Welcome to 2024 and this year’s edition of In Compliance Magazine’s Annual Reference Guide!
Some 30 years ago, a group of eighth and ninth graders from a public school in Harlem (New York City) faced off against the strongest national chess players in the National Junior High Chess Championship. The Raging Rocks, as they were known, didn’t have any of the advantages of their competitors, most of whom were from elite private schools and who entered the competition with years of training and experience playing the game. By contrast, each of the Rocks’ team members learned chess relatively late in their young lives, somehow managing to navigate life in neighborhoods overrun by crime, violence, and drugs to carve out time to learn the game.
Fortunately, the Raging Rocks were coached by Maurice Ashley, a 20-something man originally from Jamaica, who could “see potential where others had missed it.” Unlike other coaches who tap into the existing talent of their players, Ashley instead focused on fostering his players’ interest in the game, finding ways to make learning chess fun, and letting his team members find their “hidden potential.”
In the end, the Raging Rocks beat their competitors from the Dalton School in the final round of the competition, ending up tied for first place in the National Junior High Chess Championship. Coach Ashley’s approach, building on the intrinsic motivation of his team players, took the Raging Rocks from nonplayers to national champions.
The story of the Raging Rocks, shared by Adam Grant in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, gives fresh meaning to the mantra “what counts is not how hard you work but how much you grow.” At a time when chaos and uncertainty seem to be ever-present in our daily lives, focusing our time and energy on doing what we love and discovering (or rediscovering) how we can grow can provide us with a strong and positive focal point as we navigate the future. And it can also inspire others to follow our example by taking on challenges and opportunities that help us all to emerge stronger.
Here at In Compliance Magazine, an important part of our mission is to help each and every one of our readers grow by building their knowledge and understanding of the increasingly complex regulatory compliance landscape. Our publication provides an essential forum for the sharing of our collective experience and expertise, while also providing the members of our community with important information they need to further develop their own knowledge. Toward that end, the 2024 edition of our Annual Reference Guide reprints 16 of the articles we published in 2023 that were most frequently read and referenced by our readers. In this way, our Annual Reference Guide can serve as a valuable resource in our individual efforts to grow.
As always, we thank our wonderful team of editorial contributors who, by sharing their knowledge, help all of us to grow. We also thank our readers for their continuing commitment to our publication and for freely sharing their perspectives on how we do even better. And, finally, we couldn’t do what we do without our loyal advertisers, whose financial support makes our vision a reality. Together, we can all face the future together with optimism, hope, and happiness.
Sincerely,
Bill von Achen
Features Editor
In Compliance Magazine
