Jeff Taylor has them up and dancing at the Emerging Leaders October 7 luncheon

Jeff Taylor, Keynote Speaker, ELP Luncheon October 7. More pictures >>

“If you’re going to show up, you might as well run the meeting.”

“If you’re nervous, you’re in the process of learning something.”

These were just two of the pieces of advice from Jeff Taylor, the Bay State entrepreneur (and UMass graduate) who founded the billion dollar job search website Monster.com. He left Monster in 2005 to start a new project called Eons, a web site designed to cater to the millions of Americans aged 55 or older, and, in 2008, he started Tributes.com, a site for obituaries resources.

“We’re here to think about possibilities,” he said. “You have two choices: be insane or be an entrepreneur. When everyone thinks you’re crazy and you still think you have a good idea, you’re an entrepreneur,” he added.  “Nervous excitement, getting the endorphins going, makes the ideas bigger.”

Taylor advised the Emerging Leaders on how to get traction for their ideas, using musicians as an example. Musicians are entrepreneurs, starting small, building momentum, adding more and more elements, he said, and, by the end of his talk, he had the entire audience on its feet, clapping rhythmically, waving arms, and, yes, dancing.

His own career, he explained, has “gone in and around, up and down, not in a straight line.  It doesn’t matter how you do it; you just have to do it.”

Perspective is important.  “The internet has been around for 5000 days. We have changed the world. What will happen in the next 5000 days?,” he asked.  You have to keep your eye on the big picture – in Boston and in each of our lives. 

2009 Fellows Presented to Mayor Menino

Audience listening to Mayor Menino. More pictures>>

Are you a connector? If you’re an active agent, a booster for metropolitan Boston, you may be a connector.  Connectors’ enthusiasm helps to promote the city’s economic assets to the international business community and stimulate interest in the competitive advantages this region offers.  Making connections and energizing young professionals is the goal of a new non-profit organization, Boston World Partnerships by use of its innovative website.

As part of a nine month effort by the Emerging Leaders Program Fellows in the 2009 cohort, eight Fellows presented their ideas for enhancing the website to Mayor Menino and other stakeholders on September 30th. They included Nora Blake, Sodexo; Carolyn Eggert, Children’s Trust Fund; Susie Ikeda, Genzyme; Monica Kachru, NStar; Jason MacFadyen, Visiting Nurses; Mark Michaud, MCCA; Stephen Naso, Sovereign Bank; and Douglas New, Putnam.

The Fellows offered website strategies to raise global awareness of the competitive advantages that Boston offers to growing businesses. BWP’s overarching goal is to strengthen Greater Boston’s economy, expanding the range of opportunities available to all. After research and analysis, our teams of Fellows were able to suggest to the Mayor some ways to make the site even more effective.  BWP has definite potential to help engage young professionals in Greater Boston and enhance our position in the global arena.

Read the Executive Report: Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects in Collaboration with Boston World Partnerships

Voices of the Future: Emerging Leaders

Voices of the Future: Emerging Leaders Authors. More Pictures »

The Center for Collaborative Leadership asked our ELP alumni to write essays about their experiences and their thoughts on leadership. On July 14th, we celebrated the release of Voices of the Future: Emerging Leaders at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Over 70 ELP alumni, fellows, and guests attended the celebration. In addition, over $1,000 was donated by the ELP alumni to sponsor a participant in the non-profit sector for the 2010 cohort.

Authors are from the Center’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and represent the major business, non-profit and governmental organizations in the Greater Boston region. They are: Sandra Bailly, Ron Bell, David Dance, Lisa DeAngelis, Hugh Drummond, Paul Francisco, Armindo Goncalves, David Halbert, Chi Huang, Andrea Hurwitz, Anne Marie Boursiquot King, Georgianna Melendez, Nate Pusey, Michael Rawan, Pauliina Swartz, Mary Tolikas, Amanda Trojan, Deanna Yameen, Christie Getto Young and one who wishes to remain anonymous.

To purchase a copy of Voices of the Future: Emerging Leaders for $14.95, please contact Andrea Wight at .