At one point in the evening, I shared a few insights that I’ve learned about the Mini-Cassia area that I’d like to share with you, please forgive me for repeating, but I’ve had several requests to print them.  They are in Jeff Foxworthy form, “You might be a redneck if... “I call them. . .

“You might live in Mini-Cassia if. . .”

• If someone at a local store has offered you assistance, but doesn’t even work there. . . You might live in Mini-Cassia.
• If you’ve ever had a lengthy conversation with a wrong number, you might live in Mini-Cassia.

1. If you later find out that you’re somehow related to that person, you probably live in Declo or Oakley.

• If you know several people that have hit a deer more than once, you might live in Mini-Cassia.
• If you know the four seasons as Harvest, Fixin’ to Snow, Dag-blamed Cold, and Almost Harvest, you might live in Mini-Cassia
• And finally, if you’ve ever switched the thermostat from ‘heat’ to ‘air conditioning’, and then back to ‘heat’-- all in the same day, you definitely live in Mini-Cassia.

While these little one-liners are fun, what makes them fun is that we can all envision--or have experienced them--to some degree.  The second leadership strategy we learn from Sir Ernest Shackleton from Dennis Perkins’ book, Leading at the Edge is similar in scope:  Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors. Shackleton’s team of explorers had been trapped on the ice for almost 300 days and had just witnessed their ship destroyed by the pressure of the ice flow, and now they were about to embark on foot and sled across uneven ragged sea ice to try and reach solid land.  Just before they started dragging the lifeboats across the ice, Shackleton foresaw the need for light boats and had just limited every seaman to 2 pounds in personal items.  To show his devotion, he pulled out a gold watch, gold cigarette case, and a handful of gold sovereigns and threw them on the ice.  In that one action alone, he showed his priorities and motivated each crewmember to the importance of leaving behind what has no worth compared to the lives of his crew.

In the hotel industry, the pineapple is the familiar symbol representing hospitality.  When Christopher Columbus returned to England with the rare sugary fruit, it was perceived as the “Treat of Kings,” because it was impossible to grow the tropical fruit in the harsh English winters.  From then on the pineapple became a status symbol and guests felt special and welcome at the sight of the rare delight.  What kind of symbol represents your business, or your industry?   With the exception of perhaps organic fertilizer producers—many businesses have the ability to show to their guests and customers a symbol, something that defines their business, and it’s up to you as the leaders to embrace that symbol, stand behind it, and show your employees and customers that you care and want their continued business.  As your Chamber of Commerce, we see our role as facilitator to “create a vibrant, thriving and successful business community.”  We introduced a new website for the Chamber with the help and creative skills of Jason Hull at Open Potion, and see it as a great tool in accomplishing this vision.  I encourage each of you to check it out, and see your business at www.minicassiachamber.com.