Last week, I outlined a few things I’ve been thinking about recently, and I mentioned I’d be sharing some lessons learned.
First, I wanted to share lessons in leadership I’ve taken away by observing the two EDCUtah “Leadership in Economic Development” award winners for this year, A. Scott Anderson with Zions Bank and Jerold G. Oldroyd with Ballard Spahr and current Chair of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development Board.
I was delighted when our awards committee selected both Jerry and Scott to receive these awards, as I admire them both very much. Having private sector leaders involved in economic development is a critical component of Utah’s success story, and Jerry and Scott have each contributed a tremendous amount of time and energy to improving the state of Utah.
I’ve been fortunate to work with and observe these two great economic development champions in action for the bulk of my career. While much could be written about each of these individuals and the myriad ways they have impacted the state, I thought I’d boil down the three key things I have learned from each of them through the period of time I’ve been fortunate enough to work with and watch them in action.
If there are three lessons I’ve learned from working with and observing Jerry over the years, it’s the following:
1. Give generously of your time.
2. Invest wholeheartedly in one mission.
3. Results, not flash, are what matters.
Three of my takeaways from Scott’s leadership—ones that our committee also admired—are the following:
1. Connect the dots.
2. Put your personal brand behind things you care about.
3. Be there when it matters.
I actually had a much longer dispatch written but thought I’d keep it simple. These two gentlemen have been great supporters of economic development and of EDCUtah over the years. We’ve learned countless lessons from each but appreciate their consistent leadership. It was an honor for us to recognize them and we are humbled to be associated with them.
