Bob Buford

Infobox Person
name = Bob Buford


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occupation = social entrepreneur
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nationality = United States
spouse = Linda
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website = [http://www.activeenergy.net/ activeenergy.net]
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Bob Buford is a business leader and social entrepreneur who co-founded Leadership Network in 1984, became founding chairman in 1988 of what was initially called The Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, and popularized the concept of Half Time through several books he authored.

Bob is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and of the Owner Managed Program at the Harvard. He has played active roles in Young Presidents' Organization and World Presidents' Organization and serves on the board of the Hauser for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard. Center Business School.

In the fall of 1999, Bill Pollard of ServiceMaster, Nan Stone, former editor of the Harvard Business Review, and several other people agreed that it was vitally important to preserve the writings and management ideas of Peter Drucker for the future leaders of business and nonprofit organizations. In connection with Claremont Graduate University, [http://www.druckerinstitute.com The Drucker Institute] was created. Buford served on the Board and in 2008 was appointed Chairman of its Board of Advisors.

Bob was the recipient of Christian Management Association's [CMA merged with Christian Stewardship Association in April 2008 to become Christian Leadership Alliance http://www.christianleadershipalliance.com/] 2005 Christian Management Award. [ [http://www.activeenergy.net/templates/cusactiveenergy/details.asp?id=29646&PID=244001 Our Friend Bob Buford Wins Prestigious CMA Award ] ] Bob and his wife, Linda, live in Dallas.

Biography

Until the sale of his company in July 1999, Bob Buford served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Buford Television, Inc., a family owned business that started with a single ABC affiliate in Tyler, Texas, and grew to a network of cable systems across the country.

In 1995, Buford wrote "Halftime", a book that came out of his mind and heart on how to find meaning fulfillment in the second half of our lives. Those who read "Halftime" and "Game Plan" often want to know more about the endeavors in which Bob Buford is involved as a result of his own "halftime" experience. Buford’s third book, "Stuck in Halftime: Reinvesting Your One and Only Life", was released in April 2001. [ [http://www.activeenergy.net/templates/cusactiveenergy/details.asp?id=29646&PID=207602 About Bob Buford] from official website]

Initiatives

This list of initiatives reflect Bob's interests both as an entrepreneur and someone wanting to make a difference through the application of his faith and resources under the general mission of transforming the latent energy of American Christianity into active energy.

* Leadership Network Started in 1984, Leadership Network serves as a resource broker that supplies information to and connects leaders of innovative churches. The emerging new paradigm of the 21st century church calls for the development of new tools and resources as well as the equipping of a new type of 21st century church leader, both clergy and laity. Leadership Network serves the leadership teams of large churches, as well as leaders in the areas of lay mobilization, denominational leadership at the middle and regional judicatory level and the next generation of emerging young leaders.

* Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the The Peter F. Drucker Foundation For Nonprofit Management) In 1988, Dick Schubert, Frances Hesselbein and Bob Buford convinced Peter Drucker to lend his name, his great mind, and occasionally his presence to establish an operating foundation for the purpose of leading social sector organizations toward excellence in performance. Bob serves as the Founding Chairman of the Board of Governors. Through its conferences, publications and partnerships, The Drucker Foundation is helping social sector organizations focus on their mission, achieve true accountability, leverage innovation, and develop productive partnerships.

In the fall of 1999, several people agreed that it is vitally important to preserve the writings and management ideas of Peter Drucker for the future leaders of business and nonprofit organizations. In connection with Claremont Graduate University, Bob is serving as co-chairman of the board with Bill Pollard of ServiceMaster for the newly created Drucker Archives and Institute. Its first Executive Director is Nan Stone, former editor of the Harvard Business Review.

* The Halftime Group In 1998, Bob launched FaithWorks (name later changed to Halftime) to mobilize and equip high-capacity business/ professional leaders to convert their faith into action and effective results. The mission of Halftime is to develop strategy and resources to equip business/professional leaders to achieve maximum leverage and return on the investment of their time and resources measured in changed lives and healthier communities.

Halftime is taking on the challenge of joining two distinct cultures – those of the business/professional leaders and the nonprofit leaders – in partnerships at the local community level where the business/professional leader sees and touches the lives of the recipients the partnership services.

Bibliography

* "Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance" (1997) ISBN 0310215323
* "Game Plan" (1999) ISBN 0310229081
* "Stuck in Halftime: Reinvesting Your One and Only Life" (2001) ISBN 0310235839
* "Finishing Well: What People Who Really Live Do Differently!" (2004) ISBN 1591451108

References

External links

* [http://www.activeenergy.net/ ACTIVEenergy.net] Bob Buford's official site
* [http://www.leadnet.org leadnet.org] Leadership Network
* [http://www.leadertoleader.org leadertoleader.org] Leader to Leader Institute
* [http://www.halftime.org halftime.org] Halftime Group