The end-of-the-year provides an opportunity for reflection―finding inspiration in successes, lessons in defeats, and making plans for growth in the coming year. It’s also an opportunity to learn from others, to take their wisdom and experience, and blend it with our own to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

One of the many opportunities I’ve had as president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber is the chance to meet with local business and community leaders from across the state. It’s important to hear their leadership philosophy, learn their best practices, and gain from the rich experiences that have influenced their success. From these interviews, I have gathered wisdom that I would like to share with you as you plan for a bold and promising new year.  

Set clear company values

Steve Starks, president at the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies says he’d like to think of himself as a “leader among a group of really good leaders.” He said that his leadership philosophy was really informed by Larry Miller because “he believed that if you empower people closest to the business and give them autonomy as if they owned it, they will be more successful.”

Starks told me: “The Miller family is very clear on the values they want the businesses to be operated by and we emphasize those values. We try to do the right thing for the right reasons. If we’re clear on what the values are, if we provide the support and autonomy for the right people to be able to do their jobs at all levels of the organization, we believe that we will flourish. So that will create better collaboration and opportunities for people to innovate and we encourage that all throughout the organization. To me, I think a leader creates an environment where good ideas can rise to the top and even bad ideas can be floated out there.”

Hire people smarter than you

With more than 30 years of experience managing and marketing shopping centers, Linda Wardell, the general manager at City Creek Center, one of the largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects in the nation, has a collaborative leadership style. She says: “I believe the way that we succeed is [by better] working together. What I’ve learned over time is that I’m not afraid to hire people much, much smarter than I am. There are certainly some people on our team that are at the top of their game in their fields of expertise and I have the utmost respect for them. What I bring to the table for them is the ability to help them harness their horsepower, make the most of their incredible skills, and bring them to a whole new level.”

Collectively set priorities

Molly Mazzolini, partner and director of brand integration at Infinite Scale attributes their success to an environment that supports her visionary leadership style. She helps her employees by saying, “to set what matters, to set priorities, to explain why it matters, and then to work together as a team to figure out collectively and collaboratively how to get there.” Mazzolini says she will always be there for her team, “as a guide, to not only provide advice but also to help them with the destination.”

Lead with vision

“I think the most effective leaders I’ve seen are those that figured out how to lead with inspiration, with vision,” says tech industry leader Aaron Skonnard, CEO at Pluralsight. “They ignite passion in people because what they’re doing is going to make a difference in the world. They get good at articulating and sharing that, inspiring people to get behind their cause. I think the more you can figure out how that applies to your business and your leadership in that business the better off you’ll be.”

Collaborate to challenge the status quo

Joel Clark, CEO at Kodiak Cakes says his company has “tried to create a culture that’s empowering and collaborative, where people can show up and challenge the status quo and feel okay about that.” He also likes his employees to “have a license to disagree,” and explained how effective it has been in helping their team “understand where you’re weak and where you need help.” 

This is some of the memorable counsel I’ve received this year, as I have met with business leaders throughout the state and interviewed them on “CEO Success Stories,” the Salt Lake Chamber’s monthly podcast. There are many more pearls of wisdom found in those interviews, and as you prepare for a prosperous 2020 that sometime in the future I will want to sit down and learn what you do to find success and fulfillment as a business leader in Utah.