Guard Your Gates

THE BLOG

Category: Civil Rights

  • Swimming with the Sharks!

    How to Swim with the Sharks (Without Becoming Lunch) By Rod Patterson, MBA Let’s be honest—business isn’t a kiddie pool. It’s open water. And some of the folks in it? Sharks, killer whales, and piranhas! But if you’re going to swim with the sharks, you’d better know how to navigate without losing a limb, or

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  • Staying Focused

    Staying Focused at Work When the World Feels Like a RollercoasterBy Rod Patterson, MBA Trying to focus at work when the world feels like it’s spinning out of control is like attempting to read a book in the middle of a hurricane. The constant buzz of political drama, social media arguments, and breaking news can

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  • Irresistible Leadership: The Power of Presence Over Position

    Irresistible Leadership: The Power of Presence Over Position By Rod Patterson, MBA What Makes Leadership Irresistible? When I speak of irresistibility, I often begin with my role as a husband—devoted for the past 34 years to making myself irresistible to my Queen. That same intentionality has shaped how I show up as a father, and

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  • Get up!

    Hitting the ground after a fall is painful, especially in public!  Has that ever happened to you?  It happens to us all. Whether it’s a literal fall or a fall from grace, it can be painful and embarrassing. Your instincts tell you to get up. The pain tells you to stay down. In that moment,

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  • HEADWINDS

    By Rod Patterson, MBA There is no doubt that the movement to make the corporate playing field more diverse has an uphill climb in the coming years. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” he shared an exchange he had on a flight from the United

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  • SURVIVE THE MOMENT

    Your life can change in a moment. There are times when your very survival depends on what you do in that moment. Thanksgiving is normally a wonderful time for our family to get together. This past Thanksgiving reminded me of a time about a decade ago when my life could have been turned upside down.

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