pillars of abundance
DESCRIPTION
Acceptance Remarks given by Joseph D. Johnson, 2014 Business Person of the Year, Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, CATRANSCRIPT
Pillars of
Abundance
Acceptance Remarks
Joseph D. Johnson
2 0 1 4 B u s i n e s s P e r s o n o f t h e Y e a r A w a r d e e
Presented by:
Black Chamber of Commerce
of Orange County
30th
Anniversary Gala: August 21, 2014
City National Grove of Anaheim, California
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................... 1
Acceptance Remarks .................................................................... 4
The Telein Group, Inc. ................................................................ 11
About the Author ........................................................................ 13
1 | P i l la rs o f Abun dan ce
Introduction “To whom much is given, much is required”
ood evening! I am proud to present the 2014 Business Person
of the Year Award, given to recognize the Black Chamber of
Commerce member who has demonstrated strong business
leadership while showing involvement in the African American
and minority communities.
Additionally, the awardee has had a
multi-faceted positive, motivating
effect in Orange County that
exemplifies the character the Chamber
wants to showcase on its 30th
anniversary.
G
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 2
I am proud to announce the Awardee is Joseph David Johnson.
Joe is the President and CEO of The Telein Group, Inc., which he founded
in 1988. Joe’s life of service to community began as the youngest of 12
preacher’s kids in Southeast, Missouri in segregated times, yet nourished
by a strong black community of businesses, teachers, neighbors, church
folks, friends and family.
Joe came of age during the civil rights era and was among the
generation of “firsts” in all areas of society: first to integrate the local high
school, first to lead an all-white military intelligence unit, first in
corporate America to develop expertise and begin to have influence on
decisions about African American and all employees and the
communities in which the companies worked. Ultimately, before starting
Telein, Joe rose to be one of the youngest vice presidents at Xerox
Corporation and, along with another small group of other African
American male “firsts,” to have the ear of the CEO, David Kearns.
Joe earned a bachelor’s and a
master’s degree in Education
from Historically Black College,
Lincoln University in Jefferson
City, Missouri, where he met his
wife, Julie, on the first day of
freshman orientation.
Joe often reflects that he has never taught in a classroom. To Joe, I say:
“The world has been your classroom, teaching and mentoring all around
you, offering your time, your finances, your expertise, your relationships,
your ears, your advice, and, most of all, your heart. And, creating a
business 26 years strong that teaches and mentors CEOs, executives and
teams around the world to lead and work together for amazingly
abundant results!”
3 | P i l la rs o f Abun dan ce
Joe, you exemplify this award by the motto that guides you: “To whom
much is given, much is required.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Joseph David Johnson, the
Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce 2014 Business Person of the
Year Awardee. Julie, would you please join Joe.
Joe, the Chamber presents you the
newly-released in March 2014, 15th
in the Distinguished Americans
Series stamp: Tuskegee Airman, C.
Alfred “Chief” Anderson, the
pioneer and father of black
aviation. He was the first African
American to hold a private pilot’s
license in 1929, and to hold a
commercial and instructor’s license
in 1932. “Chief,” as he was
affectionately called, was a mentor, teacher, and the chief flight instructor
to the Tuskegee airmen, retiring at the young age of 84.
Ladies and gentlemen, I encourage you to read about the “Chief.” His is a
story that used flight to increase awareness and humanity about African
Americans around the world, and to increase confidence in the African
American community, especially the youth, about the possibilities and
opportunities available to them in the world.
Congratulations Joe!
Introduction remarks given by Raquel B. Brown, Co-Founding Partner
& Chief Operating Officer, The Telein Group, Inc.
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 4
Acceptance
Remarks ow, I’ve been hearing words like ‘short’ and ‘brief,’ and so, I
brought a brief. They did say I was a preacher’s son, you
remember.
I won’t take much time, but I do want to share something about my
philosophy, which I hope will be beneficial to everyone, and perhaps
particularly to the young people here tonight.
