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If asked to define the concept eco leadership, what would you respond? Although there are academic programs which highlight eco leadership and eco-biz media that acknowledges it, there remains a lack of visible eco leadership. So, is there a set of characteristics, a profile that defines the eco leader?

In general terms, eco leaders are people who enable sustainability, participate in activities that provide for their present-day life-style without sacrificing the overall eco-health of others. Nevertheless, through research and interactive workshop participation, it was identified leaders who enable eco change do more than the expected. In fact, they illustrate the following traits
• Moral value, understand difference between right and wrong
• Plugged into Eco Sustainability Vision
• Not only accept but seek accountability
• Self Disciplined
• Optimism, believe change can make a difference
• Determination to create eco change
• Empathic but consistent in state of mind
• Inspire others to equally contribute
• Decisive but fair - considerate of others
• Manage failure, conflict, criticism and change
• Facilitate an environment that supports leadership style
• Delegate as well as depend on the skill of others
• Establish plans but flexible in guidelines
• Ability to focus – separate problem/issue from people
• Facilitate eco consensus
• Create ‘considered change’, synergistic eco solutions
• Avoid ‘green-washing’, overstating benefit/result

Still, during a workshop held in our Nation’s capital, when community leaders were asked to identify eco leaders, no one could identify a regional much less nation-wide leader. So, the question is “Can you identify people in your circle of acquaintance who illustrate eco leadership traits?”

In prior blogs and columns I asked the question “Would you similar to my colleague Ed Snodgrass of Emory Knoll Farms, http://www.greenroofplants.com/, be recognized as an eco leader, a person who is growing green their market share?” Coined by media as the ‘Green Roof Man of the Year’, Snodgrass, a committed conservationist, acquired his visibility through supplying plants for over one million square feet of green roofs in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Could you be coined by media as an ‘eco man/woman of the year’? Are you and/or your colleagues participating in activities that not only provide for present-day life-styles without sacrificing the overall eco-health of others but ‘green (planet/profit)’ market share? Are you participating in activities that illustrate eco leadership traits, communicating a commitment with civility, honesty and integrity while positioning your self and/or product/service as a viable link in a network that supports the distribution of limited eco resources? Are you seen as an eco leader, a leader of ‘considered’ change?

About the author – Sylvia Hoehns Wright, author of Seven Steps to Grow Green Market Share, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/seven-steps-to-grow-green-market-s... and The ABCs of Green Industry Communications: assess, brand & communicate, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-abcs-of-green-industry-communi..., challenges all to ‘grow green their market share’. To acquire Wright’s books or her assistance as an eco-biz communications specialist, link to www.TheWrightScoop.com Sylvia’s Store option.

If you were asked, “What are you doing to ‘grow green (plant/profit)’ your market share,” what would you respond? Would you similar to my colleague Ed Snodgrass of Emory Knoll Farms, http://www.greenroofplants.com/, be recognized as an eco leader, a person who is growing green their market share?
Nationally coined by media as the ‘Green Roof Man of the Year’, Snodgrass, a committed conservationist, has supplied plants for over one million square feet of green roofs in 20 states and the District of Columbia. And, perhaps more importantly, if you look behind his commercial commitment, you will see that it extends far beyond a business focus. He applies his philosophy, ‘don’t take more out of the Earth than we are able to put back’, to all facets of his lifestyle.
While it can appear difficult to identify ‘eco-biz greening strategies’, in most cases it is a matter of applying effective core business strategies such as efficiency of scale: create maximum output from minimum eco resources input. In a prior blog/column - http://blog.thewrightscoop.com/2011/03/21/eco-biz-leadership.aspx - I identified the nation-wide lack of recognized eco leadership. So, through writing a series of blog/columns, I hope to initiate discussion of ‘how to’ resolve this issue.
For the present, let me share a few ‘grow green market share’ tips -
• Become a steward of the land because ‘green matters’.
• Be aware research has revealed 8 of 10 consumers prefer a green product, service or information; regardless of age, green matters. Consumers are willing to pay more (usually 5 to 10%); and, prefer to deal with a company that has an established ‘greening’ reputation.
• Provide ‘green’ products or services defined as ‘made/provided with little environmental harm’: goods or services produced in environmentally and ecologically friendly ways, e.g. by using renewable resources.
• Strive to create ultimate ‘green’ products or services that meet present-day consumer demand without impacting future generation resources.
• Understand the Ps – product, publicity, promotion, people, planet & profit – as each influence ‘greening’ market share; and then, develop vision/mission statements and green initiatives which enable media formats that support brand recognition.
• Use mechanics involved in creating branded images and identify communication formats that create a differentiated message, an industry appropriate image sustained by viable ‘green’ products or services.
• Inject the market place with a unique, consistent, desirable ‘green’ persona position that reigns over a consumer’s mind and is so highly valued that you and/or your product are not simply seen as “a” product but “the” product.
• Become the recognized niche product or service eco-brand, create a brand name - you!
If a colleague in your region were asked the question, “pause for moment, who do you consider to be an eco leader,” would he/she visualize you? Could you be coined by media as an ‘eco man/woman of the year’? Are you participating in activities that ‘green (planet/profit)’ your market share?

