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thinkCSC community involvement Archives - thinkCSC

Jul 09
0

I Know I Can Makes a Difference for Columbus

By | Community Involvement, thinkCSC Leadership Series | No Comments

by Tom Hastings

iknowicanA few weeks ago, I visited a local elementary school and spent time reading to a second-grade class. The book I read to them was entitled “I Know I Can,” published by the Columbus organization by the same name, I Know I Can (IKIC). Reading to elementary kids is the one IKIC initiative targeting younger students; business leaders from around Columbus visit elementary schools to read the I Know I Can book and plant the seed in young minds that they can be whatever they want to be, but they have to work at it to succeed. It is an important program, because it gives young students the opportunity to see people in a variety of different jobs, which inspires them to think of what they could do with their own futures. I’m proud that thinkCSC is one of the supporting businesses working with the organization.

What Is I Know I Can?

I Know I Can is on a mission to inspire, enable and support Columbus students to complete a college education. IKIC works primarily with middle school and high school students. As students enter college, I Know I Can continues to work with them, trying to ensure that they will not only achieve success in the first year of college but that they will see it through until graduation. IKIC works diligently with the students to help them build social and academic capital and an ongoing system of support that will make them more successful.

The I Know I Can Difference

This year is I Know I Can’s 25th anniversary. It is the longest-serving Columbus-based student support organization. Over the past 25 years, IKIC has given Columbus students more than $24 million in grants. In the last eight years, they’ve achieved a 20-percent increase in first-year retention. I Know I Can believes that by supporting the family, they can support college dreams. For the last several years, I Know I Can has granted a Founders Scholarship. This scholarship, up to $10,000 per year for four years. Curretly, IKIC has 40 Founders’ Scholars, all are enrolled full-time.

Why thinkCSC Supports I Know I Can

Members of the business community provide the model for young students to feed their dreams, and with more than 50,000 students being served by the small staff of I Know I Can, business leaders can volunteer to help in a number of capacities, including providing financial support.

The reason thinkCSC supports I Know I Can is simple: it’s the right thing – and the smart thing – to do. Columbus is stronger when its students are well educated. Businesses need a strong pool of talent from which to build and grow, and I Know I Can is helping to ensure the future of Columbus with their efforts, keeping our community globally competitive.

Aug 05
0

Selflessness Is Strength: Reflections on Leadership

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by Tom Hastings

cpColonel Eric Kail wrote an excellent article about leadership character in The Washington Post. He says, “Selflessness is all about strength, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Weakness, on the other hand, takes the path of least resistance; and as humans, that means being selfish — wanting all the credit and none of the blame. Real strength is measured by what we enable our followers to accomplish through our service to them.”

To be an effective business leader, one must come from the perspective of helping others play to their strengths. The Columbus Partnership enables us to be such leaders. Three strong pillars support the organization: the Columbus Chamber, TechColumbus and Columbus2020. Each pillar is vital to the health of the Columbus business climate.

The Columbus Chamber looks at the business climate in the Central Ohio region holistically and develops programs to encourage companies to stay in the metro. The Columbus Chamber works well with all the other chambers in the surrounding counties in a cooperative effort to retain businesses. They offer professional development events such as speakers and opportunities for members to learn and grow through networking, trade shows, and other opportunities.

TechColumbus encourages small businesses by arranging funds, or putting them in touch with the opportunity to get investment funds. They are always looking for fresh ideas for professional development. TechColumbus partners qualified people with young entrepreneurs to review business plans and goals. They also have many roundtable discussions with business leaders in town. A unique value proposition and a business plan that has sexy elements to it appeals to the leaders associated with TechColumbus.

Columbus2020! is the newest initiative in the Columbus Partnership. Columbus2020!’s focus is to attract business to Columbus from throughout the country and the world. Their staffers travel extensively talking about how great Columbus is as a business location. Over 200 companies are considering relocating here since Columbus2020! started. They do a great job of getting the news out and telling our story. CSC is proud to be an investor with Columbus2020! They have about 160 investors in Columbus2020! ranging from small investors to big companies that cut checks for $100,000.00. Community involvement through Columbus2020! is a win-win all the way around.

Our goal at CSC, partly working through The Columbus Partnership, is to serve our fellow business owners. If I am giving my people all the access, tools & encouragement that they need to succeed, I am being an effective leader. We are excited about the current and future possibilities in Columbus. We invite you to join us!