It’s a new day at Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Leadership, with plans afoot for a new building and expanded outreach and initiatives. The center is housed at the College of Business and Economics. On May 13, the center’s annual leadership awards drew an unprecedented 320 attendees and 33 event sponsors, who gathered at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach to laud the best in Southern California executive leadership and leadership development.
Peer-nominated honors included the Excellence in Executive Leadership, bestowed upon Alpha Motor Corporation Founder and Executive Chairman Edward Lee, EY U.S. West Region Private Equity Leader Kim Letch, and LAB Holding LLC CEO Shaheen Sadeghi.
Farmers & Merchants Bank and the California Desert Trial Academy College of Law – the only legal education institution in Riverside County – shared the Excellence in Leadership Development award.
Michael Mussallem, CEO of Edwards Lifesciences and a friend of the university, received the Lifetime Achievement recognition.
“Good leaders create positive change in an organization, but great leaders have a transformational impact on their organization” remarked Dean Sri Sundaram. “The leaders recognized today are transformational leaders in Southern California.”
Recognizing Leadership During the Pandemic
The 2022 awards come as the region recovers from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jay Barbuto, director of the Center for Leadership, recognizes this era as an opportunity for leadership development.
“Years from now, when people look back at the pandemic of 2020-2022, hopefully, what will stand out is that communities and people rallied to help one another; companies found new ways to add value and keep their teams intact; employees developed technology and virtual skills at accelerated fashion; and leaders stood out by inspiring hope and resiliency,” he says.
“These times have also revealed that the greatest skill that may define success in the future is that of agility – being able to adapt quickly and skillfully to the changing demands and circumstances our industries face. For many, adaptability defined success or failure during the pandemic, and for most, it will define your leadership and organizational success moving forward, in this ‘new normal.’ When executives were recently asked what skill will be most sought after in new hires, moving forward, the overwhelming response was adaptability. Change is no longer just a possibility; it has now become a certainty for most businesses.”
For More on the Center for Leadership
From leadership development opportunities for Cal State Fullerton students of all majors to education on best practices for current Southern California businesses, the Center for Leadership is the nexus for leadership cultivation in the region.
Read more of our articles on the center and its activities.
