600+ participate in KeyBank Global Leaders Forum, presented by UT COBI

More than 600 business professionals from throughout the region participated in the 2016 KeyBank Global Leaders Forum on March 17 to explore how to develop and enhance Real Leadership in the 21st Century.
The event was presented by The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) and was held in Savage Arena on the main campus of The University of Toledo.

“The KeyBank Global Leaders Forum provided a wonderful opportunity for our regional business owners and leaders to hear from difference-making leaders such as Jim Haudan, Marc Lautenbach, Dr. Longenecker and President Gaber,” said Jim Hoffman, President, KeyBank.  “It is part of our vision at KeyBank to help our community, and our businesses, thrive.”

The keynote speaker was global engagement authority Jim Haudan, CEO of Root, Inc., which is located in Sylvania, Ohio and has been recognized nationally as a Great Place to Work, who discussed “The Power of Engagement.” Haudan is also the author of the bestselling book, The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between People and Possibilities.

Also presenting at the event were Hoffman; Dr. Sharon Gaber, President, The University of Toledo; Dr. Clint Longenecker, UT Distinguished University Professor; and Marc Lautenbach, President and CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc.

(L to R) Marc Lautenbach, Dr. Sharon Gaber, Jimm Hoffman

Jim Haudan, Root, Inc.

Jim Hoffman, KeyBank 

UT COBI Dean Gary Insch

Dr. Clint Longenecker

Power networking

Longenecker made the opening presentation, defining leadership as:
- Someone who influences others toward the achievement of goals and desired outcomes
- An individual who causes others to do things they might not otherwise do
- A person who demonstrates prowess, talent and skill in a given endeavor
- Someone who makes things happen and gets results with and through people at the right time and in the right way

”A key point is that achieving performance improvement and delivering outstanding results requires strong and effective leadership,” Longenecker said.

He also presented the power of S.T.O.P.:
- Sit. The act of regularly slowing down, being still and finding a quiet, isolated place to sit where you will not be disturbed and that will allow you the opportunity to think clearly.
- Think. The critically important process of refocusing your thoughts from the urgent pressing issues of the day to devote real and critical thought to the important results and activities that drive your cumulative effectiveness.
- Optimize. The act of planning for, prioritizing and organizing the specific actions that must be implemented on an ongoing basis to achieve desired incomes and high levels of performance.
- Perform. The act of implementing and executing a well thought out plan of action that addresses the key issues that lead to the outcomes/results you desire.

Longenecker said, “As leaders are attempting to deal with the challenges of this turbulent economic environment, this event is a great way to discover new ideas for becoming a better leader and creating competitive advantage with people.

The Global Leadership Forum was created to provide an environment for regional business leaders to talk about contemporary issues, discuss cutting-edge leadership practices and explore trends. KeyBank and COBI presented the first Global Leaders Forum in 2008, which featured former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department John Snow, and the second event in 2013.