Pam Iorio – Leadership Speaker

"For more general direction on running a business, I recommend a slim volume just published from an unlikely source. It’s titled “Straightforward: Ways to Live and Lead” by Pam Iorio, Tampa’s mayor from 2003 through last March. You may not think that a mayor has much to offer by way of business advice, but you will be surprised. In fact, this is the best business book of 2011."

"Iorio opines that our leaders, both governmental and corporate, are “falling short” because they are entrenched in ideological struggles to acquire power rather than to solve our communal problems. She proposes a “straightforward” style of direct, honest, respectful dialog. She believes leaders should be role models filled with humility. She preaches pragmatism and compromise because in her view the answers “are usually found in the middle.”

"In terms of straight business advice, Iorio believes leaders need to be positive, seeing opportunities not hurdles, and she worries that negativity is contagious. Moreover, she says that a true leader needs to carefully weigh all sides and facts before taking a thoughtful, measured approach. And then true leaders need to communicate their goals or decisions, empowering others to solve the problems and sharing the credit with those actually performing the jobs."