What's Next? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Do you find yourself asking “what’s next?” more often than before? We seem to be on the verge of emerging into what will...

Can Everyone Be A Change Leader? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Can you imagine what companies and organizations would be like if everyone could be a change leader? Properly channeled,...

We Must Continue To Operate Safely Randy Wolken, President & CEO  We are now in a critical phase of our battle with COVID-19 here in Central New York. As a...

What's Your Growth Strategy? Randy Wolken, President & CEO The pandemic has taken its toll on so many individuals and organizations. Many have been trying to survive each day the...

When Will This Pandemic End And What Should We Focus On? Randy Wolken, President & CEO In my role as President & CEO of MACNY and as a member of...

Communicate for Success During a Crisis Randy Wolken, President & CEO A crisis requires substantially more communication and different kinds of interactions. Leaders at all levels need to recognize this...

We Need To Stay Focused On Being Safely Open We are now entering a very challenging time in our fight against COVID-19 and its impacts. As much of the United...

The Post-COVID Economy is Resulting in a Deep Divide Between Mid & High Skills and Lower Skills Workers Randy Wolken, President & CEO U.S. workers are emerging from the pandemic...

Patience, Perseverance, and the Future Randy Wolken, President & CEO I can be an impatient person. However, it is not when I am at my best. One needs patience to...

Are You Prepared for the Post-COVID World? Randy Wolken, President & CEO We are less than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. However, so much has changed. And even more...

How Do You Build Resiliency? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Times of stress and rapid change are unique periods. They test our stamina, mental agility, ability to adapt, and our...

The Best Leaders Are Influencers Randy Wolken, President & CEO We all have our favorite leaders who have demonstrated they have influence well beyond their official positions. When they are...

The Need for Workers in Manufacturing Grows Randy Wolken, President & CEO Over the last few weeks, I have seen a noticeable increase in the number of job openings for...

Manufacturers are Resilient Randy Wolken, President & CEO This crisis has revealed, once again, that manufacturers in New York State are resilient. Most have been open in some capacity despite...

Do you know the best way to ride your rollercoaster? Randy Wolken, President & CEO If you are like me, you get to ride the daily rollercoaster of challenges and...

Gone Fishin' Randy Wolken, President & CEO A popular song of 1951 named Gone Fishin’ sung by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong filled my mind recently. I was heading out...

Be a Friend Randy Wolken, President & CEO Balancing your role as a leader and a friend is one of the hardest things to do as a leader. Senior leaders...

Our Reopening Continues Safely Randy Wolken, President & CEO  We are now in the fourth and final phase of the CNY Reopening. As a member of the CNY Control Group,...

Our Digital, Distance, and Virtual World Randy Wolken, President & CEO Our world has been radically altered. I, for one, miss so much about the world we just left. I...

How Are You Staying Healthy? Randy Wolken, President & CEO The pandemic has inserted an incredible amount of change and stress into our lives. So much change so fast is...

A Fourth of July to Remember Randy Wolken, President & CEO We live in unique times. America has not faced a pandemic of this magnitude since 1918. On this Independence...

What’s Your Plan Now? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Plans need to correspond to the times in which we live. When life changes dramatically on us, we must adjust our...

Our Reopening Must Continue Safely Randy Wolken, President & CEO Central New York is now in Phase 3 of Reopening. As a member of the CNY Control Group, I can...

Is it Time for a Staycation? Randy Wolken, President & CEO This time of year, in a typical year, most of us start thinking about our summer vacation plans. It’s...

Respect, Diversity and Manufacturing Randy Wolken, President & CEO Respect, diversity, empathy, and fairness are just some of the words that come to mind when I think of our manufacturing...

Learn to Enjoy Your New Workday Randy Wolken, President & CEO If you are like most of us, your former ordinary workday was not like it is now, but rather...

What is in my control? Randy Wolken, President & CEO In times of great uncertainty, it is easy to lose our direction. We cannot rely on our predictive capabilities. The...

Reopening Our Economy Safely Randy Wolken, President & CEO This week I was appointed to the Central New York Regional Control Room. This is a group working to assist our...

Manufacturers are Open Safely – and Ready to Spur Our Economic Revival Randy Wolken, President & CEO Essential manufacturers have been open safely since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic....

Foresight is Needed Now Randy Wolken, President & CEO As leaders and individuals, we like to know what is coming next. We like to be prepared. Often, we use historical...

Some Things COVID-19 Has Not Changed Randy Wolken, President & CEO Last week I wrote about things I believe COVID-19 has changed. It is still early, but I offered a...

