Hartford Business Journal

31 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 26, 2021 Wallingford- based technology company Mutualink Inc., which makes a communications platform for emergency responders and others, has hired Chrissie Coon as its fi rst chief customer experience offi cer. In her previous role with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), under the U.S. Department of Commerce, she served as a senior public safety advisor responsible for national strategic communications and the use of innovative technology to support operational public safety missions. Jessica M. Taylor, a veteran Connecticut manufacturing executive, has been named executive director of the Aerospace Components Manufacturers. Taylor assumes leadership of ACM, an organization made up of 112 smaller and mid-sized companies in Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts, upon the retirement of Paul Murphy. She has been the sales and marketing manager at Windsor- based Aero Gear Inc. since 2018 and has been a member of the ACM board of directors for three years. Prior to joining Aero Gear, Taylor was a general manager at PTI Industries. EXPERTS CORNER How to become a Level 5 Leader By Colleen A. McGuire H umility. Purpose. Compassion. Determination. These are some of the key characteristics of Level 5 Leaders. As I have progressed through my career, moving to academia after spending several decades in fi nancial services, and now as CEO and co- founder of a mission-driven startup, Silver Fern Healthcare, I have become increasingly committed to leading in a manner that is genuine and transformational. Most importantly, I want to have led as a Level 5 Leader — someone completely dedicated to the company's mission, someone who acts with humility, and someone who has a steadfast focus on people. The concept of Level 5 Leadership comes from author and business advisor Jim Collins' extensive and well-known work. Through his research, Collins meticulously details what takes a company from "Good to Great" and the distinguishing factors that make companies great. The difference, he found, centered around leadership. According to Collins, "Level 5" refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities, while leaders at the four lower levels may achieve success, but not sustained excellence. During my career I have known, worked with, and come across all kinds of leaders. In my view, the most effective ones — the ones who make tremendous positive human and societal impact — operate as Level 5 Leaders. So, how do you develop these attributes? I would be trivializing the concept if it were as easy as offering a checklist of "to-dos" to get to Level 5, but there are specifi c actions, habits and traits you can cultivate and embody to develop the qualities of a Level 5 Leader in yourself and others. Unleash your talent First, as Steve Jobs put it, Level 5 Leaders hire great talent "and get out of their way." I believe the way to success is to fi nd great talent, inspire them through the mission and with opportunities for growth, and then unleash that talent. You guide them, but you don't control them. It's not all about you, it's about the bright people you have on your team. As leaders, we have to give people the opportunity to experiment and get it wrong, as well as get it right. The environment must feel safe so people are empowered to grow and take risks, even if they don't always pay off. You also need to create an environment where people want to work and where people thrive, because it's contagious. Work cultures and teams that have those traits attract and keep talent. Unwavering resolve In order to be successful in a for- profi t business, the most important things you must do are: meet your mission and make money. In an early-stage company, you can't run out of cash, and so you must have a strong determination to do whatever it takes to get it done — ethically and legally, of course. As CEO of Silver Fern, I try to be a Level 5 Leader every day. I regularly make diffi cult decisions on behalf of the business — and two factors that I use as my North Star when making those decisions are: What is the impact on the mission? And, how does the decision affect the team? It can be easier to make decisions if you are only focused on profi ts. It's much harder to always make decisions that also consider what's best for the mission and the team, especially when those priorities collide. Ultimately, making those hard decisions is what differentiates Level 5 Leaders from others. Lead by example I am a fi rm believer in walking the walk and talking the talk. Leaders set the tone for the whole team and need to actively create a culture that ignites passion and action in people and that gives employees an opportunity to cultivate new skills, try new things, and, overall, fl ourish. This means modeling the behaviors you want to see in others and giving real-time feedback. We all know how diffi cult it can be to deliver tough feedback. Having open dialogue, including communicating when a team member achieves positive results and being willing to communicate hard messages, is how innovation fl ourishes, improvement is achieved, and other Level 5 Leaders are developed. Your people are your greatest resource and operating as a Level 5 Leader will benefi t everyone: you create a highly functional, effi cient team; your people are happy; and you achieve your mission. Colleen McGuire is the co-founder and CEO of Silver Fern Healthcare, a Connecticut-based healthcare technology company. Colleen A. McGuire Opinion & Commentary Movers & Shakers UConn professor Cato T. Laurencin has been named the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Spingarn Medal, the highest honor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). At UCoon, Laurencin serves as the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and a professor of chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and biomedical engineering. He's the fi rst engineer to receive the Spingarn medal honor, the fourth physician, and the fi fth scientist. Laurencin's scientifi c focus has been on tissue regeneration, biomaterials science, nanotechnology and regenerative engineering, a fi eld he founded. Laurencin is also the fi rst surgeon in history to be elected to all four national academies: the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Cato T. Laurencin Jessica M. Taylor Chrissie Coon Academy of Medicine, and National Academy of Inventors. The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) has named new offi cers for the 2021-2022 bar year. Cecil J. Thomas, of the Greater Hartford Legal Aid Inc., will serve as the 98th president of the CBA. He is a past president of the South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut and immediate past president of the UConn Law Alumni Association. Daniel J. Horgan, of Horgan Law Offi ces in New London, will serve as president-elect; Margaret I. Castinado, of the Offi ce of the Public Defender in New Haven, will serve as vice president; David M. Moore, of The Law Offi ces of David M. Moore, will serve as treasurer; Sharad A. Samy, of the Commonfund for Nonprofi t Organizations, will serve as secretary; Cindy M. Cieslak, of Rose Kallor LLP, will serve as assistant secretary-treasurer; and Amy Lin Meyerson will serve as immediate past president. The Hartford has named Gretchen Thompson as head of construction, inland marine, excess solutions and complex liability solutions within the company's middle and large commercial business unit. Thompson succeeds Adrien Robinson, who was appointed head of global specialty. Thompson will report to A. Morris "Mo" Tooker, head of middle and large commercial insurance. Thompson has been with The Hartford since 2005 in roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as head of The Hartford's western division based in California. Email your Movers & Shakers announcements to gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com

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