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The Edge for April 2024

An Exclusive Article for NJ ChamberEdge

This Month's ChamberEdge Contributors

What are the key elements of good leadership? We asked New Jersey executives that question, and we got a wide range of answers, including treat people with respect, communicate clearly, and recognize that everyone is motivated differently. Read more below.

 

Tom ScottTreat People with Respect

Effective leadership is people-centered. Treating people with respect fosters trust, creates belonging and builds collaboration. When leaders value collaboration, you see increased innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.

– Thomas W. Scott, President and CEO, CentraState Healthcare System

 

Aiysha JohnsonAlways Listen. Motivation Can Come From Anywhere.

What every leader strives for is to relate well to their members, staff and stakeholders. Recognize that one-on-one connections and partner- and board-level discussions are all important, and provide insights. This is necessary since motivation and inspiration can come from anywhere and at any level.

– Aiysha (AJ) Johnson, CEO, NJ Society of CPAs

 

Peter TorcicolloBe Clear. Be Strategic. Be Approachable.

Some of the most important ingredients of good leadership are clear and effective communication, strategic thinking, and approachability. A good leader needs to be able to deliver messages of all types, in a way that they are clearly understood. The leader also needs to be tuned in to the big picture, so that all decision making advances his or her organization’s strategic objectives. Finally, a good leader is someone people are confident they can approach with questions, thoughts, and suggestions, without any apprehension.

– Peter J. Torcicollo. Managing Director, Gibbons P.C.

 
Alberto Garafalo

Learn from Each Person You Encounter

Good leaders know that their minds aren’t limited by what they know today. Many of us have doubts from time to time, but what makes a good leader stand out is being able to identify and challenge their self-limiting beliefs. Doors can open once we stop telling ourselves that we’re too busy, or that our brains are “at capacity.” Clarity on the “why” is important. In addition to leaving others better off than they found them, good leaders can benefit from learning something from each person they encounter.

– Alberto Garofalo, president of Bank of America New Jersey

 
Mike Munoz

Create a Culture Where Employees Enjoy Coming to Work

Finding ways to engage your employees and creating a culture where your employees enjoy coming to work each day, will help you be an impactful leader. Don’t ask anyone to do something you can’t do yourself and always equip your team with the resources, training, and support they need to succeed. Lastly, be transparent about challenges and receptive to new ideas. It enables you to build trusting relationships with associates.

– Mike Munoz, SVP & Market President, AmeriHealth

 
Dennis Toft

Recognize that Everyone is Motivated Differently

Leadership must be done with specific objectives in mind and with recognition that everyone is motivated differently. The key is to understand what will influence each person. To me, the definition of good leadership is summed up best by the U.S. Army. It is “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.

– Dennis M. Toft, Chair-Environmental Law Group, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi

 

Stu BreretonArticulate the Why and Build Trust Through Words and Actions

Of all the key elements of effective leadership, communication is the glue that holds them together. Anyone can give orders, but a great leader articulates the “why” behind a directive and helps each person understand their role in reaching organizational goals. Clear communication goes hand-in-hand with trust. Building trust requires both effectively sharing your vision and ensuring that your team knows you have their back. Communication doesn’t happen solely by words; a leader’s actions demonstrate their commitment to their team’s success and well-being. It’s often through unspoken displays of selflessness that teams learn to trust their leaders.

– Stu Brereton, Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, Delta Dental of New Jersey

 

Responses for this article were edited for space and clarity.

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Newsmakers

Shannon Lazare

Shannon Lazare has been named M&T Bank’s New Jersey regional president, succeeding Tom Comiskey in the role. Lazare, who joined M&T in 2013 as a senior relationship manager with business banking, has held the role of regional manager since 2019.


Karen McClendon

JCP&L parent company FirstEnergy Corp. announced that Karen McClendon has been named senior vice president and chief human resources officer, effective Nov. 11.


Prudential Financial said Jacques Chappuis has been appointed president and CEO of PGIM, the global asset management business of Prudential Financial, effective May 1, 2025. He succeeds David Hunt, who will retire as president and CEO and stay on as chairman of PGIM until July 31, 2025. With nearly 30 years of investment management experience, Chappuis joins PGIM from Morgan Stanley, where he was co-head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management.


World Cup sponsor Bank of America teamed with FIFA for a second time, signing on as a sponsor for the Club World Cup tournament. Bank of America became FIFA’s first global banking partner in August and sealed a separate deal for a second event also being played in the U.S.


NJIT’s Institute for Space Weather Sciences has been awarded a $5 million NASA grant to open a new research center dedicated to developing the next generation of solar eruption prediction capabilities — powered by artificial intelligence.


Former New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and former PSEG Chair and CEO Ralph Izzo are among a group of six leaders who will join the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees.


PSE&G was among the honorees at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's 43rd annual Recycling Awards, for its work to make the state a cleaner and safer place. Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) is dedicated to recycling or reusing nearly all the waste it generates, the DEP said.


Kenvue is continuing to chart its own course in the Garden State after being spun out from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. Earlier this year it broke ground on a new global headquarters in Summit. Kenvue, which currently resides in Skillman, will employ some 3,000 employees at the new home base, a 290,000-square-foot campus, including a 100,000-square-foot extension for a state-of-the-art Science and Innovation Lab. The company is expected to open the new headquarters in the first quarter of next year – and be fully moved in by 2026


South Jersey Industries, in recognition of Giving Tuesday, announced it is partnering with its employees to donate more than $350,000 in support to local, regional, and statewide community-based organizations.


The American Water Charitable Foundation, established by Camden-based American Water, kicked off Giving Tuesday by awarding a $100,000 grant to Feeding America, helping to end food insecurity. It also provided American Water employees with a $100 reward to donate to eligible charities of their choice.


From a small 12-bed house to a nationally recognized 339-bed regional medical center with locations throughout Central New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, recently celebrated 125 years of providing health care to its community. The hospital was incorporated on Dec. 6, 1899.


Organ transplant recipients, living donors, and donor families from N.J, N.Y., and Connecticut gathered at MetLife Stadium to celebrate their achievements at the 2024 Transplant Games of America held in Birmingham, Alabama. The group, known as Team Liberty, brought home 118 medals in events such as basketball, track & field, swimming, pickleball and cornhole. They competed against thousands of participants from all 50 states. Team Liberty, a program of the Sharing Network Foundation, works year-round to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.


Santiago Tenorio

Basking Ridge-based Verizon Communications has appointed Santiago "Yago" Tenorio as chief technology officer and senior vice president of strategy and technology enablement. Tenorio will lead Verizon’s work in advancing 5G and mapping out the next generation of technologies.