Find Your Leadership Style

TOM SHERWIN, CEO Resources, Inc.

Leadership is not a one-size-fits all proposition, but it is a necessary tool for the effective CEO. Identifying one's style, in contrast with other leaders, helps to understand why one leadership style works well with some followers, but not others.

CEO expert and coach Thomas J. Sherwin of CEO Resources, Inc. of Framingham, returns to the WPI Venture Forum for the December 12 keynote presentation on "Finding YOUR Leadership Style."

CEOs come in a variety of packages, which may or may not match their organization's particular stage. Sherwin's critical analysis identifies the CEO's "tool kit" and assesses the company's stage of organizational development. On December 12, he will take his analysis one step further to discuss leadership style as one, but not the only, tool of a CEO. Sherwin will get the audience started on identifying their own styles. He will conclude with a discussion of what qualities a leader's followers seek — the concept of "Situational Leadership" — and how the leader must adapt to the needs of the follower to be effective.

Founder and President of CEO Resources, Inc., Sherwin is a nationally recognized expert who advises CEOs in the areas of strategy, CEO coaching, succession and corporate governance. His clients lead businesses across a range of technology, healthcare, services and manufacturing. Previously, he was the CEO of Surgicot Flexible Packaging, Osteo-Technology and Maasdam PowR-Pull as well as a senior executive with American Hospital Supply, G.D. Searle and Electro-Biology. Sherwin holds a B.A. in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, an Associate Member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and is active on several boards of directors.

Case Presentation: Block Engineering
Block Engineering and its affiliates are developing next generation detection systems for use in military defense against chemical and biological weapons, homeland defense, as well as commercial and industrial markets. These opportunities could generate highly profitable multimillion dollar product sales in the future.

In partnership with Northrop Grumman, Block has developed the Mobile Chemical Agent Detection system (MCAD), which has been tested extensively. The system is currently deployed at the Pentagon to detect external gas attacks and is being actively promoted to other U.S. government agencies and to foreign governments.

The Block MEMS LLC affiliate is developing a next generation micro-electromechanical (MEMS) optical chemical sensor, called ChemPen. ChemPen can be used in a wide variety of military, government and commercial markets sized in the billions of dollars. The ChemPen will be lightweight, no larger than a fountain pen and will cost under $1000 in comparison to current spectrometers that weigh 20 to 30 pounds and cost from $50,000 to $150,000. Its small size and very low cost via MEMS technology gives it a proprietary advantage versus competing products.

Daniel J. Cavicchio Jr., is President and CEO of Block Engineering and its affiliates. Cavicchio holds a B.S. Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

His business career includes experience with the Aerospace Company, McKinsey & Company, and American Can Company. In 1984, Cavicchio co-founded Greenwich Venture Partners, Inc., and subsequently acquired Commonwealth Sprague Capacitor, Inc., and Block Engineering. He served as co-CEO of Commonwealth Sprague until its sale in 2006.