Cover Story

Systems thinking is an approach that focuses on understanding how different parts of a system interact and influence one another within a whole. It is a holistic framework considering interrelationships and patterns rather than static snapshots. By expanding perspectives, systems thinking clarifies complex situations and can spur innovation.

A definite ‘NO’ to the question if struggling families had child care asked by a group of committed volunteers in the San Fernando Valley in 1974, urged the volunteers to look for a way to support families struggling to find quality child care, development, and education services for their families. That year, the San Fernando Valley Child Care Consortium and the Mayor’s Child Care and Junior Task Force proposed the first child care resource center in the San Fernando Valley. Doris McLain was elected chairperson as Mayor Bradley accepted the proposal and gave the newly founded Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) space in Van Nuys City Hall Center. CCRC began 45 years to help working moms find child care.

Dr. Louis B. Lynn, President and Founder of ENVIRO Ag Science, grew up in Darlington County South Carolina before graduating from Clemson University. He has been a member of the Clemson University Board of Trustees since 1988 and takes pride in having attended almost all the 96 Graduation Ceremonies that have occurred during his board tenure. He hasalso served as Adjunct Professor of Horticulture at Clemson. Dr. Lynn also currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the NYC headquarters of the National Urban League. Dr. Lynn is a retired Corporate Bank Director of BB&T now TRUIST Financial (NYSE – TFC). Dr. Lynn formerly served as a national board member of the American Horticulture Society; a national board member of the National Association of Minority Contractors, a two-term Commissioner for the SCCommission on Higher Education; a Commissioner forthe StateWorkforce Development Board.

Julia Martin has relentless energy and celebrates the benefits of her neurodiversity. She uses creative thinking and problem-solving to see the bigger picture and create smaller steps to realise those ambitions. She can fit double a normal workload into five days and motivate staff to achieve things they didn’t think were possible. She can see ways to do something quickly by breaking things down, which means her productivity is incredibly high. It also helps to love what you do and set a strategy you believe in wholeheartedly! She can trust staff to deliver and sees leadership as guiding and mentoring rather than micromanaging.

The approach of John Cooper, CEO of Interfloor has been to build a team of exceptional senior managers and then to create the environment where they can perform to the best of their abilities. He instills a customer centric culture, breaks down departmental “silos”, fosters a “can do, will do” approach, and creates an open and honest atmosphere where problems are shared and solutions delivered. “Driving innovation throughout the company and the marketplace has been key when setting ourselves apart from our competitors. This has been recognized with winning several industry awards,” he adds. “Most recently Tredaire FR6, our newest flame retardant underlay, and Decibel Soundseal our acoustic flooring solution, both won a prestigious Gold Award at the 2019 National Flooring Innovation Awards.”

Jamie Thomson started a typical bootstrapped company with a simple idea and two employees, but it wasn’t an easy ride but rather a crash course in understanding one’s weaknesses. Through his experience, Jamie guides budding entrepreneurs and those around him, sharing his knowledge and story. According to the CEO of Vulcan Forged, having business knowledge and technical knowledge are two separate beasts; the second was a given as the initial company was set around the technology of which he already had skills involved, but the business side? It’s an entirely different world: project management, sprints, deadlines, hiring, firing, and team management. “These are skills I certainly hadn’t honed before I started the company, and it took a good half a year before I even understood the meaning of the roles. That is when I learned a core lesson: “ delegate as much as you can, as early as you can, and understand your strengths and weaknesses,” says Jamie. “Mine was certainly marketing and being creative, and I believe that propelled the company into the limelight initially, but what sustained it was hiring people who knew how to grow businesses methodologically.” Today the company has grown to 113 staff and over 100,000 community members.

Gregory Baker can be termed a futurist who believes in disrupting the status quo to transform the industry and enact change. He has a track record of starting, growing, and acquiring businesses within the financial sector, demonstrating his resilience and drive to make a change. His enthusiasm and motivation for the industry have allowed him to make critical connections and build a strong team of like-minded individuals who are inspired to create positive social and environmental change through Gregory and his team’s work.

Character Determines Destiny – so said Aristotle. And David CM Carter believes that more than anything else. For David, it has been numerous years of research into codifying Entelechy Academy’s 54 character qualities that underpin everything he stands for as a leader and teacher. “Sadly, despite being foundational skills for just about anything, they have not been taught at school or college or university. Until now. These essential skills are not taught yet they are the only skills that an employer ever looks for when interviewing a new hire,” says David. “Your CV might get you the job, but lacking the right character qualities will get you fired or left behind. We want to help employers build Companies of Character – based on our 54. We have also built a framework which maps the 54-character qualities against the 77 most in-demand soft skills. The lack of character understanding is shocking. It’s the missing piece in education, training and company culture development.”

One of the most significant leadership and life lessons that have profoundly impacted Carlos Garcia’s life and career is embracing change and taking calculated risks. The Group Managing Director of Total Clean, Carlos, understands that change is inevitable and necessary for growth. Carlos has been able to drive positive transformations within Total Clean by being open to new ideas, innovations, and opportunities. He encourages his team to think creatively, challenge the status quo, and continuously seek improvement. Carlos believes that calculated risks, supported by thorough analysis and a willingness to learn from failures, can lead to breakthroughs and exceptional achievements.

A true leader does more than manage others. They enable the individuals on their team to reach their highest potential. Andrew Wallace shows others the true meaning of success with inspiration and motivation by being a true leader. He is the pioneering representation of how leaders should work with their teams to achieve goals. The President & CEO of Communications Professionals, Inc., Andrew, makes an effort to help develop their team’s skills so they can reach their full potential. He leads by example and establishes strong, trusting relationships to ensure success within the team and the organization.