itor From the Editor From the Editor From the Editor From the Editor From the Ed

I ’ m thinking a lot about leadership these days . Lots of sparks igniting this topic in my head right now . One good example , a conversation I had with one of our Movers & Shakers Award honorees . I asked him about his leadership style and in his answer , this industry leader told me a story about an inspirational man he once worked for .

“ You ’ d go into a discussion with him , and the gift he would give you was that he believed more in your ability to succeed that even you did . For the teams I ’ m involved with , I ’ m trying to unblock them in a similar way ; I want to let them know they have capabilities . I want to increase people ’ s confidence .”

Check pages 14-17 to see which award-winning leader shared that story .

Like you , I ’ ve worked with good leaders and notso-good leaders . The best ones I ’ ve worked for share

GLENN HANSEN similar traits . We need effective leaders right now , in our businesses , in our families , and in our government .

In my experience , good leaders are : Encouraging : They enjoy when their people develop skills , and they publicly give credit for good efforts , while privately sharing constructive criticism as needed . Curious : Effective leaders look for ideas and input from people at all levels and across departments . And they recognize that learning is never ending . Helpful : They will show the path to success and aid people to get there because the whole team succeeds when one succeeds . Humble : They know their own strengths and the strengths of others ; they use words like “ we ” and “ our ” more frequently than “ I ” and “ mine .” Accountable : Responsibility is a dominant trait in effective leaders ; they are accountable for their actions and hold others accountable too . Analytical : While passion and emotion can help move people to action , effective leaders analyze situations and make decisions based on facts . Consistent : Effective leaders use published systems and processes to help people achieve common goals . They leave the surprises for birthday parties . Human : The best leaders are imperfect and they know it . They will admit when they make mistakes .

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The man who founded the company that is now EPG Brand Acceleration , the parent of OPE +, was the first truly good leader I worked for ( when I was a much younger man ). John Ehlert encouraged me , often critically . He was curious and he listened to all of us . He was consistent and set rules . He was immensely helpful , both personally and professionally .

If you are or might become a leader , be careful and thoughtful with this responsibility .

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4 OPE + March 2025 www . OPE-Plus . com