Rich Allcorn

Male

Single/Divorced

Title

Introduction

Elevator Speech

I am an innovative thinker, a man of ideas and creations, of unusual designs and solutions, who loves people, and working in "the clouds".

My leadership style

I am not a micro-manager.  I hire someone to do a job.  I expect them to give of their best.  When they come through, I want "them" to get the credit - not me.  They did the work!  I believe in empowering individuals to perform at their best.  I like to bring that out, with encouragement, trust and rewards for a job well done.

If they fail, I'm not one of those who love to "fire 'em" when they mess up. We all mess up. If you understand the learning process, failure is a critical component! So, I will sit down and work with them, opening up a dialog so we can work towards helping them to succeed and to be their very best!

Find out what your employees like, and reward them! Don't go off cheap with a t-shirt! Really? Feed their desire for knowledge and growth! Spend some money, and you'll have them for a lifetime!

Favorite quote

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live a life that he has imagined, he will achieve a success unheard of, in common dreams.  [Henry David Thoreau]

Important lesson learned

That phrase, "It's not personal, just business."  is all wrong.  When you work, you are dealing with people.  And it "is" personal.  Remember that, and your company will excel far above others, in productivity and loyal employees.

My business advice for others leader

My experience has shown me that most in business cannot be given advice.  What they believe is what they will do.  Most are not open to a different approach, and that is their downfall. 

My advise would be to embrace the mind of a student, even as a leader!  If you cannot learn and grow, then you're dead.  You may still be walking and breathing, but you will not develop and improve until you are open ... open to learn, open to consider different approaches, and one who recognizes the value of your people.  A good leader is just that - a "leader", and not a driver.  You drive cattle because they have a small mind, and very little ability to abandon a routine.  But people have an on-board computer, a mind that far surpasses anything man has yet to design.  Learn how to draw the very best out of your people.  Believe in them!  And show them that you are not their master, but their leader ... someone who wants to walk beside them, to get the job done with excellence.  And do not forget to reward them for a job well done.  Often today, we are too cheap.  Find what they like, their interests and their dreams, and "feed that" as a reward.  It - will - pay off.

What I'm passionate about

What I love most about work

Where am I from ... I am from the Central West Texas area, though technically just 50 miles from the dead center (Brady) of Texas, and I grew up in Ballinger Texas, near San Angelo. We lived in Ballinger, though I spent a great deal of my time on our 675 acre ranch, located about 8 miles outside of a small town called Talpa. My father grew up on that ranch, and he met my Mom in the nearby town of Talpa. I attended Angelo State University, and also worked as a DJ at KRUN radio. I joined the Air Force in 1978, and attended Tech School (aircraft communications) in Biloxi Mississippi, and then was assigned to Bergstrom AFB (Austin TX), and later George AFB (Apple Valley/Victorville CA).

I spent a good bit of time along the way in Dodge City KS, and in Idabel OK, near Broken Bow OK. I settled in Austin Texas to begin my career in the IT field. most of what I did I learned as I went, using those MacGyver skills to quickly pick up the newly released UNIX operating system for PC's called XENIX. It later was mimiced in an OS called LINUX that made the power and features of UNIX available to mankind at "no cost" at all! This revolutionized the industry as over 90% of all cloud and Internet-based servers are now running LINUX. While in Idabel OK, I worked with CP/M 2.2 on an Eagle microcomputer, and sold Qantel minicomputers. CP/M had very little software available to really get very far with it, and when UNIX became available, I fell in love! Later, working with LINUX, I found that a great deal of the software was "freely" available, and that OS is my preference to this day! I also work with macOS, and naturally Windows, as a great deal of the personal workstations and business workstations today are running Windows, thanks to Microsofts marketing strategies. If it were not for Microsofts sloppy programming, constantly requiring faster and more powerful hardware, we would not have progressed with PC's as we have today. LINUX, being much more efficient, can sail past Windows in speed and performance, because of the joint efforts of all of those involved from Richard Stallman to Linus Torvalds.

A Little About MeI'm a hopeless romantic!  I'm a dreamer, a creator, an inventor, of all sorts!  I write books, poetry and songs, and I do my best to improve my skills on my guitar, and with singing, as I learn to play better.  I also love computers and the IT technology field of study.  I love photography, flying drones, two-way communications, ham radio, packet and radio teletype, and all the wonderful techno-gadgets we have to work with!  I  also love camping, and especially a newfound love of … “glamping” and sailing!   But my favorite thing is people!  I love chatting, sitting and visiting, and getting to know people, discovering their dreams, and then encouraging them, lifting them up, and with those strengths, blowing a strong boost of wind into their sails, and moving them forward in the areas of their dreams.

I love rainy and foggy days, and cool, crisp evenings and nights, but I also love to sit on the beach and feel the sun as it warms my feet and body.  I love to sit in the woods and listen to the raindrops, after a rain, as they slowly drip from the leaves in the quiet of the woods.    My feelings run deep - really deep. My values are true, solid, black-and-white. My commitments are true.

I am a believer in "absolutes"! When I am your friend, there are no "grey areas" with me - you're my friend - period. That survives all attacks, all obstacles, and all that we may go through. I may not agree with you, but in friendships, "that" is irrelevant!  I am not perfect, but my beliefs are solid.  They are deep-rooted, made up of beliefs and principles of honor and character. These are what keep me grounded, as a friend, and as a person ... and they're what bring me back when I stray or fall short.