6 leaders share tips for creating strong businesses, employees

Customer service and investing in employees are two ways leaders in Mt. Pleasant grow successful businesses, concepts that were shared through anecdotes, words of advice and general encouragement during an inaugural event hosted by the Mt. Pleasant News on Thursday, March 28.

The event, 60 Ideas in 60 Minutes, was a time for area professionals to hear 10 tips each from six leaders in the community. While participants munched on sandwiches at Airport Road Vineyard on Thursday, they were able to get ideas on how to improve their businesses. Speakers were Tim Egli, Robb Gardner, John Henriksen, Mary Koontz, Carla McNamee and Kristi Ray.

'Everyone is going through something. As leaders, we are results-oriented and driven. We can't forget that we work with people and understand or at least acknowledging the context of people's lives is extremely important,” said John Henriksen, the superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Community School District.

Everyone, and especially leaders, should be kinder than they need to be to the people they meet, Henriksen said as he shared his 10 tips for better leadership.

Henriksen's first rule is 'if we meet, we eat.”

'I know it sounds silly, but it's a rule I've stuck with throughout my years as a leader,” Henriksen said. 'Food helps us become more relational and relationship is critical to leadership.”

Another rule Henriksen lives by is to let team leaders lead. It shows you trust them, Henriksen said. Letting someone lead increases their capacity and understanding of new learning and helps them be more effective in implementing what they've learned.

Tim Egli, owner of Egli Landscapes Inc., talked about investing in people - whether customers or employees.

'The goal upon hiring someone is they become a better person while a part of our team,” Egli said.

Egli said his goal is also to create a business that is able to run without him. Delegation is critical to an organization's success, Egli said.

To be successful, Egli said it's important to seek a peer coach who will look past what you want to hear and tell you what you need to hear.

'Iron sharpens iron,” Egli said, adding that if there is no one challenging you to do better you will become stagnant.

Mary Koontz, CEO of 5 Star Community Credit Union, said that finding balance is an important aspect of being a good leader. Koontz said the key to her success is that she doesn't live to work, she works to live.

'If you're not a rounded person, you're missing something,” Koontz said.

Koontz also stressed the importance of not judging a book by its cover.

'That little girl who grew up in a small town with poor parents who never had the latest and greatest fashion may be the one who ends up running that local credit union,” Koontz said, speaking about herself. 'Every person has value and has something to add to society.”

Carla McNamee, director of finance at Hearth & Home Technologies, said that you can't be a good leader without taking time for yourself.

'In my case, from the shareholder to the employee making the product, to my family and the civic organizations I supported, I was more concerned about others than myself,” McNamee said. 'Over the past 14 months, I have selected me. I have engaged a health coach and a workout buddy. I also decided to go back for my master's degree.”

To truly be a good leader, McNamee said to get uncomfortable.

Being uncomfortable helps you grow, McNamee said. While most people don't get uncomfortable because they're afraid to fail, that's when we learn, she said.

Robb Gardner, CEO of Henry County Health Center, said the key to business is being an active listener.

Being an active listener requires testing understanding, asking questions, building ideas, giving feedback and summarizing the conversation. To test understanding, the listener can clarify by rephrasing and repeating what the speaker said.

When giving feedback, Gardner said not to be judgmental. 'Be concise, be clear, be honest,” he said.

Being an active listener is important when speaking with both employees and customers. Other ways to be successful in business are to use key performance indicators to monitor performance.

Key performance indicators can be a prediction of the future. One indicator is employee engagement and turnover rate. This should be compared to state and national numbers to know how employee satisfaction is translated in your business.

Kristi Ray, executive vice president of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, shared how she grew up in a 'business family.” Their board meetings happened around the dinner table.

'I learned about the blood, sweat and tears it takes to be a good business owner,” Ray said.

Those conversations she recalls with her parents when she was little shape how she runs the Chamber today.

Contrary to popular advice, Ray said come in to work 30 minutes late.

'I hate mornings with a passion,” Ray said with a laugh, adding that she works better from 10 p.m. to midnight than she does at 8 a.m. 'It's not for everybody but find out what your time is.”

Ray also encouraged enthusiasm.

'I have a passion for what I do,” Ray said. 'I'm blessed to have a job that lets me do that. (Mt. Pleasant) is a great place to be Chamber director.”