COVID-19 Has Changed Our Work Forever Randy Wolken, President & CEO Work as we know it has been changed, by what some are now calling, The Great Pause. It gave...

During a Crisis, Leaders Need to Destress Daily Randy Wolken, President & CEO We live in a stress-filled time. COVID-19 has dramatically impacted all of us. It’s a daily rollercoaster....

How does a leader prepare for a crisis? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders have to prepare for a crisis. However, it is one of the toughest events to prepare...

Leaders Find a Way Forward Randy Wolken, President & CEO The future could be unclear and uncertain for you right now. Your time may be filled with crisis management, fear...

How Do Leaders Respond to Fear? Randy Wolken, President & CEO I went to the grocery store Sunday night and I was astonished by the empty shelves in a place...

Leaders Help Others Find Their Flow Randy Wolken, President & CEO Finding your flow is critical. Helping others find their flow is how leaders excel at their craft. How do...

Have You Heard of the 80/40/10 Rule? Randy Wolken, President & CEO I am always looking for ways to improve. I just discovered a new way to help me get...

Small Changes and Transformation Randy Wolken, President & CEO Big ideas and big changes are all the rage today. You can read about it everywhere. However, most sustainable change does...

What’s Your Leadership Brand? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders are all different – just like people. Leaders must develop their own unique leadership style and approach. This becomes our...

What Changes Are You Making in 2020? Randy Wolken, President & CEO If you are like most people, you decided to make some changes in 2020. Small or large they...

Confidence Through Setbacks Randy Wolken, President & CEO Life comes with obstacles and setbacks. Nothing of significance can be achieved without risk and occasional failure. Show me one successful leader...

Retreat to Advance Randy Wolken, President & CEO Each year I go on a silent weekend retreat. It’s my annual way to step back, reflect, and rest. I am convinced...

Rest and Work Randy Wolken, President & CEO Is it just me or does everyone seem more tired and stressed than they used to? We have more labor-saving devices than...

Learn More and Remember More Randy Wolken, President & CEO To thrive today we must learn more and be able to use it effectively in the future. We can learn...

Do You Protect Your Most Precious Asset? Randy Wolken, President & CEO We spend a great deal of time and money protecting our assets. We lock up our valuables and...

Are You Rushing? Randy Wolken, President & CEO It all seems to move too fast for me. I remember a slower time, a different era. Many days I miss it....

The Best Leaders Give the Greatest Gift to Those They Lead – Their Time. Randy Wolken, President & CEO There is only one resource that is truly used up –...

Now is a Good Time to Create Your Future Randy Wolken, President & CEO The beginning of a new year is a good time to take stock of where you...

Wellness, Effectiveness, and Kindness Randy Wolken, President & CEO In 1978, a seemingly straightforward experiment was designed to determine the relationship between high blood cholesterol and heart health in rabbits....

Gratefulness Randy Wolken, President & CEO During this week of Thanksgiving, it’s a good time to remember to be grateful. But truthfully, we need to do this more than once...

Are You Building Resiliency? Randy Wolken, President & CEO You and I will be tested this week. We will. Both you and I know that our best-laid plans will be...

Good Leaders Rise Above Stressful Situations As a leader, you will be stressed – frequently, if not daily. I have never been in a leadership role that did not routinely...

Good Leaders Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously Randy Wolken, President & CEO Life is certainly serious. But as a leader, don’t let yourself take it too seriously. During a typical...

Wellness and Happiness are Important for Leaders Randy Wolken, President & CEO How do leaders handle the stresses of their work? What tools are essential for success? I rank a...

What is Your Most Valuable Asset? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Think for a minute and identify for yourself what your most valuable asset is as a leader? What did...

Why Hitting Rock Bottom is a Good Thing Randy Wolken, President & CEO Change is so very hard. And yet, it is what we all must be doing all the...

The Present Needs to be About Creating the Future Randy Wolken, President & CEO I am constantly reminded that today is all I really have to work with. As leaders,...

Leadership is Primarily About Influence Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leadership is not about position. At first, it appears to be. But, over the medium and long term, I have...

Leaders Let Anxiety Be Their Friend Randy Wolken, President & CEO Anxiety is a natural part of being a leader. Whenever you are involved in high stakes decisions and high...

Great Leaders Make Great Friends Randy Wolken, President & CEO What are the characteristics of a great leader? In my opinion, they are the same as those of a truly...

Remember Who You Are! Randy Wolken, President & CEO Chaos can envelop us all. The world we live in is 24/7 and often confusing. It is easy to lose who...

