PCF— Big Island retreat, part 1

We started off two days on the Big Island with a Mayoral Breakfast at the Hawai'i Innovation Center located in downtown Hilo. The mayor was running a little late so we heard from three PCF alums who live in Hilo: Ka'iu Kimura, Kaloa Robertson, and Toby Fujitani.
When the mayor arrived he couldn't have been less like a mayor— we heard slippers slapping down the hall as jogged to the door and then he burst into the room in board shorts and a T-Shirt. He then proceeded to blow us away with his energetic, funny, thought-provoking insights of what leadership is all about. Some of the highlights:
He started out by lamenting how many people love to make outlines of ideas (such as people at conferences: "Great conference!" but where are the ideas?) but to get anything down it's about leadership.
His father told him once that to be effective you need to think, feel, and then speak. Then everything you say is from your heart and you know that ni matter what you've been honest. "Do it with aloha." ("Only be shame if you steal.")
His personal history was incredibly compelling: 1.8 GPA in high school, on a path to prison until his friend introduced him to a professor at UH-Hilo who thrust an application into his hand and said "I understand you belong here." He went on the graduate with Honors from UMass—Amherst and then went on to law school at UH— Manoa. he sought to use his considerable speaking talents to bring the gift of advocacy to people who didn't have a voice— worked for Legal Aid, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.
To Billy Kenoi, leadership is:
— take blame and give credit
— look at all the information then make a decision (the difficult decisions)
— avoid the paralysis of analysis
— be accountable, responsible
— surround yourself with excellence
He then broke it down to the 3 E's:
— education
— experience
— expertise

and the 3 C's:
— committed
— compassionate
— courageous

Move people, build people, inspire people; never break people, especially in public,

• research + preparation = success ("it is inexcusable to be unprepared or ill-informed when you are expected to be at your best.

• strategic analysis
talk story with as many people as possible— ask different people how to look at something; if you have more information than the other side you have the advantage

• execute
you gotta perform!

when you're positive and you "aloha" everybody then everything will work out (and it's free!)