Leadership Resources
The MetroNorth Chamber is proud to offer impactful leadership resources and programming on a variety of topics. Below is more information as well as links to helpful resources.
Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions, making intentional decisions, and empowering those around you. Here are three key takeaways from our 2024 Annual Meeting keynote speaker, Dustin E. James, to strengthen your leadership skills today:
1. Lead with Clarity
Uncertainty can stall progress. Clearly define your vision, communicate expectations, and ensure your team understands the “why” behind their work.
2. Prioritize People
Strong leaders invest in relationships. Listen actively, provide constructive feedback, and recognize the efforts of those you lead. A culture of trust fuels performance.
3. Embrace Growth
Leadership is a journey, not a destination. Stay open to learning, adapt to new challenges, and seek mentorship to continuously improve.
Want to dive deeper into leadership strategies that drive real results? Visit Dustin's website to learn how more about him and his leadership resources.
Our Working with Women crew had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Dave Webb on how they can hit their leadership skills out of the park at the May meeting. See below for some of his takeaways.
IROD – The Basis of Homerun Leadership – Leadership Types
Descriptive Name | Shorthand Name
Information | 1st Baser
Reactions | 2nd Baser
Options | 3rd Baser
Decision | 4th Baser
What each “baser” is looking for in a decision-making process:
Information: Do we have all the INFORMATION on this topic?
Reactions: Do we have everyone’s REACTIONS to the information?
Options: Have we brainstormed all the OPTIONS, listed pros and cons of each, and prioritized the list?
Decision: Is the DECISION the will of the group?
You can quickly increase your leadership success by understanding IROD and “running the bases” in order.
Regular Leaders vs. Homerun Leaders
“Regular Leaders make decisions independently without gathering all the information or allowing the team to reach and research alternative options, creating mistrust and resistance.”
“Homerun Leaders gather the best information, the team’s reactions to this information, brainstorm together and prioritize options to reach a team decision.”
Read more about Dr. Dave Webb’s Homerun Leadership strategy in his book “Homerun Leadership: Your Guide to Better, Faster Team Decisions”, now available in our Leadership Library!
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt spoke to MetroNorth members as part of a leadership lunch and learn. Sheriff Witt shared her powerful story of strength, perseverance, and grit in both her personal and professional life. When asked what we could do to be a community change maker like herself, she encouraged all of us to get to know our neighbors…strong neighborhoods deter crime. She also reminded us to remember the humanness in people, including those behind the badge.
Our 2024 Excellence in Business Awards Luncheon speaker, Scott Welle left the crowd motivated to achieve new heights. Scott has spent more than 15 years helping people ‘raise their game,’ personally and professionally through his own experience in ‘outperforming the norm’ in his own life (he’s completed 34 marathons, 5 Ironman triathlons, a 100-mile ultra marathon!) See below for his takeaways.
- Have D.U.M.B Goals
- Goals that are dream driven, unrealistic, meaningful, and benefit others
- Set the O.P.P.
- Outcome Goals are the end destination – they provide motivation and direction.
- Performance Goals are benchmarks, checkpoints, milestones – they provide feedback of whether you’re on pace.
- Process Goals are 100% controllable actions and activities – they provide empowerment efficiency and effectiveness.
- Execute with Excellence
- Own it, Live it, Love it, Shove it, Internalize it, Externalize it, Stack it, Track it, Speak it, Tweak it. Daily execution requires turning our lengthy to-do list into a limited strategic priorities list. And when this happens, individually AND collectively, extraordinary results are achieved.
For learn more about Scott, or even connect with him, visit his website.
Steve Fredlund, captivated the crowd at the MetroNorth 2023 Annual Meeting with his inspirational stories and humor as he led us in our journey to unlocking greater happiness – the safari way. From understanding how external pressures impact decisions to empowering everyone and pursuing the experience they truly want to sharing five practical ways to become happier in every area of their life, including “get the right peeps in your jeeps” and doing the “unright” thing), not a single moment was wasted in this adventure.
Here are Steve’s “Big 5” – Keys to Becoming Happier the Safari Way:
- Choose Your Experience – you have a lot more choice in how you live than you think you do!
- Get the Right Peeps in Your Jeeps – are the people you are surrounded by pursuing the same mission as you?
- Do the “Unright” Thing – sometimes doing the thing that seems wrong, or unirght, is exactly what you need to do!
- Take in the View – slow down, pause, and take a moment to reflect.
- Embrace the Adventure – life is all about the highs and lows, and ups and downs. Learn to embrace all of it, as you would an epic adventure because that is what life is – an EPIC adventure!
If you would like more resources from Steve “Safari Dude” Fredlund, visit SteveFredlund.com/Resources, which includes the "Get the Right Peeps Quick Start Guide" and his article, "Leadership Lessons from the Cape Buffalo."
Further, everyone is invited to subscribe to Steve's monthly email newsletter, "The Safari Way." The newsletter focuses on encouraging readers to live out the “Big 5” of The Safari Way that he shared with us: Choose YOUR experience, get the right peeps in the jeep, do the unright thing, take in the view, and embrace the adventure. The newsletter also keeps Steve’s community up to date on new resources, upcoming retreats and even actual African safaris!
To join the mailing list, or to connect with Steve, simply send an email to Steve@SteveFredlund.com.
If you're a business owner, you know that your company is not just a job, it's your livelihood. That's why it's crucial to have a comprehensive estate plan in place. Steve Helseth of Bolt Law Firm dove into everything from basic estate planning documents to unique business aspects that impact your estate plan. We discussed the importance of business entities and company records books, liability protection, and estate taxes that can affect business owners. We also explored different scenarios for passing on your business, from selling to a third party to passing it down to a child or key employee.
Your online reputation can make or break your business. With the increasing importance of online reviews and social media presence, it's crucial to manage your reputation online. Dick Fisher of e-Merge Online Marketing, shared effective steps and strategies to implement in your business help you build a great online image.
WEBSITE: Overview of Online Reviews and Why They Matter
BLOG: Online Reviews and Their Impact on Senior Living Communities
Stay Connected with e-Merge Online Marketing Through Facebook
Are you on track with your business or personal goals? Stefani Havel (Stefani Havel LLC), Brandy Gilbert (Urban Air Adventure Park/Crisp & Green), and Mike Kaeding (Norhart) shared wisdom and strategies to help us achieve success during our mid-year review.
Mike Kaeding, CEO of Norhart and Past Chair of the Board of Directors, spoke on the business practices he has implemented in his business that has gained Norhart great success and worldwide attention.
Books
No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings (Chairman of Netflix)
Kristen Ireland, People Spark Consulting guided us on how to create the focus needed for yourself and your teams to achieve your business success that starts with establishing clear goals that drive key behaviors for yourself and your team.
Books
The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results
Blog: Tie Business Goals to Behavior and Watch Employee Engagement Soar
Scott Hanson and Andrea Bolin from Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, guided us on the values servant leadership.
Books
Brandy Gilbert of Crisp & Green Blaine guided us on how to capitalize upon our strengths in our personal and professional lives.
Articles
Leader Authenticity Starts With Knowing Yourself
Great Leaders Have These Behaviors in Common
Book
Strengths Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath (find in the Leadership Library)
Stefani Havel of Sales Strategy Network led the charge in our discussion on personal behavior styles us DiSC as our guide.
Videos
Scott Schwefel -Ted Talk - Your Personality and your Brain- - Bing video
Books
The Seven Levels of Communication by Michael J. Maher (find in the Leadership Library)