Our Growth Only Happens with Others Randy Wolken, President & CEO We cannot grow exclusively on our own accord. Times have changed. The world is too complicated and moving too...

Who are the Best Hires? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Hiring is one of the most important activities an organization will undertake. In the future, it will only become more...

Are You a Risk Taker? Randy Wolken, President & CEO What is your tolerance for risk taking? As leaders, this is an important question for us. In today’s fast-moving world,...

When Does Your Team Dream the Future? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Staying ahead of the changes occurring in the world today is difficult. It can be a grind and...

Good Leaders are People People Randy Wolken, President & CEO You have to be a person focused on people if you are going to be successful as a leader. The...

Leaders Enhance Dignity Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders need to enhance the dignity of their teams, stakeholders, and customers. Over the past 20 years, we have learned a lot...

Leadership in Times of Need Randy Wolken, President & CEO I recently had the opportunity to visit Gerald Ford’s Presidential Museum while on vacation with my parents. My Dad and...

Want to be Followed? Lead! Randy Wolken, President & CEO I know this sounds incredibly simple, but it certainly is not. Leading is one of the hardest things a person...

Be Authentically You Randy Wolken, President & CEO We tend to worry about what others think about us. If we are not careful, we can spend a lot of our...

Who Will Help Me Accomplish My Dreams? Randy Wolken, President & CEO We all have dreams. Dreams for how our days, months, and lives will turn out. But how do...

24 Hours Randy Wolken, President & CEO “If you tell me what you did today, I will tell you who you are.” I recently read an article titled with this...

Good Leaders Lead by Example More Than by Advice Randy Wolken, President & CEO As leaders, we will be judged more by what we do than by what we say....

Achievement Gains and Gaps Randy Wolken, President & CEO When you consider how you are doing, are you evaluating both your achievement gains and gaps? There is a very big...

When Do You Recharge? Randy Wolken, President & CEO I recharge my electronic devices every night. I plug in my phone, my watch, and my computer. They need that daily...

168 Hours Randy Wolken, President & CEO We all get 168 hours each week. Rich, poor, and everyone in between only gets 168 hours. The week is the most useful...

Helping Others Thrive Randy Wolken, President & CEO This week at MACNY’s Annual Dinner we celebrated 106 years of service to the manufacturing community. Wow. Over a century of service...

Today is the Best Day of the Year Randy Wolken, President & CEO It’s really easy to see the hardship and challenges of our lives. It can be discouraging and...

Do What You Don’t Know How to Do Randy Wolken, President & CEO When I was young, I was taught to do the things that I knew how to do...

Success and Likability Randy Wolken, President & CEO Likability matters more than almost any other trait in a leader. It’s not that the other parts of a competent leader are...

Simple Pleasures Randy Wolken, President & CEO The world is throwing a lot at us each day. I witness and write about fast-paced change in a global economy. Life is...

Your Toughest Critic Randy Wolken, President & CEO Who is your toughest critic? For most of us, we are our own. Although true, it can have significant impacts on our...

What do I do when I lose my confidence? Randy Wolken, President & CEO It has happened to all of us at some point. We lose our confidence. We become...

It’s Snowing Again?!? Randy Wolken, President & CEO It’s April 1st and as I look out my window it is snowing again. When the snow first comes in the Winter,...

How Do We Stay Creative? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Our work can quickly become a grind. Whether our business is growing, holding steady, or losing ground, our work can...

How Big is Our Economy? Randy Wolken, President & CEO Sometimes it is difficult to appreciate the sheer size of both the United States’ and New York’s economy. It is...

Lessons from the Toll Booth Randy Wolken, President & CEO I recently read about a toll road experience that made me stop and think. A commuter noticed that of the...

Leaders Retain Top Talent Randy Wolken, President & CEO As leaders, it is our job to help our organizations retain top talent. With the critical shortage of workers in manufacturing,...

Successful Leaders Play the Long Game Randy Wolken, President & CEO We all know leaders who play to win – in the short term. They can be brilliant at it....

Leaders Stay Calm Randy Wolken, President & CEO It’s rather easy to get worked up as a leader. The project is not going as planned. Individuals are not performing as...

Leadership is a Group Activity Randy Wolken, President & CEO Solo leaders are destined to fail. The stories of solitary successful leaders are myths. Modern business media sources relate how...

Leaders Remind Themselves Who They Are Randy Wolken, President & CEO I write this message from my hometown of West Point, Nebraska. Some of you may know that I grew...

What Are You Excited About? Randy Wolken, President & CEO It is so easy to spend our time in worry and fear. It is so easy to see what is...

