AICC’s Persistent Leadership

October 4, 2016

Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.

I saw this quote posted on a bulletin board at Altria during a plant tour with the Emerging Leaders group in Richmond, Va., in June. Actually, Scott Ellis saw it, pointed it out to me, and then emailed me an executive summary from a blog post. My take on it is was this: In business, the lines between patience and procrastination are a little blurry, and if you want to move your business to the next level, then you need to take action and lead—persistently. If you are standing still, then you are losing ground. Get focused on where you want to go, and get moving. If you demonstrate hard work, determination, and persistence, people will follow. There will be obstacles along the way. Take them on one at a time. They will slow you down or even knock you down, but when they do, don’t give up—keep moving forward toward your destination. It will be a blessing when you get there.

AICC members have been very fortunate to have had Steve Young at the helm of the association for the past 21 years. In addition to many other fine characteristics, Steve is chock-full of persistence. His dedication to the mission of AICC and his determination have had a giant ripple effect on so many independents. Through his calling as president of AICC, he has made an amazing contribution to the packaging industry, member companies, and so many individual members. Steve, thank you for all you have done and congratulations on being honored with this year’s AICC and Paperboard Packaging Magazine Hall of Fame award. You deserve it!

It has been an honor serving as Chair of AICC this past year and making the rounds on behalf of this great association and its members. I have learned a lot along the way and have met a lot of new people. It doesn’t get any better than that. The association continues to thrive in an evolving industry and is committed to doing so. It has been great working closely with Steve Young and AICC staff and the dedicated volunteers who served on the board of directors. I had a blast, and I look forward to staying involved in the years to come, starting with the upcoming Tony Schleich administration. In the meantime, keep on rolling, and I look forward to seeing you at SuperCorrExpo®.