Leadership

“We don't manage people. We manage the agreements we have with people.”
- Steven Covey

Some the Milwaukee area's most robust and dynamic companies are using the principles of design thinking to propel their growth through innovation.

Scott Fredrick is CEO of Milwaukee-based Phoenix Products Company Inc., a manufacturer of special-purpose lighting fixtures designed to withstand harsh environments. He also leads Phoenix International Inc., which produces ovens for holding, reconditioning and rebaking welding supplies. Fredrick has overseen growth in products, profit and market share, learning valuable lessons about power along the way.

Organizations value teamwork as a primary vehicle to advance mission and productivity.

While women have made significant strides in education, having long accounted for about half of all college graduates in the country, they are still largely underrepresented in business and government leadership roles.

Aside from city founders Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn and George Walker, few people, if any, have had more impact on Milwaukee than entrepreneur, community advocate and philanthropist Michael J. Cudahy.

Michael J. Cudahy was known for an open, enlightened and progressive corporate culture at his former company, Marquette Medical. In his autobiography, “Joyworks: The Story of Marquette Electronics,” Cudahy outlined his “10 Golden Rules On How To Run An Organization,” which he also refers to as “How Not To Screw Up An Organization.”

Have you ever wondered why certain products get talked about more often than others? Do you often consult your peers before buying a product? Professor Jonah Berger explains word-of-mouth social transmission in his book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”

When we allow the E.G.O. to be present at work, we create an organization filled with internal competition.