Making a Lasting Difference

Steve Chapman
President & CEO
Ruan Transportation Management Systems

Several months ago, New View’s Danny Beyer, whom I had never met at the time, requested a meeting with me to discuss my career and how individuals can make a difference in their communities. While flattered, I was not sure why he contacted me instead of other community leaders. However, we met over coffee and talked about the importance of volunteering, getting involved and giving back within our community. We had a great conversation, and it caused me to think back about myself at his age and my desire—just like his—to make a difference.

Last week, Danny sent me an e-mail asking if I would be willing to write New View’s guest blog for June. He said it would be great if I would write about personal mentors who I have been fortunate to work with in my career. As I think about the many individuals who both intentionally and unintentionally mentored me throughout my career, I realize they made a lasting difference in my life. And I am now at a point in my life when offering my time and guidance to younger, determined generations is so very important. I hope to impact them the way my mentors impacted me.

I have been very fortunate to have had a successful and rewarding career. That process began with the best and most important mentors in my life—my parents. My parents taught me that I truly can do anything as long as I am willing to put in the time and effort required to succeed.  When I needed help or did something wrong, they were always there to pick me up, allow me to learn from my mistakes and get on with my life. They taught me values that will always guide my life and my decisions. I was taught that there is right and there is wrong—nothing in between. As a result, decisions came easy for me because I never looked beyond what was the right thing to do. My parents taught me the importance of caring for others and always putting their needs above my own. 

After completing my studies at Drake University and entering the workforce, I was determined to succeed in business. But I also wanted to succeed in being an engaged citizen within my community. So with every opportunity I was given, I worked extremely hard to make a difference, and the impact of my efforts on others was always in forefront of my thought process. I was taught that success is shared, and it always felt better when that success had a positive impact on others. As my responsibilities expanded, I looked for ways to get involved and give back to this community in which I was so fortunate to live. That is where my second group of mentors came in.  

One thing I learned quickly was that the most involved and successful business leaders in our community welcomed individuals like me to the table as long as we were willing to work. I first became involved in what was then the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce by volunteering on various committees focused on economic development. It gave me the opportunity to meet and work with successful, philanthropic individuals like John Fitzgibbon, Bill Knapp, Marvin Pomerantz, Dave Miller, Connie Wimer, David Hurd and many others. Each of these individuals—whether they knew it or not—guided, coached and mentored me in so many ways. They taught me so much, but most importantly, they taught me the importance of giving back. At the time, they made it clear that they did not expect my financial contributions to the community to be the size of theirs but, as my career grew, so should the size of my contributions. They were always willing to offer their time to help me better understand the needs of our community and how to address them. I feel very fortunate to have become close friends with many of the leaders who truly define this community.    

In fact, I was asked to speak at the funeral of a friend and mentor during their last days of life. This individual was such a strong personality and leader that once I hesitantly agreed, they proceeded to tell me what they wanted me to say at their funeral. I was directed to not speak about them, but rather about this great community and the work that still needs to be done. It was a demonstration of leadership that never fades because it is instilled in others.  

The leaders and mentors I have been so fortunate to know taught me the importance of working together within our community to overcome challenges, create opportunities and make it an even better place to live, work and raise a family. It’s people who truly make a difference through their willingness to stand up at the right time for the right cause—and Des Moines has been blessed with many leaders who selflessly donate their time and financial resources to the community. 

Today, I still consider myself that young businessperson looking up with respect to the leaders who have mentored me and made a lasting difference in my life. Now, I’m honored to have the opportunities to speak to organizations like the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and United Way’s Education Leadership Initiative, as well as work with young people, like Danny, who want to get involved in their community. I was taught well by my many mentors, and I will do everything I can to continue to teach the importance of getting involved, giving of time and resources and always acting for the right reasons.

