In search of identity

Last week, I met with a group of dynamic leaders from Northeast Arkansas who are part of the new Leadership Accelerator formed through Arkansas State University.

This inaugural group of 20 professionals from the region represent Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson, Mississippi, Phillips and Poinsett counties — a great cross-section of this part of the state and the Arkansas Delta.

The effort is led by the indefatigable Andrea Allen, executive director of the A-State Delta Center for Economic Development. She asked me to speak to the group about ways for rural Arkansas to grow in a more connected fashion, specifically, how Northeast Arkansas and the Delta can form a stronger self-identity.

It’s an intriguing prospect. When I think of Northeast Arkansas, I think of music, food and culture; I think of solid blue-collar manufacturing and a healthy white-collar financial base; I think of a strong educational axis; and, of course, agriculture is the predominant DNA of the region.

This group hopes to define this corner of the state like Northwest Arkansas has been defined by Walmart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt and the University of Arkansas. As Northwest Arkansas has grown, its defining image has evolved. It’s now a destination for work, play and live with scores of world-class amenities and seemingly unlimited business opportunities.

Northeast Arkansas is on its way to earning a similar reputation. It won’t come at the hands of benevolent benefactors with famous last names; it’s more likely to come from a larger, collective push of business and community leaders who represent the best the region has to offer.

I offered two pieces of advice to the group after we discussed this mission they’ve been charged with. For starters, as I encourage those I work with, you should always “listen to the marketplace.”

Being a good listener and searching for nuances in what people think is key to growth. It’s a big reason my media company has adapted to new platforms and remained with old platforms over the past quarter century. We engage often with our readers, viewers and listeners to understand how they consume our news and what type of news they are most interested in.

This is an easy transfer to almost any business model, or any exercise that requires understanding how a customer or client might feel. As this leadership group interacts with natives of Northeast Arkansas, if they listen, I think they will hear and learn the common elements that tie the region together.

And if they figure out that common theme, they’ll need to continue to listen over time as the region will surely grow and evolve — just like Northwest Arkansas has.

My other piece of advice is also one I carry on a daily basis: don’t do business with jerks. There are over 3 million people in Arkansas. I can count on one hand the number of people I find unenjoyable to work with. That’s less than 0.000001% of the population. Why spend any of your time on such a low percentage of people when there is another 99.99999% you could be networking or engaging with?

I just don’t have time for a ton of negativity in my endeavors, and I choose to spend as little time as possible experiencing those people. I’m not averse to hearing negative news in an effort to fix a problem or improve a process, but I’m not one to dwell constantly on something once the point is made.

As this leadership group works its way across Northeast Arkansas and the Delta, it will find a huge percentage of people who want to improve the quality of life in this slice of Arkansas. While reality checks are important, finding positive ways to navigate forward is crucial.

I wish this Leadership Accelerator the best of luck and look forward to hearing more from their journeys in this and other endeavors. I hope you’ll pay attention to their important work and offer your thoughts as they make progress for Northeast Arkansas.

Editor’s note: Roby Brock is the editor-in-chief of Talk Business & Politics. He hosts “Talk Business & Politics” and “Capitol View” and a radio program three times a week on KASU.