YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Being a good leader is not predicated on your field or area of expertise, says Dennis Schiraldi, the founder of the DOYO Live marketing conference.
Indeed, he finds that leadership skills, once honed, can be applied virtually anywhere.
A passionate youth sports coach, Schiraldi says the skills and techniques he practices on the field can also be applied in business.
Schiraldi says some leaders he admires include basketball coaches Rick Pitino and Bobby Knight, as well as America’s first president, George Washington.
“Recently I watched Clive Davis and David Geffen documentaries. They are amazing documentaries if you want to get inspired as an entrepreneur and understand the leadership qualities that they had,” he says.
Schiraldi shared his ideas with former Youngstown Publishing Co. CEO Jeff Leo Herrmann during a recent episode of the Brain Gain Youngstown Leadership Podcast.
Here are some key takeaways.
• Communicate.
“Communication is obviously a key ingredient,” says Schiraldi. “I think people tend to get scared of having that direct conversation.”
• Be a servant leader.
“Somebody has to push the other people,” he said. “Leaders eat last.”
•Live it.
“Living that mantra, whatever it is, that crosses over between coaching youth sports or in business in general.”
The Brain Gain Youngstown Leadership Podcast is published every Wednesday at BusinessJournalDaily.com and on Spotify.