First, I'm humbled and grateful to the Orange County Black Chamber of
Commerce for the great honor of being named The Business Person of
the Year for 2014. I'm also grateful to, and very impressed by, Bobby
MacDonald, for his important work in founding and leading this
organization on behalf of our community over the past 30 years.
I want to say congratulations to the young people here who have
received recognition for starting something that’s so important, and that
is learning. I also want to congratulate the awardee before me and those
N
5 | P i l la rs o f Abun dan ce
who are coming after me. It’s indeed an honor to be here.
As I accept this award, I want to give all glory and honor to God, for it is
by His gracious, patient and loving hand that I have been placed on this
path, at this moment in time; and it is by His guidance that I've been able
to add value to His world, and by His favor that I have done anything to
merit this recognition. His world, His favor.
I'd like to thank my beautiful wife of 46 years, Julie, who’s at my side
tonight, as she has been since we met at Lincoln University on the first
day of freshman orientation in 1964. And ever since that day, she fell
head over heels.
I'd like to thank our daughters, Joy & Joelle, who are my true pride and
joy, because they have been the impetus for many lessons that I’ve
learned. I’m telling you, I’ve had to become a much wiser man to parent
these two bright, energetic, talented, feisty, stubborn, strong-willed,
often-challenging (did I say stubborn?), beautiful young ladies.
I'd like to thank my immediate family members, a number of whom are in
the audience tonight. I thank my precious parents, Archie & Curley
Johnson, who have gone on to heaven. As the youngest of 12, I thank
my 11 older siblings, 6 who have gone on before me, and 5 who remain;
all of whom have been sources of steadfast encouragement and deep
wisdom.
I want to thank my team at The Telein Group: Lois Barrett, Hugo
Martinez, and Belem Rangel Villaseñor (Belem is the one who’s been
calling you and making sure that you’re all here tonight), for their true
commitment and critical role in my receiving this honor tonight.
And, I particularly want to thank Raquel Brown, the lady who introduced
me, who co-founded Telein with me more than 26 years ago, because
without her it simply would not be possible. Raquel has tirelessly and
continuously given her brilliant mind and incredible capacity to bring to
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 6
reality my Vision of adding true value to leaders, teams and organizations
the world over.
I thank my Telein Partners from days gone by, and I’m pleased that some
are here tonight: Eleanor Tomlin, Pattie Hall, Pamela McCreight, Yvette
Powell, Darryl Grayson, Byron Jones, Carla Williams-Wilson, Joy Johnson
and Marvin Stewart.
I simply wouldn't be standing here tonight without each of my Partners,
present and past, not to mention future, so please give them all a round
of applause.
Finally, I thank every single one of my friends and associates who are
here tonight, because in all honesty, I can look at each of you and think
of something you’ve done that played a really positive role in my life.
In fact, my relationships with each of you are precious to me precisely
because I believe that relationships are one of four pillars that undergird
bringing me this honor tonight, and are necessary for each of us to build
the truly abundant life and impact we desire.
The Telein Team, from left: Hugo Martinez, Lois Barrett, Joseph Johnson,
Belem Rangel Villaseñor, Raquel Brown.
7 | P i l la rs o f Abun dan ce
I want to share four pillars upon which I've attempted to build my
Lifework and which have brought me to this platform tonight, which I
believe have and will increasingly continue to lead me toward God’s plan
for my life, and are pillars for abundance for each of us.
The first pillar for creating an abundant Lifework for yourself is your
ATTITUDE. In fact, there are three keys to success: The first one is
attitude. The second one is attitude. And the third one is – you guessed
it – attitude.
Always keep a positive attitude. See the bright side of every situation,
the good in every person. Say "Yes, I can and yes, I will" whenever
possible. Smile all the time. It's hard to be negative with a smile on your
face. A smile on the outside tricks negativity on the inside into thinking
all is well. Which, in reality, it is.
The second pillar is GRATITUDE. Decide that you will be perpetually and
relentlessly grateful. Know that life itself is a gift, and if you wake up in
the morning and look at your toe, and there isn’t a tag on it, you should
be grateful.