To share comments, ideas or strategies related to this subject or other communication topics, contact Sylvia@TheWrightScoop.com. Contribute to a series of topics that are helpful to the Industry.

About the author – Sylvia Hoehns Wright, author of Seven Steps to Grow Green Market Share, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/seven-steps-to-grow-green-market-s... and The ABCs of Green Industry Communications: assess, brand & communicate, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-abcs-of-green-industry-communi..., challenges all to ‘grow green their market share’. To acquire Wright’s books or her assistance as an eco-biz communications specialist, link to www.TheWrightScoop.com Sylvia’s Store option or contact (804)672-6007.

If I asked you the following question - visualize a group/organization or person who you see as an eco leader, could you identify an eco leader? Recently during a workshop, I solicited an answer to this question and received what I consider to be a disturbing response, an answer that should be a wake-up call to the Industry as a whole.

Solicited as a workshop instructor for National League of Cities conference held in DC, my topic was change/green America's landscape. As part of the 3-hour workshop, I presented individual, business and community eco commitment examples and tips/strategies. At the end of each section, attendees actively participated with opinion and input. In fact, there were representatives from the 'eco progressive' state of Oregon, California, mid-west states and east coast area, too. So, workshop attendees were a diverse array of representation.

Then, as a final exercise, I asked the group to 'pause' and visualize a group/organization or person who they saw as an eco leader. After reading a list of compiled eco leadership characteristics, I asked if my list matched their visualized person/group. But instead of initiating a chatty discussion, you could ‘hear a pin drop’. Finally, a representative from Texas spoke up and said when he 'paused to visualize' an eco leader, he could not visualize a person and/or group. His candid response opened the door for further discussion and the remaining nation-wide city/community leadership reps also stated their inability to identify a person and/or group considered to be eco leaders. So, my question is what are we doing as Industry participants to not be seen as eco leaders, people who green America's landscape?

Most of you are aware that in addition to being a person who 'digs in the dirt' and advocates others to join in, I participate as an Industry writer and communications advocate/instructor. In fact, a few years ago, a local Dean of Horticulture asked if I'd combine personal skills plus my 20 years of Corporate experience with 'living green' Industry requirements to create a college level communications course. As a result, I published a book - The ABCs of Green Industry Communications,
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-abcs-of-green-industry-communi..., provide ongoing workshops/speeches and publish articles and columns. Still,
I feel like I've made minimal Industry impact.

So, to enable a discussion of how to fix the issue of ‘not being seen as eco leaders’ I’m going to share ‘Sylvia’s opinion’. I think we need to first and foremost mandate communications education and include college level communications courses in both 2 and 4 year Industry programs. During every Industry educational event at least for the present, have a keynote focus as well as workshop on the topic of effective PR/marketing communications. Include in media publications a tips and strategies communications, marketing and/or PR column. Although at one time there was talk of organizing some type of combined Industry effort to improve consumer visibility but I'm not aware of an effort - are you? And, to be candid, I personally think the present issue is more of a lack of individual participant visibility than the Industry as a whole.

On the personal side, I plan to work with the sponsors of the 'all cities' educational conference to provide additional eco education workshops; and perhaps, through ongoing events enable a forum for eco leadership discussion. I also plan to create an e-book format of my communications book and perhaps, this format will help enable its availability, visibility and distribution. And, of course as an advocate for the Industry, I'll continue to write columns/blogs and do whatever I can to create consumer awareness of the Green Industry's value.

Why? To be candid during a future workshop when I ask the question 'who do you visualize as an eco leader’, I'd prefer to hear regional stories of eco-goodness - greening America's landscape instead of hearing - 'I can't visualize an eco leader.' What do you think we - as an Industry - need to do to be recognized individually and as a whole by our Nation's leadership as eco leaders?

To share comments, ideas or strategies related to this subject or other communication topics, contact me at Sylvia@TheWrightScoop.com.

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For a number of years I have wondered what is happening to make life so trouble some when it comes to owning property wheither a structure is included or not, as well as building additional structures as we all want to do.

