Who Are You As A Leader?
Randy Wolken, President & CEO

Leaders are all different – just like people. Leaders must develop their unique leadership approach. It is vitally important that we become intentional about what ours is.

I am old enough to remember the debate on whether leaders were born or made. It almost seems silly now that we even needed to have this conversation. Leaders are made – and remade – each and every day. We may have specific natural attributes we tap into. Others we will need to develop. However, each of us can choose to be a leader. I am increasingly convinced we must all put more time into developing our leadership approaches.

The best leaders I know continually develop their leadership approach. They seek to remain faithful to what they value while growing. They have a keen sense of who they are and what they are attempting to become. They never stop learning and growing. They see leadership not as a job or role but as a way to live their lives. Even though it may seem to come easy, it doesn’t. They work at it. And it shows.

We can learn about leadership from those around us. David Freund, MACNY’s Chief Leadership Officer, is just one person I learned from. David has had a variety of positions in the manufacturing sector and brings all of that experience to his current role. Dave is consistent with his style and approach. He is genuine, thoughtful, and hard-working. He is committed to helping others develop their unique leadership approaches. David is values-driven and results-oriented. Over the years, he has fine-tuned his approach. He has remained a continuous learner – always eager for new ideas and methods. Having him on our team here at MACNY is such a joy. He is just one example of the many leaders I interact with from all walks of life. I am sure you have your own leaders you can learn from, too.

What is your leadership approach? What is it in a few short words or phrases? What do you need to add? As a leader, you will need to ask these questions continually. It would be best to ask others what they think your leadership approach is. Is what they say consistent with what you are attempting to live? If not, how would you learn and improve? Stay both relevant and practical. Spend meaningful time refining and developing who you are (and who you are becoming) as a leader. Doing so will be rewarding to you and those you interact with daily!