title: Lessons Beneath the Mask: From Pain to Promise
author: Reuel I. Barksdale
description: An established organizational development specialist with over twenty years of corporate experience. As an Assistant Vice President of a Fortune 500 corporation, he had direct responsibility for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of organizational development strategies and activities. Mr. Barksdale had functional and operational responsibility at regional and corporate levels for managing Human Resources, organizational development, and training in areas of sales and marketing, management and diversity. Reuel Barksdale is a tenured full Professor in the Business Programs Department at Columbus State Community College where he teaches Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, Business Management and Interpersonal Skills Management. He is Coordinator of the Human Resources Development Degree and Certificate Programs. Professor Barksdale is also an adjunct professor at Ohio Dominican University where he teaches Organizational Management and Leadership courses. As a motivational speaker and organizational development consultant, Mr. Barksdale has addressed audiences across the country on the topics of change management, diversity, management, strategic planning, conflict resolution, leadership, and employee development. Reuel Barksdale received his Bachelors of Science degree from Franklin University and a Masters of Science in Administration degree from Central Michigan University.
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  There's No STOMPing It
  
  Copyright © 2021 J.D. Light
  
  Edited by Ann Attwood Editing and Proofreading Services.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > Chapter One
  
  ![A picture containing text, pink, wave  Description automatically
  generated](images/00001.jpg)
  
  Four weeks. Four long weeks spent blowing things up from the very, very big to
  the very, very small, and watching Conley Williams stand around with his arms
  crossed, scowling at everyone but especially me. Four weeks spent practicing
  something I'd already honed long ago, while he worked on making that crease
  between his eyebrows permanent.
  
  I tried not to be that immature kid that thought he didn't need to train
  anymore, but I'd long since developed my ability for blowing things up when I
  concentrated on them, but it was the reason I was allowed to be a part of the
  mission we were about to embark on, so I was pushing the limits of my patience
  for him. I mean, I understood being prepared, especially given the group we
  were about to have to 