Stedman Graham

Topics

Presentations

The Competitive Advantage in Business Leadership

Diversity: Leaders Not Labels

Build Your Own Life Brand

You Can Make It Happen: A Health and Lifestyle Program

Summary Profile

Stedman Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates (SGA), a management and marketing consulting company that specializes in the corporate and educational markets.  Clients have included Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, CVS Pharmacy, Manpower, the, U.S. Department of Labor's Job Corps, Credit-Suisse First Boston, Harvard and Wharton business schools and the U.S. Department of Education.

As a businessman, educator and speaker, he presents, consults and conducts training with corporations, organizations and nonprofits on the topics of maximizing leadership, achieving success, growing a business, embracing diversity, achieving optimal health, and personal and professional branding.  His corporate seminars are driven by his proprietary Nine-Step Success ProcessTM which teaches people how to understand who they are, develop a vision for their lives and provides a continuous approach for growth, learning and maximizing personal and professional potential. 

Graham has authored ten books, including two New York Times bestsellers, You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success and Teens Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps to Success.  Build Your Own Life Brand explores the concept of personal and professional branding. Move Without the Ball is a collection of principles that teaches students that sports are a part of life, not life itself. Who Are You? Building Your Life's Foundation focuses on success through self-discovery.  His latest release Diversity: Leaders not Labels includes his unique approach to eliminate barriers to success.

Actively involved in education, Graham taught "The Dynamics of Leadership" for five years at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.  He is a former adjunct professor of the University of Illinois-Chicago where he taught a leadership course based on his Nine-Step Process and he serves as an adjunct or distinguished professor at several other universities across the country. 

Graham has shown a lifelong commitment to youth and community. In 1985, he founded AAD Education, Health and Sports, a nonprofit organization of athletes and other civic leaders committed to developing leadership in underserved youths. An organization with over 500 professional athletes, AAD has served over 15,000 students through education and scholarships. Graham serves on several boards to include the national board of Junior Achievement (JA) and the 7-Eleven Education Is Freedom Foundation, and he is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

Graham holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work from Hardin-Simmons University. He received a master's degree in Education from Ball State University and an honorary doctorate in Humanities from Coker College, where he is also a distinguished visiting professor.

MOST REQUESTED TOPIC:
LEADERSHIP

Stedman Graham's Leadership Programs are recognized for aligning strategies, building leaders' capabilities, and establishing and maintaining strong brands. He, uniquely, works with leaders from the inside out - on the premise that once leaders know who they are, they can utilize that controlled platform as a springboard for acting on where they want

to be, and how to create, share and achieve personal, professional and business objectives. Whether the leader is an executive, teacher, mentor, parent or student, and regardless of gender, race, class or age, Stedman Graham helps to create leaders who have the courage and maturity to accept responsibility, who are able to forge deep reciprocal relationships in career, business and communities, and who by empowering themselves, become committed to developing leadership ability in others.

The Dynamics of Leadership

Great leaders share an ability to inspire, guide and motivate their followers. In "Dynamics of Leadership," Stedman Graham, bestselling author, businessman and community leader, shares his insight into how participants can master the "hard skills" necessary to succeed in the business world, cultivate their potential, expand their opportunities, and empower themselves to participate at all levels of leadership and

Organizational development. He stresses the importance of advocacy and mentoring to help others aspiring for greater achievement. 

The Competitive Advantage in Business Leadership

Stedman Graham works with business leadership and executives to help them align business strategies. Moreover, he offers them a process for developing and performing in business that is congruent to their own Life Brand. Once leaders have a personal vision and know who they are, they can act on where they want to be personally and professionally.  With this knowledge, they are better equipped to work authentically

and ethically toward business objectives. Leaders who participate in the Competitive Advantage in Business Leadership program will be able to consciously articulate not only what needs to be done, but why it needs to be done. This collective knowledge is then the catalyst for serving up and rallying around the action plan regarding "how" to create, share and achieve business objectives. This source of personal and business transformation is intended to create an environment that works better for the leader, the company and those impacted in the surroundings.

Leadership Clients

Some of Graham's leadership program clients include Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston, Harvard and Wharton business schools, the U.S. Department of Education, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Manpower, CNN, PlainsCapital Corporation, 100 Black Men of America, 7-Eleven and McDonald's Corporation.

