ICT Today

January/February/March 2021 I 5 From the President, Todd W. Taylor, RCDD, OSP, NTS During the holiday season and when ringing in the New Year, there are many expressions of thought- fulness in holiday cards, texts, emails, and phone calls, inherently meant for family and friends. So, how can we incorporate this within corporations and organizations? According to Ivo Nelson, who was a keynote speaker at the BICSI Fall 2020 Virtual Conference, this is not a concept often used in the business world. In his book, The 10 Principles of a Love Based Culture, Ivo recounts how he propelled the world's largest privately held health- care technology firm and cultivated it into a love-based culture. His company, Healthlink, enjoyed a 13-year streak of 100 percent positive customer referrals and became a KLAS #1 ranked consulting firm. In his keynote introduction, he recalls meeting a young man about 15 years ago who had called him one day in search of wisdom. Flying through Houston, the young man arranged to meet for a couple of hours. After the meeting, Ivo knew that the man would someday become a CEO and a great leader. Love-based leaders are introspective, self-analyzing, and humble enough to improve themselves continuously. Ivo's presentation focused on three main points that tie into the 10 principles of a love-based culture: Purpose, Core Values, and Excellence. I apply these major points to my observations at BICSI. Purpose—A corporation or organization should have a stated purpose beyond profits. Ivo asserts, "Nothing bonds people together more than striving toward a noble cause or an aspirational goal. People want to have a purpose beyond earning their paychecks." I believe that explains why I witness many selfless BICSI members volunteer their precious time tirelessly serving on committees, running for the Board of Directors, mentoring new ICT designers, sponsoring BICSI Cares and much more in support of BICSI's purpose (mission) statement—Advancing the information and commu- nications technology (ICT) profession. By supporting this statement, BICSI employees and members help us to realize the BICSI vision as the preeminent ICT resource for the Connected World. Core Values—A well balanced culture begins at the top through leadership that puts others first. This, along with purpose, leads to an increase in employees' happiness, thereby improving retention. Ivo cites an instance that exemplifies how love-based leaders can show the core values they want in their companies or organizations. When Ivo was CEO, he and other executives were flying back from an event with their sales and marketing teams. He and the executives had accumulated many frequent mile perks that gave them First Class seating. They gave their seats to their employees. By instilling this type of core value, employees do the same type of kindnesses for others. At BICSI, we see core values drive leaders to mentor others, ICT technicians and installers risking their lives as essential workers in the pandemic, and the list goes on. Excellence—Excellence in service by identifying problems quickly and working with dissatisfied members or customers should be one of the main priorities of any association or business. Customer satisfaction facilitates growth and confidence faster than any well thought out marketing plan. At BICSI, it is our goal that 100 percent of our members are completely satisfied, as they are the lifeblood of our organization. I am concluding this message by extending our warmest gratitude to Chris Scharrer who has served on ICT Today's Editorial Review Board for eight long years. Chris instilled the vision for ICT Today's vendor- neutrality and high technical quality that distinguishes it from other ICT and data center publications. He passes the torch to Betty Bezos. And the young man in Ivo's keynote introduction? He is BICSI's executive director and CEO, John H. Daniels. Happy New Year! Be Safe. Be Strong. Be Strategic. Creating a Better Culture Through Thoughtful-Based Leadership

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