Leading the Way: You may need to adjust your leadership style

Alex Taylor
Associate Director
University of Iowa
Tippie School of Management

I recently enjoyed a couple of great reads about leadership functions and styles that served as a catalyst for some introspection: What are the functions of a leader and how do they perform them?
In his book, “A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management,” John Kotter lists three primary functions of a leader:

1 Strategy — A leader establishes direction by paying attention to the market — industry, customers and employees — then develops, plans and implements the mission, vision and strategies for the long term success of the organization.
2 Communications — A leader aligns people and resources by sharing and communicating the organizational plans and strategies so that employees, customers and partners understand, embrace and commit to these goals.
3 People management — A leader motivates and inspires by appealing to and tapping into emotional and rational values and needs of employees, customers and others to work toward shared goals and collaborative results.

So if these are the leadership functions, what are the styles?
John Hendry, author of “Between Enterprise and Ethics: Business and Management in a Bi-Moral Society,” identifies four leadership styles — authoritative, participative, empowering and servant — as they might pertain to Kotter’s functions of a leader.

Authoritative leaders cut through or eliminates red tape, process and politics to make definitive decisions. Their conviction and confidence can inspire others to follow and/or do as their told.

Authoritarian leaders sometimes convey a “my way or the highway mentality”, which can backfire when employees don’t believe their input matters or their voices are heard.

Participative leaders enable others to provide input, but remain the final decision-makers. By encouraging participation, these leaders gain good insight and ideas that enable them to validate and/or adjust their decisions accordingly.

This style can help build consensus to guide and align organizations. However, if input of others never gets incorporated, a participative leader risks losing the loyalty and support of employees whose ideas perceptively fall on deaf ears.

Empowering leaders facilitate and guide others to make decisions as talented subject matter experts. These leaders must check their egos at the door, trust the talents and experience of subordinates, accept some uncertainty, and be able to recognize and acknowledge the success of others.

To be effective, an empowering leader must set clear limits of authority, establish shared and measurable goals, and be able to restrain empowered employees from running amok.

With planning and management, an empowered environment can be very innovative and entrepreneurial. But left unchecked, it can spiral out of control and the inmates can take over the prison.

The servant leader often can be found in smaller organizations and not-for-profits, working side by side with others to provide direction.

When they lead by example, these leaders demonstrate they are not above doing the work expected of others. This style can garner the respect of others and can be inspirational.

However, there are some people who prefer authoritarian leadership and a servant leader might appear weak and/or ineffective.

Just as we periodically measure and adjust our organizational focus to accommodate changing economic, financial and political environments, I believe it’s equally important to measure and adjust our leadership styles to stay relevant and effective.

So, what functions do you lead, and how do you do it?

Young Professionals and Politics

Legal Counsel and Legislative Liaison
Iowa Secretary of State

The terms “young professionals” and “politics” often seem mutually exclusive.  Obviously the world of politics has young professionals who run for office or are employed in politics and government.  Yet, the perception is that young professionals are part of the business world and not the political world.  Some would even argue that except for voting and being part of a democratic republic, most young professionals are not even part of the political process.

  However, I would posit to you that this could not be further from the truth.  In reality, based on your occupation you are probably represented by a lobbyist or a political action committee that is giving money to politicians ostensibly on your behalf.  This link will give you an alphabetical list of the businesses and organizations in Iowa that employ a lobbyist:  http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=Matt&Service=Lobby.  This link is an alphabetical list of the current political action committees that are active in Iowa at the state level:   http://www.iowa.gov/ethics/lists/list_download/pacs.pdf.

After reviewing either of these lists, it will be clear to you as a young professional that based solely on your occupation you are indeed part of the political process.  If nothing else, you will recognize that some of your money is already being spent on political campaigns or to impact the legislative process and you did not even realize it.  As such, I would encourage you to spend some time looking through these lists.  This information is all a public record and too few people take the time to look through it.

