A
Th e
Component Manufacturing dverti$er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$er
August 2019 #11241 Page #42
The Importance of Our Leadership Actions Ben Hershey 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC
ecently, a Pastor at our church, Morgan MacPherson, shared a teaching from the Book of James talking about how our Actions Speak Louder. Though there was a lot of “meat on the bone” from what he shared, one of the additional thoughts I brought home was how important our actions are as leaders in the building industry.
R
Our industry has a variety of leaders—from those providing raw material, supplies, and services to those who distribute products to our customers, the builders, developers, and general contractors. But one of the important leadership functions that many of us should have is that of a mentor, putting our leadership to work for those who are entering or interested in our industry. A good example of this is the SBCA Emerging Leaders program, which was created to provide opportunities for the next generation of leaders in our industry to meet together, share ideas, and network with other next gen leaders. While the participants share their experiences and gain a deeper knowledge of the industry and SBCA, leaders in our industry also have an important opportunity to provide mentorship to many of these next gen leaders. I have had the privilege to mentor several individuals over the last few years; as a matter of fact, it is a cornerstone of why I started consulting and part of what each of the 4Ward team members provides to our customers. This year, I have the opportunity to mentor three individuals throughout the industry with one of them a part of the SBCA Emerging Leaders program. Just as important, many of my best friends are also mentoring individuals who are part of this program—Scott Ward, Steve Stroder, and Joe Hikel, among many others.
The Importance of Mentoring I was very fortunate to have two incredible mentors in my development as a leader—my father, Don Hershey, who was one of the originals in our industry, and Andy Schwitter, the CEO of Truswal Systems. Both men provided me a foundation of knowledge that I was able to build upon, and through their leadership and example I was able to learn about the industry and what my role could be. I have always been incredibly grateful for what both of them did for me, and their leadership example showed that their actions as leaders set the tone for who I am today. Other industries and associations are coming to terms with the importance of mentoring new leaders too, and I am glad SBCA has been at the forefront of this effort. As a business owner and a leader, what are you doing to leave a lasting example for those who are our future leaders? The future leaders of both of our businesses and our association need our support and encouragement, and that applies whether we’re nearing retirement or planning to spend another few decades in our industry. It’s never too early or too late to start mentoring. Continued next page PHONE: 800-289-5627
Read/Subscribe online at www.componentadvertiser.com
FAX: 800-524-4982