Every single thing that happens to you is a gift, for your benefit, for your
learning, carrying you in the ultimate direction of your purpose and
abundance. When something happens that you like, know that it really is
a gift, accept it and be grateful for it.
When something happens that you don't like or don't understand, know
that it, too, is a gift. Accept it and be grateful for it. Look at that difficult
situation from another angle until you find a blessing in it, and be
grateful for the blessing. Determine that you will be grateful, no matter
what. You can't be grateful and miserable at the same time, so be
grateful.
Now, the third pillar is PURPOSE. Have a why for every what in your life,
have a reason you do the things you do. Think about where you want to
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 8
go, what you want to create with your life, who and how and where you
want to serve the world. Think about who you are and what your gifts,
experiences, beliefs and values are, and about what these things point
you toward.
When you have goals, know the why, or the purpose, of the goal. Why
do you want to start a business, why do you want marriage, why do you
want that job, why do you want to be a millionaire? Because when you
have a why you can endure almost any what.
Remember, goals are for you, but your purpose is for someone else.
Purpose is meant to serve others. God put us on this earth for a purpose:
to serve someone else.
The fourth pillar is RELATIONSHIPS. When you have a clear purpose for
your life and are moving in that direction, every relationship along the
way contributes to and multiplies your efforts towards your purpose. And
every interaction with another person gives you an opportunity to
multiply someone else's efforts towards their purpose.
We are really all connected, we’re not separate. This universe is one great
creation, and we are each just a part of it, meant to operate in harmony
and unity toward a bigger purpose.
When we lean into relationships, lean into our connection with all other
individuals, with a positive attitude, with gratitude and with a knowledge
of our purpose, we increase the impact of our actions, and we multiply
the abundance of the result.
Purpose without relationships will accomplish nothing. Purpose with
relationships can change the world.
Again, I’m grateful to each of you for the role you’ve played in my
lifework; in my desire to add value to leaders and organizations around
the world, which I believe is my purpose; in my abundant past, my
9 | P i l la rs o f Abun dan ce
abundant present and my abundant future.
Now, there’s something I want you to write down and I’ll see if Pastor Ed
Smith, who is here tonight from Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier, will
agree. Here it is: “The place God calls you to is where your unique
self, your deep gladness, and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
So, if you want to know what to do with your life, what your purpose is,
look first at your unique self – your personality, your gifts, your
experiences. Then, think about your deep gladness – the thing that burns
in you, that you love to do and can do for hours, and would do without
pay if you could. Your passion.
What is the lesson? Pay attention. Pay attention to yourself and know
who you are.
And the world’s deep hunger. Listen – the world needs you, the world is
hungering for what you have to bring.
So know your unique self, know your deep gladness, and find where the
world has an empty place for you to fill, because that is the place to
which God is calling you.
Again, thank you so very much to the Chamber for this honor and to
everyone here tonight. I’m grateful and hopeful that I have and will
continue to add value to each of you, as you pursue your purpose with a
positive attitude, with relentless gratitude, cultivating many
relationships, and finding the unlimited abundance that awaits you.
Thank you.
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 10
Grateful to Celebrate
with Family and Friends
1 1 | P i l la rs of Abu nd an ce
The Telein Group, Inc.
“We are globally admired for the value we add
to our clients, suppliers, communities & ourselves.
Our work spans industries, governments,
communities and continents.”
Founded in 1988, we have worked on five continents advising
CEOs, executives and teams to lead and work together to
achieve abundant breakthrough performance and results.
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 12
The Telein Group, Inc. – Our Work: The core beliefs that undergird all that we do can be summed up
by the following seven principles:
There is the Possibility of Abundance We are all sources of limitless and abundant possibilities.
There is Power in Integration Everything in the world is part of a unified, connected whole system.
There is Power in People The human spirit is unmatched and infinite when it is inspired, integrated and
unleashed.
There is Power in Spirit A spirit of love is a prerequisite for abundance.