So why should young professionals care about politics?  Remember that elected officials pass the laws and ordinances that have a direct and indirect impact and influence on your businesses, employments, and everyday lives.  Not only are laws and ordinances an issue, but state agencies and departments are able to adopt administrative rules that basically act like laws.  Several of you are in professions in which your employment activities are heavily regulated by laws and rules.  This is the major reason why your professions have lobbyists and political action committees looking out for your interests. 

Not only do you pay federal taxes and state income taxes, but there payroll taxes, property taxes, franchise fees, and local subdivision assessments.  While I am not arguing for or against these “government revenue generators,” you certainly need to be aware of them and how they impact your career.  Some of the most spirited debates in Iowa politics involve tax issues and rightly so.  Clearly it goes without saying that there are various ways in which the imposition of taxes impacts your life as a young professional. 

So short of running for office or otherwise becoming a young professional that is employed in the world of politics (and I would encourage you all to do those things), what should you be doing?  Read up and familiarize yourself on the issues.  There are plenty of social media opportunities that give you quick access to information.  It is amazing how much knowledge you can capture from a couple of blogs or who you follow on Twitter.      

Get to know people in government and politics.  Remember that they have strict ethics laws including limitations on people able to accept gifts, including free meals, but there are opportunities to interact with them.  Let them know your feelings as a young professional on the issues and how you are impacted.  I believe you will be amazed at how easy it is to access politicians and government officials in Iowa.  I believe you will be even more amazed at how much Iowa’s politicians and government officials appreciate receiving your input.

So as you can see, no matter what your current interests, politics does have an impact on you as a young professional and it is crucial for young professionals to pay attention to political issues.  Brush up on the issues, learn who the players are, and make your voice heard.  It will pay dividends throughout your career. 

Believe in Yourself

Suku Radia
CEO and President
Bankers Trust

My first piece of advice to any young professional who is new to Des Moines is to “believe in yourself.”  If you don’t possess self-confidence, it will show and you will impede not only your career, but you will also have difficulty becoming connected in the community.

Doing everything with the utmost integrity is a given.  Good oral and written communication skills are also as important simply because they enhance your ability both from a career and a social standpoint.  These skills will do wonders for your self-confidence.

When I think about networking and how it has affected my professional life, the first thing that comes to mind is that we live in an absolutely wonderful region of the country where senior leaders are very approachable.  I always encourage young professionals to embark on a journey of networking very early in their careers because this will open many new doors both professionally and socially.  Networking through volunteerism is one of the easiest ways to become connected.  Likewise, developing a sense of curiosity is important so you are not afraid of asking questions. Quite often, young folks are afraid there will be a void in the conversation.  You need to work hard on developing a set of questions which will ensure the conversations are more productive.

As I reflect upon my career, if I had to do just one thing over again, I would have been more selective with which organizations I became involved.  I have overdone it and I have learned the hard way.  I should have said, “no” more often.  While it is good to give back, I believe I have paid much more than my fair share of civic rent.  Fortunately, I have managed to get by on a lot less sleep than most individuals but I am not sure that is a good thing.

Young professionals have a superb opportunity of impacting the community on a number of fronts.  For example, as we think about how well Des Moines has been ranked nationally on a number of attributes; young professionals can enjoy the benefits of the following:

• Our human services organizations are outstanding.  Those people who are in need can always use volunteer help from our young professionals and those opportunities are available every single day.  Furthermore, it feels good to be able to help those who truly need our help.
• Our cultural and arts amenities are always looking for young blood to perpetuate their board of directors.  This is a great leadership opportunity and becoming involved with these organizations is very fulfilling.
• Young professionals can also become involved in mentoring programs relatively early in their careers.  For example, there are organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters which provide tremendous mentoring opportunities. 

Do For Two Years...



Adam Carroll
Author, Financial Educator,
Business Owner


One of the pieces of advice I’m fond of giving is do for two years what most people won’t do, and you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life what most people can’t do. 

