David Paul Martin
An Expatriate Living and Loving Seoul, South Korea
Who are you?
I’m David Paul Martin. I usually don’t use my full name; I prefer just ‘Dave.’ But I feel compelled to use it for this interview because there are so many David Martins writing on Medium. I live in Seoul, Korea, and for the next three months, I’m working in a little country town about 55 miles south of Seoul.
I work in the Information Technology industry but am also a writer, author, professor, and public speaker. My passion is to write and speak about leadership and management in the IT industry.
I’ve also spent many years in academia, first as a student, then as an adjunct for several universities. During the past two decades, I have been fascinated by watching how universities have resisted and embraced the move to distant learning on the internet.
Why write on Medium?
In the past several years, most of my writing has been dedicated to academic and technical writing. I find the work exciting and challenging but have long wanted to engage in a more creative outlet for my writing. I’m looking for a voice that makes my work unique. Medium is the perfect place for me to find my writing voice while also displaying my exceptional skills and talents.
What are your writing interests?
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a ‘writing junkie.’ I’ll write about almost anything. I love the challenge of making unforgettable connections by making words sing (BTW, that’s the tagline for my upcoming web site, drdaveswritesite.org).
My passion is writing about leadership and management issues that are unique to the Information Technology industry. Because of our over-emphasis on technology and the unusual way we select our management teams, the IT career field has some significant leadership challenges that stifle a lot of our industry’s productivity.
But I don’t limit my writing to IT leadership and management. I write about many personal experiences, issues facing contemporary Christianity, travel, and contemporary social issues. I’m also exploring other freelance opportunities in the area of content and copywriting (one has to make a living somehow). I enjoy the challenge of writing winning business proposals and white papers, even though the latter is much more involved than blogging or copywriting.
What do you hope to accomplish by writing?
In a world filled with noise, I’m hoping that my writing will add a unique voice to the world. I want my voice to reach far beyond my limited ‘physical’ circle of friends, acquaintances, and business colleagues. I’ve had many, many professional and personal experiences and opportunities that have given me quite a unique perspective on the world. In a world that seems obsessed with negative news and depressing stories, I hope to shed a little positivity, encouragement, humor, and enlightenment as an option to all the dreariness in the world.
Can you share a highlight of your life?
In a world that seems to have disdained marriage, the highlight of my life is Jan, my wife, and a lifelong partner. Over the years, she has indeed been the ‘wind beneath my wings.’ We have shared life together and supported each of our passions throughout the years. The key to our success is learning when to come together as a couple, and when to enjoy our separate endeavors (Hmmm….sounds like a blog topic.)
Share a few of your article links with us?
Do you write anywhere else?
Not yet, but I’m in the process of finishing my first book — “My Great American Childhood.” I just got it back from my editor, and my goal is to publish it on Amazon by mid-February 2020.
Any big plans for 2020?
I’m making plans to transition from the corporate world to the “1099 life” in April– the life of an independent consultant. I’m working on building my freelance writing business. Additionally, since I have the ‘perfect storm’ of academic credentials (a Ph.D. in Information Technology) and over 24 years as an engineer covering the entire spectrum of IT from programming to networking to cybersecurity, I’m hoping to land a couple of good independent consulting gigs from time to time.
Can you recommend other authors in your niche?
My favorite contemporary leadership and management books are Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” and Daniel Pink’s “Drive.” More than any other authors, these two gentlemen have captured the essence of what is wrong with today’s corporate leadership and have proposed robust solutions.
Another favorite is Dr. Jim Collins. His bestselling books, “Good to Great” and “How the Mighty Fall,” are must-reads for any serious student of leadership and management.
Share this interview:
