Candace Klein: Consultant at Property Advisors and President of Mayor Mallory’s Young Professionals Kitchen Cabinet

Candace Klein

Bio: Candace serves as a consultant for economic and community real estate development projects at Property Advisors. She has worked as a lobbyist advocating for children and families with Kentucky and Ohio state legislatures, lobbied for small business with teh Kentucky legislature, directed and led volunteer and agency advocacy efforts and also organized community leaders and executives for advocacy visits to Washington DC. She expects her Juris Doctor from Chase College of Law in 2008.

Candace is very involved in the community. She currently serves as President of Mayor Mallory's Young Professionals Kitchen Cabinet. She is a steering committe member of LEGACY, a founding member of United Way Young Leaders Society and a graduate of Leadership North Kentucky.

FCL: How would you define a leader?
Candace: A leader listens as well as she speaks, takes advice as often (if not more) than she offers it. A leader is thirsty for knowledge, and realizes that,at all times, she still has much to learn.

FCL: Who are your biggest influences as a leader?
Candace: My mother, my peers, and those in the community who I truly respect.

FCL: What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Candace: Knowing that I, in some way, have inspired someone else to become a leader.

FCL: What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Candace: I am bothered most when my intentions are questioned, when a person sees my genuine passion for the community in some way as being selfish.

FCL: What is your biggest challenge as a leader?
Candace: My biggest challenge is maintaining my sense of self while living up to others expectations. I am a free spirit by nature, and sometimes it is difficult not to stifle that.

FCL: Who has impacted you the most in your life as a leader?
Candace: I had significant health problems in 2003, causing me to make some major life decision changes and to alter some future plans. This taught me, however, how short life is and how minor my problems are in the grand scheme. I have learned through this experience not to take myself too seriously, and to live every day as if tomorrow is not guaranteed.

FCL: What are your favorite books and what are you currently reading?
Candace: I admit that I am a big self-help addict. I am currently reading “Appreciative Inquiry” (a gift from a dear friend), and just picked up “From Good to Great” (suggestion from another dear friend). I will forever be a student, and like to learn practical applications for improving my skills and interactions with others.

FCL: What is your vision for business and community leadership in Cincinnati?
Candace: My vision is simple. A friend once told me that our region needs a slammed door. Imagine having an in-depth conversation with someone and suddenly hearing a door slam behind you. You stop and look to see who has entered the room, and if only for a brief moment, you have the chance to change the direction of your conversation. I would like to help slam the door for Cincinnati, to create an initiative, a movement so big that it slams the door on our conversation and, if just for a moment, allows us to change our perception and conversation to one of pride for our community…to one where we feel we are the most competitive region in the world.

FCL: Where do you see yourself five years from today?
Candace: I see myself leading my company (as in-house council and partner) and leading my community through public service of some sort (on the road to Governor of Kentucky in 2027). As long as my daily work is promoting the greater good of our region, I will be happy in whatever position I hold in five years.

Closing remarks (from Herman): Wow! I absolutely love your "slammed door" vision for the city. Max De Pree once said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” Hearing a door slam behind you (for a leader) brings them back to reality when they are lost in the mundane and the ineffective. So, allow me to say "Thank you" for endeavoring to "slam door for Cincinnati". In between, let us continue to be of service to society. Thanks for modeling first class leadership - and good luck on your "Road to the Governor's Mansion" - 2027.

Ernest Britton: Chief Community Officer, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Ernest Britton
Bio: Ernest Britton is a community arts educator with 24 years in the field. Currently, he serves as the Chief Community Officer for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center but spent his first seven year's there as Director of External Affairs. Ernest is responsible for recruitment and retention of 300 volunteers, a six resident performing arts series, a national speakers bureau, monthly community dialogues with local nonprofit partners as well as two national conferences: one on youth and the other on the Underground Railroad. Ernest earned his BA in Arts Management and an MA in Communication. He is an alum of both Eastern Michigan and The Ohio State Universities. He is a native of Cincinnati, an avid raquetball player and the proud father of a 20yo sophmore at Wilmington College in Ohio who plays football for the "Fighting Quakers."

FCL: How would you define a leader?
Ernest: A leader is someone with a vision of what ought to be; the courage to pursue that vision; the intelligence to realize that other’s contributions will make it stronger; and then the perserverance to stay focused on the end goal for the longterm: vision, courage, cooperation and perseverance.

FCL: Who are your biggest influences as a leader?
Ernest: My parents for creating a vision; Ed Rigaud and John Pepper for showing me how you bring others into a vision; My Uncle Samuel Britton for teaching me the perseverance to pursue your dream no matter the risks.

FCL: What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Ernest: The satisfaction of the people I work with. Their sense of accomplishment makes me proud I played a small part.

FCL: What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Ernest: People who don’t trust in the best of one another—always looking for a replacement talent or someone to blame.

FCL: What is your biggest challenge as a leader?
Ernest: Matching talents to needs but when you see their satisfaction in the accomplishment it is more than worth it.

