// PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
As a leader, we must invite people to go on that journey with us rather than requiring it.
Tom Guess CEO, NASBLA
to grow. They will amaze you with what they can accomplish!
As a leader, we must invite people to go on that journey with us rather than requiring it. We’ ll get there either way, but it’ s a much better ride when everyone wants to go rather than when you make them.
Also, simply walk around for 20-30 minutes a day to invest in and engage with people – not to talk about work but to just have a conversation to show you care. This pays great dividends. It’ s an opportunity to thank them for what they do and for their contributions to the team.
When people are engaged and feel part of the team, they’ re willing to work harder because they feel valued. Today’ s workers are not as concerned about pay as they are about being valued, and having their values aligned with their team or company.
They will challenge you and ask why, and that is okay. Engagement leads to inspiration which leads to peak performance and that leads to maximum effort!
When he has free time, it’ s all about family, followed by fishing, hunting and enjoying the great outdoors.
BI: How do you stay grounded and juggle a busy workload? TG: I’ m in a unique position in that I not only serve as the CEO of NAS- BLA. I am a bi-vocational pastor, meaning for the last six and a half years I have served as the Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Yale, Virginia. I’ m grounded in my faith: with God at the center, all things are possible, and I don’ t fear or really stress or worry about anything.
In addition, when you have a job that doesn’ t feel like work, like NAS- BLA, and you can work with awesome people that don’ t feel like coworkers but more like family, you’ ll never work a day in your life. With that said though, I do have to throttle my work, or I will work a lot. We all have 24 hours in a day. For me, it’ s eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for family / life.
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BI: Final thoughts?
TG: I’ ve shared my love of being outside and on the water with my children and others, and that’ s a gift that we can all share. We are all that story of boating and boating safety that can kindle an interest and create a love of boating and paddling to continue the legacy.
DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025
2025
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Industry insiders see rebound ahead
Wanda Kenton Smith runs Kenton Smith Marketing and is a veteran journalist, business writer and former editor of both consumer sports and marine trade magazines.
ELEVATE SUMMIT PREVIEW MARKET TRENDS: PONTOONS PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
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www. boatingindustry. com july / august 2025
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