Young challenges business leaders to be legends
Leadership is hard, Derek Young told a crowd of nearly 300 business people Friday, but it is the responsibility of leaders to guide a community toward sustained prosperity.
Young, president and CEO of YMG Enterprises, was the guest speaker at the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of Industry event at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. He praised the efforts of the community’s leaders, but also challenged them to become legendary leaders.
“They realize there are real issues where people are concerned,” Young said regarding people who he considers legends. “Being a legendary leader means sometimes somebody is going to have to get their hands dirty.”
Young shared the stories of several legendary leaders he’s known throughout his career and told stories about what made each individual so special. One such leader remembered their humble beginnings and returned to their roots after many significant accomplishments, another was generous and always made sure to share their success and lift others up, while another was praised for building successful teams based on specific needs instead of convenience or nepotism.
“Legendary people get a focus beyond their jobs,” Young said. “What issues in Gordon County really rev you up? Maybe that’s where you need to focus your effort.”
Other examples Young shared were of leaders who championed change, supported programs that
promoted self-sufficiency and those who leveraged their own expertise to make a difference in the community. Each of the people he used as examples were business leaders Young has worked with in some capacity that made an impact on his life, and he challenged those in attendance on Friday to find ways they can impact others.
“If we’re going to have change, we’re going to have to have someone take on the tough issues,” he said.
Young closed his speech by displaying an acrostic using the word LEGEND. An acrostic is a composition where the first letter of a word begins another word of sentence. In this case, Young’s acrostic with word the legend describes traits that make a leader a legendary leader:
Leads with the whole community in mind
Expands the reach of the organization
Generates lasting change Establishes win-win-win partnerships
Navigates through challenges
Develops future community leaders
Young also asked attendees to consider their legacy in the area, saying their real legacy will be less about what they accomplished and more about what other people will be able to do because of their influence.
Kathy Johnson, president and CEO of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce, said she was thrilled about the turnout for the event and by the message Young delivered.
“This is what I wanted him to talk about, to challenge our business leaders to become legendary, to sustain our community,” Johnson said.
Chrissy Bryant, a past board chair for the chamber, praised the Chamber of Commerce for attracting the largest crowd for the annual event yet. She attributed the increased interest to the chamber’s marketing efforts and the fact that Young’s message had a wider appeal across multiple industries.
The State of Industry event is made possible by HMTX Industries and a host of other sponsors. AdventHealth Gordon, Field Turf, First Bank of Calhoun, Fox Systems, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, NovaTech, and Starr-Mathews Insurance have come forward as sponsors at the President’s Level, while the City of Calhoun, Development Authority of Gordon County, Georgia Northwestern Technical College in Calhoun, Georgia Power, Gordon County Board of Commissioners, Hamilton Medical Center, M&S Logistics, North Georgia E.M.C., Personnel Staffing, Inc., Santek Waste Services, Shaw Industries, and Synovus have committed at the Engineer’s Level. Branch Banking & Trust, Family Savings Credit Union and Royal Thai have signed up to be Innovator’s Sponsors. 2 Work Staffing and Express Signs are Manager’s level sponsors. A variety of sponsorship opportunities remain available, with four price levels in place.