YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – “There’s an old saying, if you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business.” That’s the first leadership lesson Michael Geoghegan offers in the Brain Gain Leadership Series.
Geoghegan was named president of Eastern Gateway Community College in July, after serving six months as interim president. He joined EGCC in 2017 as chief financial officer, bringing with him a career in numbers – first in the Ohio auditor’s office then for Cincinnati City Schools and most recently as CFO at Cincinnati State Technical and Career Center. He earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
“I’m a big follower of Stephen Covey and the seven principles,” Geoghegan tells Jeff Herrmann, CEO of the Youngstown Publishing Co., in the podcast. “There are two that really stand out for me. One is begin with the end in mind, what you want to do and then figure out how to get there, continually focusing on that end goal. The other is to be proactive. That’s how I live my leadership.”
Geoghegan says the first book that “got me interested in organizational leadership” was “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. A copy of the book sits on his desk at EGCC’s campus in Steubenville.
“I’ve got a great team and that’s a principle in ‘Good to Great.’ Make sure you’ve got the right people on board – call it the right people on the bus and get the wrong people off the bus,” he says.
Geoghegan, his cabinet and the staff of EGCC recently completed “our 2025 strategic plan,” he says. He explains in the podcast how the plan and its key performance indicators evolved “all in a month and a half and all by Zoom.”
The Brain Gain Leadership Podcast Series is available here. New episodes are posted every Wednesday and are available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.
Among the leaders recently interviewed by Herrmann are James Dignan, Greg Smith and Chris Allen.
Dignan, president of the Center for Environmentally Responsible Materials Recycling and former commander of the 910th Airlift Wing at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, discusses military careers. Smith, chairman of Compco Industries, explains “the problem with potential.” Allen, North American talent acquisition manager for Vallourec USA Corp., explains how soft skills enable employees to find the right cultural fit within a company.
Pictured at top: Michael Geoghegan.