Can You Smile Through the Struggles? Randy Wolken, President & CEO I hear it almost every day. I hear of the struggles. They are as varied as the person I...

Letting Go of the Old Randy Wolken, President & CEO The future beckons us, but to get there we must let go of the old. This is the essence of...

New Year’s Resolutions Randy Wolken, President & CEO We have learned a lot about changing human behavior more recently. Much research has been conducted and new information is released daily...

Skills You Need to Stay Competitive in 2019 Randy Wolken, President & CEO As we move into 2019, it is important to evaluate how competitive our businesses are for the...

Be Bold – Be Vulnerable. By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Being vulnerable is usually the last thing we want to be. As an individual performer, team member, or leader,...

Season of Light By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Christmas and Holiday Times are seasons of light. Lights are everywhere and present in all the traditional faith celebrations. Light is...

Laughter is Contagious By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO When your team is together do they laugh? This seems like a silly question for leaders – but it is a...

When Do You Reset? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Year end is here. For many, it is the end of the fiscal year as well. Inventories are being tallied...

Deceptively Different By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO I know today does not feel different than yesterday. However, it is. The speed of change effects every day of our lives...

It All Starts With Gratitude By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO This week we celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation.  To me, it seems like an appropriate time to stop and...

A Leader’s Real Ability to be Truly Influential By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO A leader’s real ability to be truly influential, is our ability to be influenced. It is...

Great Leaders Make It Personal By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO As a leader, everything we do must be tailored to the people we serve and lead.  Commodities are not...

Leaders Must Lead the Change By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Recently, I have spent a lot of time visiting member companies and working on growth projects in our community. ...

Small Habit Changes Can Lead to Big Advances By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO I don’t know about you, but some days it all seems a little overwhelming. The world...

Are You Fit to Lead? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO I know this question may sound overly personal, but it is an important one.  Are you physically fit to...

Why Are 70% of Employees Not Engaged at Work? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Did you know that according to Gallup, a full 70% of employees are either not...

Good Leaders Increase Retention – and Outcomes By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Did you know that 1 out of 2 workers say they left a previous job to escape...

A Focus on Customer Experience is How a Company Succeeds Today By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Every industry is being transformed by the expectations of customers.  Manufacturing is no...

The Use of Degrees in Hiring is Changing – and it Will Continue By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Our members continue to tell me just how hard it is...

Great Leader Behavior Matters – Just Ask Google By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Companies are constantly challenged to perform at their highest level.  In today’s fast paced world, we...

Life is Hard – Be Kind By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO As a leader, we will encounter many people today who have serious concerns in their lives.  Most will...

Manage Emotions First By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Good leaders need to have good ideas.  They also need to be able to execute on them.  This is where managing...

Good Leaders Don’t Network By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Networking is all the rage.  Open any self-help, business advice book and it will likely tell you to network.  Don’t...

What Does a Leader Do with Their Mistakes? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO  We all make mistakes.  We all get it wrong.  It is a fact of life.  So,...

Take Scheduled Breaks By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO In today’s hyper-fast and globally competitive world, it is easy to believe we have no time for rest.  We must keep...

Slowness Kills By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO We have probably all heard the phrase that “speed kills.” In business, it is slowness that kills.  When the world is accelerating,...

Are You at Your Best? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Most of what a leader does is witnessed, not heard.  We go to meetings.  We interact with our teams. ...

Leadership and Ownership By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Owners just act differently.  We take care of what we own so much better than if we rent something.  When it...

Leadership and Digital Distraction By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO We live in a connected world.  At one point, smartphones were a luxury for leaders and their teams.  Now, they...

Great Leaders Focus on Relationships By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO The best leaders I have ever worked with knew how to form and maintain outstanding relationships. Sure, they were...

Mentors Ask Questions By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Are you a good mentor?  Leaders at all levels of an organization need to be and have great mentors.  Leadership is...

What I Learned While Leading a Hot Meal Program for Those in Need By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Recently our team volunteered at the Samaritan Center, a community-based hot...

Savor the Special Moments By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Life will usually give us some special moments to savor – don’t miss them. This Father’s Day weekend, I will...

It’s Time to Get Emotional By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO If you are like me, you were taught that leaders control their emotions.  Especially while at the United States...

Why Goal Setting Matters By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Our world is moving fast – to the future.  It is a fact of life.  How are we to respond? ...

In a World of Technology Growth, It’s Our Humanness That Will Stand Out You will hear me and many others talk about the speed of technology growth.  It is a...

