly 200 acres of land for the investment, which Elba says will grow to be the premise of a global entertainment center.

As we end 2024, a transparent trend is emerging in America’s corporate boardrooms: the regular return of the standard, white, middle-aged CEO.

Latest data shows A There has been a record wave of CEO departures this 12 months, with about 1,450 executives stepping down, a 15% increase from last 12 months, according to executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Companies occupying these top positions are increasingly favoring men – the variety of newly appointed female directors fell to 27.2% in August, a decline of just about 1% compared to 2023.

Despite several years of guarantees to improve diversity, leadership statistics at Fortune 500 corporations reveal the continued underrepresentation of ladies and folks of color. In 2024, only 52 of those corporations will likely be led by women – a number that is still unchanged from the previous 12 months – and the variety of Black CEOs has fallen to just eight, from a peak of nine. These changes mark a return to the “traditional” CEO profile, coinciding with a noticeable rollback on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments made in recent times.

The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to invalidate affirmative motion on college campuses fueled this trend, subtly changing industry expectations. DEI initiatives, once a public relations point of interest, are actually in crisis as corporations return to hiring practices harkening back to the familiar past. While just just a few years ago, placing a white man ready previously held by a lady or person of color may need sparked a backlash, in today’s climate a corporate giant is less concerned about public opinion.

This change in leadership underscores the usual resilience of the “white CEO,” highlighting the persistent gap in equitable representation at the very best levels of business. The diversity of Fortune 500 executive teams rarely exceeds the ten% mark for girls, underscoring the entrenched establishment. This turnaround is especially surprising given record CEO turnover, which can have provided a singular opportunity to bring diverse perspectives into leadership roles.

For corporations, the query stays as they’re seen as change agents within the DEI space: Are they honestly committed to long-term diversity? Or are we witnessing a return to “capsule wardrobe” leadership that favors familiarity over progress?

As hiring trends evolve, time will tell whether corporate America’s recent DEI efforts were a short-lived phase or an actual shift toward a more inclusive workplace.

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