One of my heroes, Jim Odom, was presented with the Citizen of the Year award by our local Chamber of Commerce recently. This comes as no surprise to me. This man has met with Presidents, led huge projects for NASA including being an integral part of saving the Hubble telescope when it was on the brink of destruction several years ago. He has given back to the community more than can be put into words. From supporting multitudes of charities to maintaining the beauty of local parks with sweat labor, he has given and given and given. So I was not surprised at his receiving the recent well-deserved recognition.
What I was surprised at was his response. When it came time for him to give his acceptance speech he refused. His refusal was not to give a speech, but to talk about himself or his accomplishments. Instead he talked about others who have worked hard for our city. He spoke of opportunities and those who will lead in the future.
In today's world we are inundated with those who brag about themselves and their accomplishments at nauseam on a host of social media outlets. It is refreshing to see a leader who has consistently demonstrated humility and servant leadership throughout his life.
Jim's strong and impactful leadership is proof that when we can lead with authentic care for others we will make a difference!
Larry
Refreshing
