Some of the most important qualities for a successful business leader to have are passion, strong communication skills, integrity and an ability to adapt to a changing environment, honorees of the Worcester Business Journal’s 2011 Business Leaders of the Year award said at an event Thursday night.
Winners of this year’s awards, Ned LaFortune of Wachusett Brewery in Westminster, Jim Donahue of Old Sturbridge Village and Jack Dutzar of Fallon Clinic in Worcester, were recognized last night at the WBJ’s annual Business Leader of the Year event at The Beechwood Hotel in Worcester.
Sharing Insights
During a panel discussion, LaFortune, this year’s Small Business Leader of the Year, said he was able to start and sustain his beer-brewing business 17 years ago because of a passion for his product: Beer.
“It’s passion for this,” LaFortune said before taking a swig of a glass of beer he had on stage. “Without a passion to follow … you’re not going to get anywhere.”
Donahue, this year’s Nonprofit Business Leader of the Year, who came to OSV in 2007, described the difficulties of taking over an organization that had seen steady attendance declines during a period of economic recession.
He was upfront and honest with the museum’s 200 employees when he arrived. He shared financial documents with the staff and followed through on promises he made, which he said are important traits for a manager.
He also described “skip-level meetings” in which he would personally meet with various members of the OSV team – from middle managers to the museum’s workers – even though they did not report directly to him. Donahue said he gained valuable insight from just speaking with the museum’s employees.
Dutzar, representing Fallon Clinic in Worcester, which was honored as the Corporate Citizen of the Year, said it’s important for a business leader to be able to imagine a different future and hold a vision. It’s also important, he said, to be able to cut above the fray of the business and focus on the important aspects of managing an organization.
During the past few years of economic recession those important aspects have been providing quality care and not wasting any resources, he said.
Greg Yurek, founder of American Superconductor Corp. in Devens and the Big Business Leader of the Year honoree, was unable to attend because of a work commitment. He did, however, record a video address which played during the event.
Read about each of this year’s Business Leaders of the Year winners by clicking here, and see a slide show of the event by clicking here.