Are You Making a Difference? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Everyone I know wants to be making a difference – in both small and larger ways.  Are you making...

Where Does a Leader Turn for Help? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders need more help than ever.  What they are responsible for continues to grow as the environment...

Culture Trumps Strategy By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Increasingly, an organization’s culture is more important than its strategy. At some level, this was always the case.  However, today it...

What Do Leaders Do When They Are Exhausted? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders get exhausted and run down.  Why? They are people too.  They have home responsibilities, relationships...

Managing Setbacks By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO It is so hard to be a leader today.  Really – it is more difficult than ever.  Why? We must live with...

Get Away to Get Ahead By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Do you ever feel like you are caught up?  Many I meet do not.  The treadmill seems to move...

When Do You Create the Future? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO The future does not just happen.  As a leader, you must actively spend time creating the future –...

Leaders Are People Too By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Sometimes we can forget that our leaders are people too.  They have feelings, concerns, and experiences like everyone else.  They...

Leading Through Adversity By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders are most tested when leading their teams and organizations through adversity.  Time and time again I get to see leadership...

Which Moments Do You Remember? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Think back over the last few years.  Which moments do you remember?  Most of us remember celebrations, hard challenges,...

Leaders Must Give Hope By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders must be primary givers of hope.  In today’s world filled with plenty of things to worry about, we look...

Smile – It Can Make You More Successful By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Did you know that smiling can make you more successful?  I’m here to tell you that...

Slow Down – to Be Creative By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO We are constantly encouraged to move quickly.  Moving fast and constantly has become the way we are instructed...

Leaders Never Go It Alone By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO There is a great myth in most of the leadership stories you read in the popular press. The myth...

Today the World is Your Market By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Every manufacturer now has the opportunity to sell to the global market.  Small, medium, and large manufacturers are...

Are You Changing Daily? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Recently, I spoke to the students of SUNY Morrisville.  I briefed them on the economy and what the future holds...

How Do You Do the Impossible? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Doing what seems impossible is a large part of being a leader today.  What was once impossible has...

When and Where Are You Able to Find Quiet? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO  Are you able to find time to be quiet?  If so, where and when do...

Do You Know Where You Are? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO  In order for you to create your future – and a plan to begin to get there –...

Do You Have New Year’s Resolutions? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Each year millions of Americans make a resolution for the new year.  Only eight percent are kept.  In...

What Do You Want in 2018? The new year is upon us.  Like most, I ask, where did 2017 go?  The year went way too fast for me!  But, now...

Are You Happy? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO As we close another year, it is important to take stock of our lives.  We need to ask ourselves if we...

Are You Making Connections? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO  Leaders require relationships with others.  To lead successfully means you are able to capture the hearts of others and move...

Are You a Great Collaborator? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO One of the critical skills for leaders and team members is collaboration.  However, in my experience, it is one...

Are You Available? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO As a leader or team member, are you present and available when the need arises?  The speed of business has never...

What Makes A Great Leader? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO  We all know good leaders.  They are everywhere we look.  They are at our schools, in our communities, and...

Are You Resilient? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO As a leader, are you resilient?  Do you stay committed to accomplishing the task at-hand despite the obstacles?  Do you have...

Leaders Listen By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Listening has become one of the key skillsets for leaders at all levels of successful businesses today.  To be a great leader...

A Leader Must Have a Compelling Vision By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO The difference between being a leader and a manager is vision.  To truly be a leader you...

Are You a Positive Leader? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Being a positive leader in our fast-changing and often chaotic world has become a competitive advantage.  It is far...

What is 21st Century Leadership? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Has leadership changed in this century?  Do we need to lead differently than before?  These are constant questions I...

Are you ready for the future?  Well, it’s now! By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO The largest present – and future - workforce is comprised of millennials. However, most organizations...

Are You Ready to Lead in the 21st Century? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO Leaders in this century will need to be different.  Why?  Because our emerging economy –...

Can Leaders Actually Create a Happier and More Productive New Year? By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO It’s the Holiday Season and we are constantly wishing and hearing others wish...

From the desk of Randy Wolken... President & CEO Weekly thoughts and insights from MACNY's President & CEO, Randy Wolken, designed to inspire and provoke thought among leaders within MACNY's...

From the desk of Randy Wolken... President & CEO Weekly thoughts and insights from MACNY's President & CEO, Randy Wolken, designed to inspire and provoke thought among leaders within MACNY's...

From the desk of Randy Wolken... President & CEO Weekly thoughts and insights from MACNY's President & CEO, Randy Wolken, designed to inspire and provoke thought among leaders within MACNY's...