Photo by Jocelyn King Valerie Pico, left, and Karen Gerardi, Program Development Managers for the Community Economic Development Partnership, attend the Live2Lead Leadership Conference Wednesday at the Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack .the event was organized
WHEELING – On Wednesday, the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack held a program to inspire leadership skills.
Hosted by the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, Live2Lead is described as “a half-day leadership development experience that allows participants to bring back new perspectives and points they can apply to their daily lives.”
About 100 people signed up for the event, according to Laurie Conway, the chamber’s marketing and communications director.
Featured speakers included bestselling author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell. Patrick Lencioni, founder and president of The Table Group. and Tim Elmore, author and international speaker.
Attendees learned many lessons from the talks.
Valerie Pico, program development manager for the Regional Economic Development Partnership, resonated with the discussion of six types of ‘working geniuses’ and said she recognizes each in her workplace.
“It reflects my own office group and what I need to work on to make better use of my talent,” she said.
Zia’s Baked Goods entrepreneur Karen Gerardi pointed out that sometimes people get in the way of business success.
“I learned to get out of my way when I lead. I learned that it’s not about me, it’s about other people,” she said.
Tyler Harto runs the Living My Best Cigar Life shop in Moundsville and the biggest lesson from this session was that you need to develop your employees and build a culture in your business.
“To be a good leader, you have to find people who make up for your weaknesses.”
Wheeling’s Amanda McWhorter mentors those burnt out of their existing jobs.
“I help my clients find the perfect job,” she explained.
She pointed out that a discussion of the six job genius types can help you find the right person for the right job.
Beth Heinebaugh, owner of Noah’s Ark Daycare in Wheeling, said: “We have learned that it is important to lead by example and communicate well.
“I have learned a lot to become a better and more confident leader. I will be able to use this a lot in my future endeavors.”
The Chamber of Commerce has plans to hold similar events in the future, Conway said.
“This is the first time we’ve sponsored something like this and we hope to continue to bring it back as the years go by,” she said. ”