It sort of begs two questions:

        1.  What won’t most people do?

        2.  What can’t most people do?

Answering the first question takes a little more explanation than the second, so I’m going to take them out of order.  It doesn’t take much brainstorming to make a detailed list of the things that most people can’t do.

They can’t --

take extended vacations, take lots of time off, spend serious quality time without being distracted by money, work, the to-do list, etc., do everything they want in life while they’re still young enough to enjoy it, drive their dream vehicle, invest for the future, own their home outright, own vacation homes, get to visit vacation homes, start a business, financially help their neighbors, church, or family.  The list could go on and on...

The bottom line is that the majority of things that people can’t do are almost entirely related to their ability to pay for these “luxuries” without it seriously affecting their lifestyle.  However, by answering the first question -- “what won’t most people do?” we can uncover what it takes to make nearly all of the items on the above list possible.

So, what won’t most people do?

To put it simply, they won’t live on less.  Parkinsons Law states that our expenses will generally rise to meet income.  For most Americans, this is true.  If we made $50,000 last year and will make $60,000 this year, our expenses will somehow work their way up to the $60,000 mark (if not higher). 

Living on less requires working with a spending plan and sticking to it.  It requires one of those things that everyone struggles with -- delayed gratification.  I often tell people in my programs -- “you can have everything you want in life, you just can’t have it right now.”

People won’t drive a less-than brand new car when it makes little financial sense to finance a vehicle for 7 years that depreciates 30% when you drive it off the lot.

People won’t save first and spend last.  They do the exact opposite and then wonder why they have no money in the bank when they need it.

Listen, I’m a huge fan of living the lifestyle you were meant to live.  I believe it wholeheartedly.  That being said, I’m not a fan of living that lifestyle for a year and then being so completely upside down with your finances that everyday is a struggle.

Just think about what you’re willing to do for two years, and then knock it out.  You’ll be amazed what most people can’t do, all the while you’re doing it.

Other things you can do for two years:

1.  Live with a roommate (or multiple roommates) to save money on expenses to pay down debt. 

2.  Drive the same car you’ve been driving for the past several years.  Trust me, the new car smell smells all the sweeter when there’s no payments.

3.  Work a second job somewhere that’s fun and rewarding.  Use that money to payoff/paydown debt faster. 

4.  Make taking your lunch a habit and going out for lunch a treat.  OR, eat lunch at home everyday and spend your lunch hour imagining what it will be like to be completely debt free.

5.  No movie buying -- only renting from redbox or netflix.

6.  See if you can buy almost everything you need (outside of food and clothing) from Craigslist.  Slightly used!

7.  When you eat out, eat with a coupon -- You’ll easily save $15 with buy one get one offers.  Put that money towards your debt load.

The reason most recent graduates are broke from go is they are over leveraged on the debt side.  They borrow money at a break-neck speed for four years (or more) and then sit back and accept the fact that they have 10-15 years to pay them back.  Instead, be the person that “does for two years what no one else will do” and live the life you’ve imagined!

2013 New View Blog

The New View Blog is changing and starting January 1st, 2013 we're revamping the way it is presented in hopes of providing better content.  Content you, as Young Professionals, might actually like to read.  The 2013 Blog will consist of weekly guest blogs updating each Monday morning.  These blogs will feature CEOs and Presidents of local companies, politicians, foodies, YPs, start up founders, non-profit leaders, fashion experts, and more.  The blog will be an ever changing environment so feel free to leave your ideas and thoughts in the comments section regarding topics, bloggers you'd like to hear from, or whatever else might be on your mind.  While we can't promise to fill every request we'll do our best to accommodate as many as we can.  And if you're enjoying what you find please tell you friends and coworkers!  The more people we can reach the better. 


We look forward to making 2013 the best year New View has had.  If you're already involved, keep involved!  If you're not involved and want to be, message us and we'll get you details.  Check us out on Facebook for even more information on our events and what we're about.  Thanks for stopping by!

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