FCL: Who has impacted you the most in your life as a leader?
Ernest: Calvin Day, a Kroger executive who gave me my first job out of college, not because I was qualified but because I was “qualifiable.” I never stopped believing him.

FCL: What are your favorite books and what are you currently reading?
Ernest: Favorite book is Wicked. It’s fun and ultimately speaks to uses of fear vs inspiration in leadership. A current read while a year old is, “It’s my party too” by Christine Todd Whitman.

FCL: What is your vision for business and community leadership in Cincinnati?
Ernest: Finding a way to partner at the beginning of projects instead of just as the end. The Community is often left out of the process until the major decisions are made. We do better at some projects but not as well as we are capable of making happen.

FCL: Where do you see yourself five years from today?
Ernest: Continuing to provide leadership in the areas of community development through Arts & Cultural services.

Closing remarks (from Herman): It's true Ernest, leaders who don't trust each other, or their people, will never accomplish much. Trust is the glue that holds the many facets of leadership together. Without trust it is impossible to accomplish all that leaders are called to do. Leadership expert John Maxwell, in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says, "Trust makes leadership possible. That is the Law of Solid Ground" (pg 58). John points out that a leader must be standing on solid ground with her people before she can influence them. I like to say that trust separates the credible leaders from the frauds. We've seen so many corporate leaders break the Law of Solid Ground over the past couple of years and all have ended up messing up their organizations and people's lives. John concludes this law by saying, "No leader can break trust with his people and expect to keep influencing them. Trust is the foundation of leadership. Violate the Law of Solid Ground and you're through as a leader." (pg 65).

John Keuffer:Executive Director, The Light Foundation and Founder of Teen Response

John Keuffer
Bio:: John is the Executive Director of The Light Foundation and Founder of Teen Response Inc. Through his work at both organizations, he strives to empower young people to reach their highest potential. He is co-host of Cincinnati's first and longest running radio talk show for teens on WCIN 1480AM. John has earned numerous awards, including Top 30 National Social Entrepreneurs by Youth Service America and Top 100 National Social Entrepreneurs by MTV. He motivates an average of 30,000 youth per year and is the author of two books, Dare To Fail Strive to Succeed: 8 Steps for Positive Youth Growth and Ancient Scrolls of Adiel: A Financial Parable of Success. John serves as President of the St. Cecilia Parish Council and is a board member of Friendship Reading Center of Mt. Auburn. He is a member of a number of enterprising initiatives that include the NFL Alumni Cincinnati Chapter and Ohio Association of Child & Youth Care Professionals.

FCL: How would you define a leader?
John: "A leader isn’t based upon a title, quite a few non-executives have more leadership ability than those who have a title. A leader is a person others desire to follow because they exhibit qualities others believe in."

FCL: Who are your biggest influences as a leader?
John: "My father, Parish Pastor, Zig Ziglar and Robert Kiyosaki."

FCL: What gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
John: "I won’t call myself a leader. I am an innovator. I'm willing to go and do things others are not. I am not afraid of failure, in fact, I embrace it as a learning tool for success."

FCL: What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
John: "I dislike dishonesty and disrespect for others time. I prefer people who are direct rather than someone who beats around the bush. The one thing that truly drives me crazy are those people who do not return calls, or respond to emails in a timely manner. This shows a complete disrespect for the other person."

FCL: What is your biggest challenge as a leader?



John: "Maintaining the energy and drive to keep going despite obstacles. Developing a quality team of people who share the same drive, passion and self-motivation needed to succeed."




FCL: Who has impacted you the most in your life as a leader?
John: "Zig Ziglar impact me first. I have been lucky to correspond with him since 1996. Robert Kiyosaki inspired me to start reading again and reading a lot. He also inspired me to look at finances in a completely different way. This motivated me to work with young people to teach them financial literacy skills."

FCL: What are your favorite books and what are you currently reading?
John: "“To Kill A Mockingbird” is my favorite fiction book. I am a big fan of all of the Rich Dad Poor Dad series, as well as all of the Zig Ziglar books. I am currently reading Larry Winget’s book called “Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life.”"

FCL: What is your vision for business and community leadership in Cincinnati?
John: "Cincinnati is really suffering from a lack of a unified leadership and goals. Everything in Cincinnati is sporadic and does not seem to be focused. My vision would be to see a true Economic Development Plan that was incorporate and established by a unified group of leaders."

Closing remarks (from Herman): "Thanks John. I was hooked when you said, "The one thing that truly drives me crazy are those people who do not return calls, or respond to emails in a timely manner." In their critically acclaimed book, The Leadership Challenge, Barry Posner and James Kouzes say that the essence of leadership is credibility. They write, "Leaders must be ever diligent in guarding their credibility ... In any circumstance, credibility is one of the hardest attributes to earn. And it is the most fragile of human qualities. It's earned minute by minute, hour by hour, month by month, year by year. But it can be lost in very short order if not attended to" (pgs 28 -29)."