Alan NeSmith
The other morning, I had the pleasure to hear a friend speak to Partnership Habersham. Gary Black talked with the board of directors on leadership at the Cornelia Community house.
My friend Gary knows his way around a farm, has a contagious smile, works hard, is proud to be a Georgian and loves Jesus, his family and friends. He also served as an outstanding Ag Commissioner for our great state.
Do the words “Georgia Grown” ring a bell? Well, we can thank Gary and his team for making our ag products in Georgia more well known around the world. Today, newly elected Georgia Ag Commission Tyler Harper and his team continue to build our brand as a dominating force in agriculture around the world.
• On my desk, I have some notes I scribbled down in bullet points during Gary’s talk. They are as follows:
• Nothing beats the right answer at the right time.
• Your friends are the hardest to please.
• Keep an eye open for opportunity.
• Three beats two every time.
• Avoid keyboard courage.
• Fail to plan. Plan to fail.
Gary had a personal story to link to every point above. However, we all have stories to relate to the points above. Here’s my reflection on them.
Whether it was a teacher calling on you with a question in elementary school or you find yourself standing behind a microphone in front of a group of people, Gary’s right. Nothing beats the right answer at the right time.
Your friends are the hardest to please. Oh-my, we all know exactly what he is talking about.
Too many people way too often have a problem for every solution. They get so tied up in a crisis situation mode, they only see the crisis and not the opportunity being presented as a result of the crisis. And we have all witnessed someone blending a few simple issues into a monster nuclear, meltdown crisis. Let’s always remember to step back and breathe before we blurt.
Whether it is a straw poll vote in our car after church or a restaurant or sitting around a boardroom table, three beats two every time. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. However, no matter how the vote goes we must remember, we’re still a family, board, community, state and country at the end of the day.
Avoid keyboard courage. Period. Nothing will ever replace face-to-face conversations.
Fail to plan. Plan to fail. This concept applies to life decisions, business decisions and even fishing trips.
Gary’s words of wisdom spoke to me. And I hope they speak to you, too.
Onward and upward.
Alan NeSmith is the chairman of Community Newspapers Inc. Reach him at 706-778-4215 or anesmith@TheNortheastGeorgian.com.