By Mary Kane: Executive Editor

 
Usually when people think about outstanding leaders the usual suspects come to mind: powerful politicians, heads of state and corporate CEOs…the Obamas, Clintons and Steve Jobs of the world. This issue of VM takes a close look at leaders in our industry as we identified some of the key movers and shakers in optical. Hopefully, their pearls of wisdom, starting on Page 43, will provide some insight as to how they guide their companies, and more importantly their people, through some challenging times.

But not every leader is necessarily a big executive or an influential politician. Sometimes, it’s the person you sit next to everyday. Take for example, my colleague’s husband who happened to be a fire marshal for his financial company at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Even though the experience happened nearly 10 years ago, to this day he still talks about shepherding people out of the building and giving what amounted to life-saving direction during a critical time. The experience changed him and had a profound affect on those around him because that’s what good leadership is all about.

While not all leadership experiences are necessarily life and death ones, you never know who might rise to the challenge. Challenging times tend to create a sense of camaraderie and in order to get people to pull together, having the right person at the helm can often be the key to a successful business.

Do you know an outstanding leader, either at your company or in your life? How has their guidance shaped your practice or retail location and hopefully changed things for the better? Or maybe you’ve taken the lead and made a difference at work or within your community. We’d like to hear about your experiences, so email us at VisionMonday@jobson.com or post a comment on our Facebook page. ■

mkane@jobson.com