Addressing Calls for Leadership in 2010

Looking back, 2009 was a tough year for me. Although our audience grew at a rapid rate and readers constantly commented on how appreciative they were of our efforts...I was not satisfied with my own personal progression. It seemed like I had plateaued and the expansion of my knowledge base had gone stagnant. This was obvious to me in my personal review of 2009 MND content.  My CFA studies lagged, "Plain and Simple" was seldom seen, and copy writing began to seep into MND news stories (ugh yuck). After looking back on it...I feel like I wasted a lot of time and misdirected my energy. It felt like I lost focus.  I was a very frustrated person in late 2009.

With that in mind, I have received a TON of emails from readers over the past 6 months. The overwhelming theme: "AQ the industry needs a leader from within, your voice needs to be louder". I used to laugh this off...but given the influx of reader requests, I began to take these calls for leadership more and more serious . Over the course of December I spent a great deal of time sharing leadership perspectives with mentors. After much discussion, we all came to the same conclusion: Provide transparency through education and keep conversation forward looking.

Wise managers know their firm's most valuable asset gets up and goes home everyday. I believe this applies to the industry as a whole. The housing industry's best assets are the minds and efforts of everyone that works in it. I hear your calls for leadership...I acknowledge your calls for leadership.

In response...I do not plan to set forth on a mission to amass an army of followers....instead I plan to help create more leaders.

In 2010, MND will get back to the basics. "Plain and Simple" will be the cornerstone of content. Through education and transparency our goal is to empower the industry's best assets, you, as a source of leadership heading into a new era in the housing market.