There is Power in Vision Purpose and passion inspires, tying the smallest of actions to the biggest of
dreams.
There is Power in Process The pathway to sustainable, abundant performance is only possible with process.
There is Power in Dialogue Whatever the question, the answer is dialogue.
Our work is with leaders/organizations, whose beliefs are consistent with ours,
and who believe in and desire to pursue
“THE POSSIBILITY OF ABUNDANCE”
by harnessing the power and momentum of INTEGRATION,
engaging all the PEOPLE,
nurturing a positive, collaborative SPIRIT,
sharing an inspiring and comprehensive VISION,
using the clarity and discipline of PROCESS,
and involving, informing and re-creating through DIALOGUE.
1 3 | P i l la rs of Abu nd an ce
About the
Author Joseph David Johnson, a native of
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, has spent
his life focusing his talents,
resources and time toward service
to humanity, which he believes is
his purpose.
He is founder and visionary
President, CEO of The Telein
Group, Inc., and is passionate about
adding value to other leaders
through his observation, education
and advice on personal and
organizational effectiveness. Joe is recognized nationally and
internationally for his wisdom and ability to convey his deep
understanding of how organizations can be effectively led to
change. He is a confidant and trusted guide to leaders at all
levels as they work through transition issues which are integral
to leadership development. He recently lived in South Africa
Th e Te le in Grou p , In c . | 14
working with the CEO of the country’s electricity utility
company. He is humbled by the opportunity he had to
contribute to the development of the adolescent democracy.
His firm has worked with clients on five continents serving as
advisors to leaders choosing to increase their personal
effectiveness and to have a visionary and profound impact on
their teams and organizations. This year Joe’s firm is blessed
to celebrate twenty-six years in business.
Prior to founding Telein, Joe had a successful career in
business spanning twenty years. He is a former Group Vice
President of Personnel and Organization at Xerox Corporation,
and was among the youngest employees to have been promoted
to that level.
Before joining Xerox, he held Human Resources staff and
management positions with General Mills, Inc., Dayton-
Hudson Corporation and International Multifoods, Inc. He also
served as an officer in Military Intelligence for the United
States Army.
Joe is an active sponsor of many business, community,
educational and spiritual organizations. He is a life member of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Lincoln University National
Alumni Association and the NAACP, and a member of The
100 Black Men of America, Inc.
Joe is the recipient of numerous professional, community and
educational awards, the most notable of which are: Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Distinguished Alumni Award
(NAFEO); Outstanding Alumni Service Award (Lincoln
University); Award of Community Betterment (Mayor of Los
Angeles, Tom L. Bradley), and the Business Person of the Year
(Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County). He is listed
in Who’s Who Among Black Americans, Who’s Who in
California, and Outstanding Young Men in America,
1 5 | P i l la rs of Abu nd an ce
Joe holds an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, a Master of Science
in Education Administration and a Bachelor of Science in
Education from historically black college, Lincoln University
in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Joe is married to Julie Hamilton Johnson, who he met at
Lincoln University. She
is a retired elementary
school teacher. Joe and
Julie are tireless in their
involvement with Lincoln
University and many
other historically black
colleges and universities.
They are most grateful and proud of their commitment to reach
back and help students. In 1993, they established the Joseph
and Julie Johnson Aspiring Educator Endowment Fund to
provide scholarships and financial assistance to aid Lincoln
University in its efforts to continue attracting a diverse student
body from Central and Southeast Missouri, as well as the
global diaspora.
Joe and Julie reside in Southern California and are the parents
of two adult daughters, Joy, a radio personality in Dallas, Texas
and Joelle, a third grade teacher in St. Augustine, FL.
Pillars of Abundance © 2015 The Telein Group, Inc.
Second Edition: April 2015
Please feel free to reproduce any part; however, we appreciate credit being given to The Telein Group, Inc.
Contact us for information about Telein’s leadership and team workshops,
products and services:
001-714-952-4444 • www.telein.com • [email protected]