By Jennifer Giering
President
Dearborn Chamber of Commerce
At last week’s Dearborn Chamber of Commerce Business Recognition Luncheon, we had the great honor of recognizing the outstanding achievement of three trailblazers: Oakwood Midwest Medical Center, Bob Curran of Century 21 Curran & Christie and Kearn’s Brothers. Through strategic alliances, leadership, commitment to community and innovation, all of these entities are leading the way in their respective industries.
Each year, the Legacy Award is given to a public or private business that has served as a partner to the community through community services, volunteerism, investment, financial support or extraordinary business practices. The Oakwood Midwest Medical Center is catalytic in many ways. First, it will continue to spur economic development at the Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road corridor, and it will also reinvent the way we look at public private partnerships and the multiple benefits these relationships bring.
The Excellence in Leadership Award is awarded to an individual who has exemplified the attributes of a community leader including volunteerism, advocacy, outstanding business relations and the betterment of the community. Bob Curran exemplifies these characteristics. Though the real estate market has been anything but steady, Bob’s commitment to his business, staff and the community is unwavering, which makes him most worthy of this distinction.
The newest award, The Community Excellence Award highlights a small business that demonstrates excellence in the eyes of their community, customers and employees. Kearn’s Brothers, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a small business which has cultivated a loyal following through new market growth, competitive pricing and outstanding customer service. On the company’s 25th anniversary, we thought it was the perfect time to acknowledge its outstanding business practices.
We all can learn many lessons from these award winners. Drafting is a technique where two vehicles or objects align in a close group reducing energy expenditure, especially when high speeds are involved, as in cycling or car racing. Scientists have proven that when you draft, you exert 30 percent less effort than the person you are following. The same can be true in business and in life.
I encourage you to identify two to three like individuals or businesses and learn from their successes and their failures. This can be applied at work, in neighborhoods, in religious institutions and on the playing field. If you are the trailblazer and have paved the path for others to follow, take time to mentor others, who can greatly benefit from just an hour or two of your time each month.