DIVERSITY

There is no brass ring for addressing or resolving the pervasive issues in 21st century business, however, areas on which leadership can enhance abilities and focus, which will ensure progress - one of which, is capitalizing on diversity. Stedman Graham focuses on the root of the problem, the "missing piece," calling it the New Diversity. Many programs offer good information about specific cultures and customs, or on society's shortcomings with respect to discrimination, reverse discrimination and stereotypes, though many focus on the symptoms of the problem. Graham focuses on self-awareness and personal performance as the best way - in fact the only way - to lead, work or live with people of all backgrounds and traits with optimum results.

Diversity: Leaders Not Labels

When we focus on performance and strive toward excellence in our professional lives, we shed the relevance of external labels based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, lifestyle, or physical ability. We are personally responsible for how we view and respond to diversity. In Leaders Not Labels, Stedman Graham helps people to recognize that it is about recognizing your own strengths, being proud of your own culture, and never having to apologize for who you are. Acceptance, tolerance and excellence start from within, based on self-knowledge and self-reliance. With those abilities, you can lead by example and perform at the highest level. Without them, you can't even lead your own life effectively.

Diversity Clients

Among many clients, he has conveyed his messages on diversity to the State of North Carolina Diversity Conference, Hudson Highland Group, the NAACP, the National Black MBA Association, Black Women's Expo, United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, Diversity and Women Leadership Summit and Gala, Annual Black College Radio & Television Convention, Malcolm X College, and the Northwestern

Indiana Minority Business Luncheon.

BUSINESS

With nearly 30 years of business experience and ownership, Stedman Graham brings to bear his knowledge to help leaders differentiate themselves and their businesses in a time of fewer guarantees. He builds from the premise that maximizing potential is a two-step process: Internal External = Maximum Potential. To compete in today's market, businesses need an integrated approach to grow and develop. They must have a clear understanding of their vision (internal), and well-articulated plan of action to achieve it in order to brand themselves into the marketplace (external). Graham provides clarity and insight regarding the possibilities, and makes the information relevant to action.

Build Your Own Life Brand

You can start to maximize your potential once you know exactly who you are, and what is important to you. Once you know who you are and what drives you, only then can you begin the process of branding yourself into the market. Stedman Graham champions messages on how to polish your brand - "your promise." His messages are tailored to

the individual and/or the overall organization (including how to garner recognition, appreciation and response for your corporate brand and value).

Business Clients

Among many clients, he has spoken on business and branding to Union Bank, American Express, The Institute for International Research, Merrill Lynch, Pro-Line International, Wells Fargo, 7-Eleven, CNN, Credit Suisse First Boston, Georgia Pacific, and IBM.

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE

Business people today realize that a healthy lifestyle promotes not only physical well-being but emotional and mental well-being. Stedman Graham explains that for businesses and their people to achieve top-notch performance, technical skills are not the only areas to focus on. A blended approach to total wellness is critical. Businesses that

desire to gain or even sustain an edge in today's highly competitive marketplace must differentiate themselves in more than just products and revenue streams. They must do so by acknowledging and serving the needs of the total employee.

You Can Make It Happen: A Health and Lifestyle Program

You Can Make It Happen: A Health and Lifestyle Program focuses on self-awareness and personal performance as the best way to achieve optimal results. Once a person changes his thinking, he is better able to change his patterns and "re-program" to create new habits. With the approaches and tools gained, participants are equipped to recognize

core issues, remove obstacles to success, and create opportunities. They are given a process to move beyond their problems and work toward who they want to become. The information Graham conveys to audiences will begin to equip them with grassroots principles of health and well-being that can be applied for a lifetime. 

Health & Lifestyle Clients

SGA's health and sports-related clients include GlaxoSmithKline, American College of Sports Medicine, YMCA, U.S. Olympic Committee, International Wellness Conference, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, Whole Life Conference, Mind, Body, and Spirit Expo, JFK Health World, African American Health Advisory  Committee, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Parker College of Chiropractic.

