Written by Celeste O’Keefe, Leadership & Programs Coordinator at the Chamber

Dante DiBattista, Principal Consultant with DiBattista & Co, spoke with our Leadership Discovery class this spring. He spent time with the cohort defining leadership and discussing what it takes to build a strong team. The participants were asked to determine what is the top leadership quality that is needed to make an organization successful. Throughout the session, we focused on empowering leaders to foster a culture of continuous learning and growth, enable leaders to unlock their full potential, inspire their teams, and drive positive change within their organizations. 

In the workplace, managing and leadership are both important roles that contribute to the success of a team or organization. Managing typically involves tasks such as organizing, planning, and coordinating resources to achieve specific goals. On the other hand, leadership focuses on inspiring, motivating, and guiding team members towards a shared vision or objective. While managers often focus on day-to-day operations and ensuring tasks are completed efficiently, leaders are more concerned with setting a direction, fostering innovation, and developing the potential of their team members. Both managing and leadership are essential for creating a productive and harmonious work environment. DiBattista defines the difference between these two is very simple words: Managing is preparing for what’s predictable, while Leadership is preparing for the unpredictable and transforming what is possible. 

Confrontation is another key topic that came up when talking about being a successful leader. Most people shy away from confrontation and anything that makes them uncomfortable. However, DiBattista explained that discomfort and conflict is a requirement for growth.   The last piece of advice we went over was Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats – a powerful tool for looking at a decision from all angles. Many of the participants stated they look forward to incorporating their new learnings in their everyday work. 

We appreciate DiBattista donating his time to share his leadership, management and education consulting expertise with the spring cohort. The participants were able to take their learnings back to their respective organizations.