Last year, I launched a Spring Leadership Series to think about leadership in nontraditional ways. As 2024 continued, I presented additional ways to think about leadership during my Olympics Leadership Series and Holiday Leadership Series. With a new year upon us, I've invited 25 thought leaders to share their responses to five questions relating to team-building, reading, and leadership. My #SpringLeadershipSeries2025 began the first day of Spring and continues through June 20th, the first day of Summer.
Before we begin, I'd like to applaud two special individuals for providing the inspiration for this series. First, big applause goes to Erika Andersen, a leadership expert and author who I've had the pleasure of knowing for nearly 15 years, and she's appeared on my blog 13 times since 2011. She wrote an article for Forbes entitled, "How Springtime Can Make Us Better Leaders," and that article serves as the core of the series as its first question. Second, I also applaud Joseph Lalonde, a leadership expert and author of a book called REEL LEADERSHIP, for planting the seeds for last year's Spring Leadership Series on my blog. After I read Joe's book, I started looking at movies as well as works of fiction, TV shows, and TV characters with "leadership-tinted glasses."
For today's post, I'd like to introduce Anthony Gaenzle, CEO and Founder of Gaenzle Marketing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Anthony works as a personal brand consultant for executives, business owners, and others. He is a two-time published author and digital marketing influencer. He has helped brands both large and small grow and thrive across multiple industries through strategic marketing campaigns and leveraging a powerful network of influencers.
QUESTION: Leadership expert and author Erika Andersen wrote an article for Forbes entitled, "How Springtime Can Make Us Better Leaders." In the article, Erika compared gardening to management and leadership. What are your thoughts, or was there something that stood out from the article?
ANTHONY GAENZLE: There were some excellent points in this article. One that stood out to me is the power of listening. And not just basic listening. Listen to understand, listen to build trust, listen to empower your team to feel open and free to come up with and present their ideas freely. This builds the right "soil" in which your people and your company can grow and thrive.
SHARE THIS: Listen to understand, listen to build trust, listen to empower your team. ~@AnthonyGaenzle #SpringLeadershipSeries2025 #DebbieLaskeysBlog
QUESTION: What was the most recent example of inspiring leadership that made an impact on you?
ANTHONY GAENZLE: As an Eagles fan, I've been really impressed by the leadership exhibited by the team's two biggest stars, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. They both put team and winning ahead of their own personal goals. They sacrificed long hours, gave up the opportunity to set personal records, and made sure to give credit to the rest of the team at every turn. These two set a very positive example for future leaders.
QUESTION: What is your favorite team-building activity, and why?
ANTHONY GAENZLE: When I attended the Clemson Leadership Summit a few years back, I really appreciated a team-building activity we did that involved working as a team to create a robotic hand. The hand was designed to help people in other countries who'd lost limbs due to the violence they faced. We not only learned excellent team-building skills in the process, but we were able to work toward a common goal that hopefully helped a lot of people.
QUESTION: Which book is on the top of your to-be-read pile, and why?
ANTHONY GAENZLE: I am currently re-reading Good to Great. It's such a valuable text, and I haven't read it in a few years, so I wanted to jump back in and revisit some of the concepts. It's a must-read for any business professional.
QUESTION: In the past year, has a TV show, film, or work of fiction stood out as a result of its emphasis on leadership?
ANTHONY GAENZLE: One of my favorite TV shows is "The Office." While Michael Scott is largely the example of how NOT to be a leader, there is one thing that stands out about him. Despite all of his flaws, he truly, genuinely cares about his team. It's so important to have your team's back and reassure them that you are there for them. Let them know that the leadership team supports and appreciates them, and assure them that they are not alone. This gives your team a feeling of security, and it creates an environment where they are comfortable and feel like they can grow.
My gratitude to Anthony for sharing his leadership insights and for being a part of my #SpringLeadershipSeries2025. Did these questions open your eyes to think about leadership in nontraditional ways? That was the hope!
Image Credit: Globus Insights.
Read Erika Andersen's article, "How Springtime Can Make Us Better Leaders"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2015/05/14/how-springtime-can-make-us-better-leaders/
Read Anthony's previous appearances here on my blog:
OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Anthony Gaenzle (August 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/08/olympics-leadership-series-featuring_01563617303.html
SPRING LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Anthony Gaenzle (April 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/04/spring-leadership-series-featuring.html
The Importance of Branding (May 2022)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2022/05/the-importance-of-branding.html
Connect with Anthony at these links:
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Gaenzle/e/B096WJ3DZ6/
Website: https://www.gaenzlemarketing.com
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/AnthonyGaenzle
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