Impact Is Everything

Impact is a huge part of African-American culture.

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From the days of the slave trade, when different African tribes, nations, and people were mashed together into one group in the United States of America and throughout the Americas, we started a new story.

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Part of our story was impact.

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Surviving the middle passage in ungodly conditions. Impact.

Staying mentally sound and alive on horrific plantations. Impact.?

Getting free and freeing other Black people from slavery. Impact.

Working together communally due to segregation. Impact.

Fighting to end segregation. Impact.

Battling for civil rights. Impact.

Making it through the crack epidemic. Impact.

Breaking into the corporate business world. Impact.

Landing in C-suite roles, starting VC funds, getting paid board seats. Impact.

Something bigger than money has always driven us forward.?

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It is our story, knowing that to be Black, is to contribute to a larger communal narrative of our freedom. Although fraught with pain, the opportunity each of us has to advance the positive direction of this story is not only our responsibility but also a birthright of belonging, purpose, and meaning.

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Our story has been one of struggle, triumph, and impact.

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In fact, our story and leadership as African-Americans are known by people around the world as one of the most profound and moving modern narratives for human freedom.

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If you are a Black man reading this newsletter, you probably care deeply about impact, too.

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However, while you’re working as an SVP, sitting on a board, donating regularly to your church, leading your family, and traveling internationally, you may still be missing something in your professional life.

You may still be missing the impact.

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I’m very fortunate because of the work that I do.

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I get to speak with brothers every day and help them maximize the impact they have on the lives of others through their work.

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I’ll give you a million dollars worth of game in three easy steps.

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1. The first step is to complete your impact statement. In one sentence, how do they want to impact the lives of other people, animals, or the planet?through your work?
2. Start telling your executive sponsor, mentor, or even manager about your impact statement in a casual way. Also, share it with the recruiter and hiring manager you meet with when looking for their next job to ensure the company is a value fit.
3. Leverage the steps above to land promotions, new jobs, and new businesses that allow you to carry out your impact statement in bigger ways while experiencing a greater sense of accomplishment.

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Don't you think this applies to you?

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Let me show you how it works.

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You can be a senior director at a non-sexy business like Big-O-Tires and simply do it for the money. Or, you can go into every meeting and conversation with the idea that your products are making happy memories for families on road trips and giving fathers the tools they need to get home safely and lead their families.

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By the way, those types of impact statements, or what Simon Sinek calls your "why," are powerful ways to transform yourself from a repugnant corporate beggar or lukewarm commodity hire to a highly desirable specialist during your upcoming job interviews and promotion cycles.

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One brother I worked with was a vice president in the hospitality industry. He realized that a $700,000 base salary wasn't what he really wanted. Instead, he wanted to help his coworkers grow so that they could live fuller lives.

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Another brother I work with, who has already run a seven-figure educational contracting business, wants to transform the lives of younger educational consultants of color by showing them how to land multi-million dollar educational contracts instead of failing to reach the students who need to see leaders who look like them in order to succeed.

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Another brother’s family was torn apart when his grandmother died for financial reasons. With the goal of keeping Black families united for generations to come, he began selling life insurance in the Black community so that they had the resources when their primary breadwinner passed away.

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In each of these cases, helping these men figure out their impact statements put them squarely in their own territories, made them very careful about what steps to take next, and helped them understand what drove them and what success really meant.

Whatever it is, impact is incredibly important. Changing the lives of others is the "feel-good" currency that makes you feel truly good inside. If you’re anything like me or the majority of brothers I work with, you won’t feel good until you dig deep, understand the exact impact that you uniquely want to make on other people’s lives, and fulfill it through your professional life.

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Black men in senior leadership should have a professional development budget of $10,000-$50,000 annually if they are serious about reaching their full potential. This includes executive coaching, mental health, advanced education, professional associations, conference fees, and other experts.

Executive coaching is one of the best investments Black men in executive roles can make to increase their seniority, multiply their income, increase their work-life balance, and land paid board seats in a relatively short amount of time.

Black men in senior leadership roles, contact me today for your free consultation for executive coaching at www.blackexecutivemen.com.

Jewel Edward Love, Jr.

Executive Coach, Black Executive Men