The Rev. Floyd Flake: Bootstrap Your Way To Success

by HOWARD GIRSKY New York City’s quintessential "bootstrapper" is clearly The Rev. Floyd Flake. In many ways, he is the product of his new book, "The Way of the Bootstrapper," published by Harper San Francisco ($23).
The former Jamaica Congressman learned the bootstrapper’s skills growing up in the segregated South in a family with 13 children, eight of whom were raised in a tiny two-bedroom house.
From those humble beginnings, Flake rose to national prominence on his strong faith and extraordinary political skills. His accomplishments are a familiar story to New Yorkers. He created the $23 million Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral complex which includes a credit union, a clinic and Head Start classrooms for the (so far) 11,000 members.
The Cathedral’s 825 employees are scattered over 26 blocks of southeast Queens. Flake’s undertakings blend soulcraft and community development. After Kennedy Airport, the Cathedral is the second largest employer in what used to be his congressional district.
But behind Flake’s dynamism was his adherence to the nine action steps that sound very much like the makings of a platform Flake would espouse if he sought the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York City. It provides an end run around City Hall handouts and federal fiats, depending instead on the self-reliance and faith.
Flake has codified the bootstrapping philosophy into nine action steps. They include:
•Learn Yourself-Self knowledge is the key to the kingdom.
•Claim What’s Yours – claiming your good is your declaration of intent.
•Plan Your Destiny – Planning is a self-creating success prophecy.
•Work Together, Build Together – There is power in numbers.
•Seize Opportunities – Positive opportunism is a win-win situation for everyone.
•Deal with Crises – Into every life, some rain will fall.
•Take the Lead – Leadership is the art of inspiring people to achieve.
•Stretch! All barriers to mastery are self-imposed.
•Create a Lasting Legacy – Today’s actions create tomorrow’s legacy.