I for one have known the pride of being an owner of a site, making plans to fix it up only to have these plans dashed by the usual measures in place credit, loans, grants, etc. There is also the issue of the risk of falling behind in such a way where one can lose their holding.
This is a way of life here in the states as we all know, but I ask Where are we going ??, could this lead to another mass failure within the real estate industry or is there another alternative to avoid losing one's holdings.

For example a few year ago a law was passed making it easier for property owners to lose their rights of ownership to their land if they fall behind a miniumum of $1000 dollars in taxes here in my neck of the woods New York State.

Mortages is another area which the same can happen, having income to support ones holdings is essential but when that income source has ceased the risk of loss increases.

What I have realized for myself I would be taking a considerable risk of losing my holdings at some point in my lifetime unless I can establish a stable infrastructure thus maintaining a strong standing with whatever holdings I achieve.

So after many model theories I came up with a solution designed to establish a solid foundation to maintain each of my planned holdings.

The basic model is as follows:

The site itself must have a infrastructure that generates revenue starting after competion of the sealed foundation, contunues to do so as the site is completed, and furtherly maintains revenue generation for the life of the sturcture with added revenue generation increases.

This model is outside personal income generation, rental income, etc. In theory it is a fail safe measure by design. To my knowledge no such infrastructure exists nor has it ever been established due to the lack of a unique component required for this to be done.

I have considered a solution that I decided to incorporate as a test model for myself, it has the capacity to create the required conditions needed to establish the unique components for the fail safe infrastructure.

I'll indicate my progress as I proceed with this experiment.

While almost all Americans can find themselves, their ancestors, or their community through archive research, in celebration of March as 'women in history' month, I urge you to take your research a step further, document heritage – cultural diversity – through identifying, recording and sharing family stories.

Although I'm presently three generations removed from a Quaker heritage, there is one central guideline - caretaker -that continues to influence my legacy. For, basically, the Quaker culture views itself as a caretaker, not owner of property - a role which implies providing for the present without sacrificing the future.

This role is more or less the present-day definition of our 21st century green revolution. Yet, in my family for generations, it has inspired women gardeners. In my book – A Path Worn Smooth, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/a-path-worn-smooth/4200561 which is dedicated to the people of my community Laurel Historic District, I invite readers to walk on a path worn smooth by generational expectation. Savor nostalgia for the places that are near and dear to my heart, recall family traditions and more importantly, renew experiences. Challenging all to celebrate heritage because heritage is more than a possession, it is a gift: the birthright of our children. So, I want to share with you the story of a 'family project'.

As a 'hands-on' landscape gardener, I regularly test products and services for vendors. As a result, one spring project is to test the outcome of three levels of kitchen gardens - container, above ground box and traditional agri in-ground gardening. In the past, I've successfully used seeds supplied by Renee's Garden, www.reneesgarden.com; so, for 2011, I'm again using Renee's Garden seeds in all three levels of the garden space. For the above ground garden, I'm also using an awesome product kit supplied by Green Land Gardener, www.greenlandgardener.com. This product so far has worked-well for a number of reasons: easy to assemble, detailed novice instructions and a garden design which includes colorful illustrative landscape cloths.

Step by step, I've involved my grandchildren in this project. First, we planted seeds in starter trays and are patiently waiting for warmer soil to transplant the seedlings. We also installed the above ground box and filled it with garden soil. Perhaps, more importantly, at each step, I've not only shared with my grandchildren an explanation of the process but stories of experiences planting gardens with my mother, grandmothers and aunts - the legacy of eco women in my family.

For, as a child of the era ‘tell instead of read’ me a story, I understand the value of sharing family heritage through storytelling. In fact, in my e-book edition, http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/a-path-worn-smooth/10645451, I included research tips and strategies that enable identification as well as publication of family histories. To inspire others, during the month of March, I'm participating in a number of activities. On Saturday March 26th from 1 to 4 p.m. I've partnered with Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts, www.simplepleasuresbooksandgifts.com to host an event Celebrate ‘Women in History month, Our Strength is Our History’ and book signing at Ashland Tea & Coffee, www.ashlandcoffeeandtea.com , 100 N. Railroad Ave. Ashland, VA, Phone: 804-798-1702. And, to further encourage others to document their eco legacy, through my Sylvia Wright's Storefront - Lulu.com, I'm offering discounts sales of eco focus books.

In celebration of March as 'women in history', together let's highlight the legacy of eco 'women in history'. Join me in an effort to 'move from eco-weak to eco-chic - green life's garden, one scoop at a time!'