The Art of Leadership

(l-r) Don Jones, DMZ Enterprises and Marino Orlandi, Fifth-Third Bank

The Art of Leadership is not just about the head, it is about the heart. Do you have the guts, heart, and soul to lead? Don Jones, DMZ Enterprises

On September 23rd, Gallery Guichard hosted The Art of Leadership, an empowering event for entrepreneurs and professionals. The event was sponsored and hosted by Marino Orlandi, Vice-President of Fifth Third Bank and Calvin Toone, Assistant Vice President of Fifth-Third Bank. The guest speaker was Don Jones of DMZ Enterprises who is a longtime friend and mentor of Orlandi and Orlandi is friend and mentor of Toone.

Calvin Toone, Fifth-Third Bank

Before the event, Jones said that, “these are tough times but exciting times. It is time for leaders to take hold, take charge, and step up.” Jones has 30 years of sales and executive leadership in companies like American Express, IBM, Sears, and other Fortune 500 Companies.

(r-l) Andre and Frances Guichard of Gallery Guichard

During his lecture, Jones honed in on five main points for leaders and potential leaders:

1. Have Vision - people who work for you expect you to have some vision. Where are you taking them? Where are you taking the business? Every vision also has to have a plan. A vision without a plan is a disaster.

2. Intense Customer Focus - If you’re doing this right, your customers will know they are important. Customers are the purpose of our work.

3. People - Be selective with people you partner with. Be selective with people you hire. Look for passion about goals. Do they attain their goals? Do they stick with them? Do they keep their promises?

4. Accountability and Empowerment - You are responsible for anything and everything within your reach. Empower your employees and subdue your ego because you want someone who is passionate to take your job.

5. Respect and Inclusion - Let your employees know, “if you are on this team, you are important.” Begin with respecting yourself. Do you respect the gift you have been given? You have a moral responsibility to use it to the fullest. Maximize others’ gifts and they will go to the top of the mountain for you. Your investors are not buying into your company, they are buying into you.

Jones also said that leaders need to learn how to partner with one another and that this is no environment to be solo. It is also not an environment to be cheap. People have stopped leading, they have stopped training, and they have stopped spending money.

Respect and Inclusion begins with you and encompasses everyone you come into contact with. If you are not trusting enough, you do not have enough faith. Jones quoted Dr. Michael Bristol, “If you don’t risk, you don’t grow. If you don’t grow, you can’t be your best. If you are not being your best, you cannot be happy.” Metropolis

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