The Business Record is proud to once again produce one of our most popular events and publications: 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes. 

Nine Iowa leaders will share 10 of their best ideas – both big and small – that can be applied to any organization in our upcoming 90 Ideas magazine. At the event, the leaders will present their top ideas in a fast-paced and fun discussion.

Event details
Date: Sept. 26
Time: 9 to 11 a.m. (networking from 9 to 9:30 a.m.)
Location: Des Moines Heritage Center, 120 E. Fifth St., Des Moines
Register at businessrecord.com/events. 

You’ll be able to find videos of each speaker and view the entire publication shortly after the Sept. 26 event at businessrecord.com/90ideas. Below is a sneak peek of an idea from each of our speakers. 

– Emily Barske Wood, Business Record special projects editor

Cameron Nicholson, president and CEO, YMCA of Greater Des Moines

Become comfortable with ambiguity

One positive to come from the 2020 pandemic was our collective comfort with ambiguity. Being able to pivot our organizations quickly, with very little information or understanding of the situation, helped leaders and their teams lead and manage through uncertainty. Workers were reminded of the importance of remaining calm and objective when under pressure or when challenged by others. We valued the benefits and significance of differing stakeholder perspectives or ambiguous information when making decisions. During those challenging days, those that were successful were able to recognize their own biases and suspend judgmental thinking to improvise quickly and appropriately. Let’s not lose that muscle memory! 

–

Alejandro Hernandez, dean, Zimpleman College of Business at Drake University

Own your narrative

I encourage people to actively own their narrative — intentionally and proudly sharing who they are in words and actions — otherwise their story will be told for them (and often poorly). A powerful approach to framing what defines you is to document the key relationships and events in your life and the values that they have given you. This is particularly important for people who, because of their dimensions of diversity, are often generalized by others. These generalizations can quickly veer into stereotypes, and the result is that respect for individual identity is lost.

–

Dr. Adreain Henry, president, Mercy College of Health Sciences

Character

My dad often told us, “Your name will go further than you ever will.” He meant that your character defines who you truly are, so make good choices to protect your reputation. If character defines who I am, then I can say I rent my job title but own my character. How can a leader exemplify strong character? By leading by example and consistently displaying honesty, accountability and respect in all interactions. Additionally, setting a standard of integrity and ethical behavior encourages your team to act with character. 

–

Abi Reiland, president of commercial real estate, Sara Hopkins Real Estate Team (REMAX Precision Urban Office) | owner, 80.35 Wellness

People are like puzzle pieces

Puzzles take time. Some are complex and obscure, while others are simple and obvious. Sometimes a piece appears to be the right fit, but in an attempt to place it you realize it’s a little off and you’d have to force it (and in doing so, you might ruin the puzzle piece). People are no different. Teams can be challenging. They can take time to put together and sometimes require rearranging. But if you’re patient and focused on the big picture, it will come together for something great. Navigate a quick weekly inventory of your people; be sure individuals fit with the big picture, exhibit patience in getting employee placement just right, and avoid forcing a fit.

–

Connie Boesen, mayor, city of Des Moines

Seek common ground — learn the value of compromise

I’m not sure when the word “compromise” became a dirty word, but it needs to stop. When you think about it, life is pretty much one constant “push and pull,” and compromise is what carries the day. However, for it to work, it requires us to place ourselves in the position of others — of understanding why a staff member, neighborhood leader or resident feels a certain way — and then determining what we can do about it. We must be willing to have honest dialogue even when we do not agree.

–

Erlin Kakkanad, director, operation excellence, Principal Financial Group

Hedonic treadmill 

The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a baseline level of happiness. Humans are constantly running toward endless goals and focus their efforts on finding the next big thing to feed the desires of hedonic feelings motivated by achieving more — money, power, pleasure and fame. But after the experience of peak hedonic happiness, our feelings come back to a baseline. 

–

John Jackovin, executive director, BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator

AI is amazing, but it’s not taking your job — anytime soon

I know there’s a ton of talk about artificial intelligence replacing people, but we are at the beginning of this marathon. It is still not great in a number of ways and has a long way to go to start eliminating the need for people. I think over the next 10 years, AI will help us be more productive, but you won’t lose your job to AI. You will lose your job to someone who is effectively using AI.

–

April Schmaltz, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Iowa

Prioritize yourself

You need to take care of yourself before you can effectively help others. I don’t think leaders talk enough about how important self-care is to maintaining your energy and a clear mind at work. A Deloitte study reported that 82% of CEOs have experienced exhaustion. Stop your path to burnout by taking time for yourself each day — schedule it on your calendar like an important meeting — and do something just for you. I like to start my day with some type of exercise, quiet time or simply reading. When we prioritize taking care of ourselves, we set a positive example for our team members — promoting a culture where well-being is valued. Ultimately, by taking care of yourself first, you’re better equipped to support and lead others toward achieving collective goals.

–

B.J. Windhorst, business owner | coach

Establish clear expectations

Is your team clear on your vision and expectations for success? If you asked them, “What is our mission? How do we operate here?” — what do you think they would say? Would everyone say the same thing? Making sure everyone is on the same page for what you expect and want in your culture and your day-to-day is crucial to so many elements of running a successful business or program.