MARKETING AND SALES

Businesses today must differentiate beyond cost, quality and timed. Professionals must go beyond technical proficiency and recognize the psychographics of relationship building and find creative, grassroots approaches to reach a client or prospect - especially those of high net worth. Stedman Graham provides insight and perspective on how to improve profitability and positioning in an increasingly competitive and complex business environment.

Business Development:  Strategic Positioning and Marketing

One way to improve profitability in an increasingly competitive and complex business environment is to align business strategies and develop leaders and leadership capacity from within the organization. This positions business in the marketplace and gives leaders access to the industry. Both personal and professional leadership, require having

the right information and alignment based on values and vision. The intent of the Business Development: Strategic Positioning and Marketing keynote or seminar is to provide business people with the process and tools to position themselves to develop and capitalize on new relationships and business opportunities. Participants learn how

to apply their skills, leadership ability toward building an overall Life Brand that  transcends any situation.

Strategic Marketing

Stedman Graham targets the opportunities for business growth through organizing the industry for discovery and innovation and developing strategies for integrated business, marketing, and sales. Graham also relates the power of building brand awareness, client service and building individual leadership skills as powerful contributors to business growth. 

Marketing and Sales Clients

Some of SGA's marketing and sales clients include, BMC, Wells Fargo Private Client Services, Merrill Lynch-Houston, the National Black MBA, and Hudson Highland Group.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

You Can Make It HappenTM:  The Nine-Step Success Process

You Can Make It Happen: The Nine-Step Success Process puts resources and strategies into people's hands to take control of their lives. Graham shares his insights regarding this systematic approach to organizing and advancing life goals and ambitions. It's the 'how.' Implemented consistently, the process helps build personal and professional effectiveness, increases focus, enhances time management and helps improve relationships.

The Nine-Step Success ProcessTM: Business Strategy and Vision

The Success Process can be applied as a unique approach to establishing a company's position in the marketplace by integrating business growth, people, and community relationships. Stedman Graham shares his insights regarding this systematic approach to organizing and advancing business goals and aspirations. Graham demonstrates that when the Process is consistently implemented, it helps build organizational effectiveness, increases focus, promotes shared vision and helps improve relationships.

The Nine-Step Success ProcessTM, introduced in Graham's New York Times bestseller You Can Make It Happen is a systematic method that can be used in all areas of life, for the rest of your life.

Among many clients, Graham has shared the Success ProcessTM with Chicago Women,

Insights, Technology, Harvard Business School, IBM, Manpower, Inc., U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor - Job Corps, United Way, Urban League, Rotary International, Wharton Business School, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, and the National Press Club.

 CLIENTS

• American College of Sports Medicine
• Ball State University
• Bennett College
• Boys Scouts of America
• Boys & Girls Club of America
• Camden Children's Garden
• Carlsbad Unified School District- San Diego
• Charleston County School District
• Chicago Public Schools
• Coker College
• Columbia University
• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
• Dallas Independent School District
• Darlington County School District
• Friends United Inc.
• George Washington University
• Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy
• Prevention (G-CAPP)
• Goodwill Industries
• Harvard University
• Houston Independent School District
• Howard University
• Junior Achievement
• Life College - South Africa
• Pala Band of Mission Indians Foundation
• Princeton University
• North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
• NC Department of Administration
• Northwestern University
• San Diego State University
• The Tiger Woods Foundation
• U.S. Department of Education
• U. S. Department of Labor's Job Corps
• United Way
• University of Illinois - Chicago
• University of San Diego
• West Potomac Maryland School District
• YMCA
• 7-Eleven
• 100 Black Men of America
• American Bankers Association
• American Express
• Black Business Summit - Canada
• CNN
• ComPsych Inc.
• Credit Suisse First Boston
• Executive Women International
• Georgia Pacific
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Harvard Business School
• Healthcare Management Finance Association
• Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
• IBM
• Illinois Department of Management Services
• International Wellness Conference
• Manpower, Inc.
• McDonald's Corporation
• Merrill Lynch
• Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
• National Black MBA Association
• NAACP
• National Press Club
• Plains Capital Corporation
• PRO-LINE International
• U.S. Olympic Committee
• United Way
• Urban League
• Rotary International
• Wells Fargo
• Wharton Business School
• Women, Insights, Technology
• Union Bank
• United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
• U.S. Department of Labor
• USACE Corps of Engineers
• Wells Fargo