Emagine Theatre’s Paul Glantz: Detroit’s Future Predicated on Retaining Talent
January 27, 2016Q. What leadership qualities stand out in your mind?
A. One must be firmly grounded in his or her beliefs and be willing to take risks in the face of adversity. Of course, in arriving at one’s direction, it is critically important that all risks and rewards shall have been fully vetted in advance. Above all else, a leader must set a moral tenor that is above reproach and instill such a value system in his or her organization.
Q. How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization?
A. I’m not a micromanager nor do I have a lock on all knowledge in the universe. Good ideas can proliferate from anywhere in the organization. It is my job to foster an environment in which teammates are empowered to do their jobs and feel like their views and ideas are valued. Hopefully, I am doing so through my words and my deeds.
Q. What is most important to you – mission, vision, or core values? Why?
A. Without question, it is core values. Visions can be obscured and missions evolve over time. However, core values are timeless. For example, one of our core values is to always place the interest of our client or our guest ahead of our own. Almost without question, that leads to success for both parties. I’m a strong believer in the adage that all success is borne out of serving others.
Q. In your opinion, what should be the Detroit region’s next steps to foster business growth?
A. We need parents to recognize that they are primarily responsible for educating their children. We are now a skills-based society and every child should be encouraged to gain an education that allows him or her to be employed in a fulfilling career. If Detroit and Southeast Michigan are going to see sustained economic growth it will be predicated on cultivating and retaining skilled workers.
Q. What advice would you give to a young business person or CEO considering Detroit?
A. Detroit offers a great quality of life. Take it from someone born and raised here who has traveled extensively: on balance, you can’t do any better.
Q. What are the most important decisions that you face daily as a leader?
A. Such decisions almost universally involve personnel and ensuring that one’s teammates are both skilled in their roles and possess the requisite resources to succeed in accomplishing their goals.
Q. If you were to give your 20-year-old self some business advice, what would it be?
A. Whether you recognize it or not, you are always auditioning, and you never know who can play a positive role on your future. Do your absolute best at every task that is assigned to you. Don’t worry about what’s fair. Life isn’t fair.
Register today to see Paul Glantz at the Chamber’s Inside the CEO Mind event at Emagine Royal Oak on Wednesday, Feb. 3.