Assuming the lead on business leadership

Tom Kindred leads a group of IRSC Business School students through a Contemporary Business Leadership course. INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE

As I have written and been quoted saying many times, Treasure Coast Business magazine is the go-to publication for all things business across the Treasure Coast.

The regional business owners, operators and entrepreneurs who read and leverage the business information included in the magazine undoubtedly understand the importance of leadership in one’s personal life, our community, and certainly in business.

A Google search for business leadership articles and books will generate more than 60 million entries — indicating the interest in, and importance of, the topic of business leadership.

The rapid economic and marketplace growth the Treasure Coast is experiencing will produce and foster many positive outcomes, including job creation and expansion, higher wages and career advancement.

This growth will also generate entrepreneurial opportunities in the form of start-ups to support new regional industries and companies. However, this same growth and expansion will undoubtedly create new pain points and complexities, including traffic issues, increased pressure on existing infrastructure, capital access and workforce issues. Addressing and managing these issues will require leadership.

Recognizing leadership is an important topic for the region’s business community, the editorial staff at Treasure Coast Business believed it was time to lead on leadership. Multiple pages of this issue present profiles of a small sampling and examples of the hundreds of outstanding business and community leaders working each day along the Treasure Coast.

The Treasure Coast has always had a strong foundation of extraordinary business leadership in all industry sectors, including agriculture, finance, legal, real estate, education, government, nonprofits, retail and manufacturing. The most interesting aspect of these leaders is that many represent multiple generations of leaders. These individuals had mothers, fathers and grandparents who served in key leadership positions across the Treasure Coast, providing extensive experience and knowledge of the region’s legacies and history. As my father might say — these folks know the lay of the land.

I am also happy to report the prospects for a new generation of Treasure Coast leaders are promising and strong. I was recently asked to lead and instruct a contemporary leadership class for the School of Business at Indian River State College. I have always been impressed with the maturity and experience level of its students and this group is no exception.

However, I have been most impressed with this group’s willingness, desire and fearless acceptance of leadership roles within organizations where they are employed. If these students represent a sampling of Treasure Coast millennials and Gen Zs, I am encouraged and confident our region will have an intelligent, engaged, competent and innovative group of future business leaders to guide our region’s marketplace in the coming years.

Please note — the magazine recognizes there are hundreds of others worthy of being recognized for their leadership roles and contributions. This leadership profile story is designed to highlight and provide an example of dedicated individuals who are leading, out front and behind the scenes, to initiate and facilitate positive growth for the region, the business community and its residents.
Please feel free to contact the Florida SBDC at IRSC and provide us with your thoughts on who should be included in next year’s Treasure Coast Leaders to Watch.

For more information on the magazine and all the business assistance services and resources available through the Florida SBDC at IRSC, email us at fsbdc@irsc.edu or contact Katie Muldoon at 772.336.6085.

See the original article in the print publication

Treasure Coast Business is a news service and magazine published in print, via e-newsletter and online at tcbusiness.com by Indian River Media Group. For more information or to report news email staff@tcbusiness.com