Every couple of years, our nation is embroiled in a debate about leadership: Who will be assigned to lead? What will they hope to accomplish? How will they be successful? We know that political leadership, governing our society, has deep and far-reaching impact. Yet business leadership has just as much influence and impact. You’re a leader of a business enterprise which powers our economy forward. Without your leadership there would not be a strong and functioning society to govern; you employ citizens and enable them to earn a living to care for themselves and their families.
I define a leader as one who influences people to accomplish a purpose. Simple, yes, but think about it: At its core, leadership is about serving others, articulating a desired outcome, and coalescing and aligning the work of other people to make things happen. You do it every day, and as we see at all levels of society, it matters. That’s why we need more and more people to accept leadership roles in the community.
Because of the impact on the broader community that businesspeople can empower — sometimes unwittingly through leadership decisions simply within their own companies — In Business Magazine is holding a magnifying lens and spotlight to the topic. In Business Magazine reached out to Valley notables in varied industry sectors and representing diverse social and business perspectives to explore the intersections of impact across the boundaries of individual business, industry, the greater business community and our overall community.
In this intertwined relationship, businesses may be able to turn to local municipalities for resources dedicated to helping them overcome challenges. Rana Lashgari examines this in her feature article, “Partnering with Your City Can Help Your Business Grow.”
This election season has seen a lot of political pundits discoursing on women as a powerful force, and a long-standing popular topic in terms of business has been the “glass ceiling” for women in major corporations. Rania Nasis makes a point that what really matters as a business force is woman-owned startups, and she takes a close look at that area of business in the Roundtable feature “The Female Founder Advantage in Startups.”
Digital applications have been taking over more and more functions of business. Tim Bottke addresses this in another of this month’s feature articles explores “Five Key Elements of Digital Transformation Payback,” from his book Digital Transformation Payday.
It is my sincere pleasure to help In Business Magazine bring you this December 2022 issue, with informative and relevant articles on the many subjects that matter to business and featuring a cadre of successful business leaders. Please put this information to good use; and may it inspire you further with your personal and professional choices to lead.
Sincerely,
Neil G. Giuliano
President and CEO
Greater Phoenix Leadership
Since 2015 Neil Giuliano has served as president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Leadership, which, for 48 years, has been the forum for corporate leadership CEOs to collaborate with the government, education and philanthropy sectors to create and sustain a safe, healthy and prosperous Arizona.
From 1994 to 2004, Giuliano served as mayor of Tempe. He led Tempe to earn, in 2003, the “All-American City” award, a coveted honor bestowed on local governments demonstrating exceptional success in problem solving. Between then and now, Giuliano served 2010–2015 as president and CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation, one of the largest AIDS service organizations in the world and whose advocacy and care models have been replicated around the world.
Giuliano is the author of The Campaign Within: A Mayor’s Private Journey to Public Leadership and has received numerous awards and honors for his work in public policy and community activism.
