Q:What's the single, most important lesson you have learned about survival and success in the business world?
Both your employees and customers need to know that you have the leadership qualities that they're looking for.
Vic Fedeli Past chair North Bay Air Base Property Corp., North Bay |  |
From the employee's point of view, they like to feel the confidence behind a leader and know that you have convictions to stand behind what you propose to them, so they feel secure and fully understand the vision that you want to follow.
From a customer's point of view, they need to know that you are going to be offering the service that you're promising in the beginning, middle and the end.
Q:Do you consider yourself aggressive or passive, and why?
Aggressive. First and foremost I'm a salesman. Let's call a spade a spade. I ask for the order all the time whether it was in my business, which was a marketing firm (Fedeli Corp.), whether it was in the fundraising campaigns I led or whether it was leading as chairman of Air Base Property Corp.
Q:What do you believe is the biggest reason somebusinesses fail, while others thrive?
Planning, or a lack of it. There's no question in my mind about that. You can't ask an organization to change ahead of its understanding or capability.
Q:What's the best advice you've ever received.
Damage control. Get it out early, get it yourself, do it on your own terms. What that really means is fessing up to your own mistakes and on your own terms.
It's going to happen.
Q:If you could have invented something in your lifetime, what would it have been?
I did invent something in my lifetime. I have a patent pending on a — what the hell would you call it? - an interchangeable book cover. It takes any brochure and allows it to slip into a hard cover so it's a formal presentation. It gives it a real regal, uplifted look that you just slip it in, slip it out.
Q:Do you have a healthy work/life balance?
I actually do, and I do because of necessity. When I first opened my firm in 1978, I went eight years without a day off. That's not very bright. I got married and began to take Sundays off, then Saturdays off, and took up golf. Now I do the lawn and the driveway and all those things myself. From a physical activity standpoint, I get to the gym now, which I never did before. And I find all those things are great not just for health, but from a social aspect...
