Leader Spotlight - Christopher Henney

Our Leader Spotlight includes advice and insights from our clients and friends. It is our pleasure to shine the light on leaders who inspire growth, collaboration, and impact.

Meet Christopher Henney, Executive Director, Ohio Veterinary Medical Association

Helping people grow and succeed in their roles: "I strive to provide members of my team the training, tools and opportunities they will need for success. Once I provide those items, I step out of their way and let them work autonomously to accomplish the goals and objectives of the job. I am always available to help answer questions or provide ideas and advice, but I really try to empower my team rather than micro-manage or over prescribe how to accomplish objectives. I’ve found that this builds confidence and trust amongst my team. It has been fun to see many people who have grown and succeeded on my teams to then go on to bigger roles on larger teams and be successful there as well." 

Creating a culture of collaboration and trust:

"There are a lot of little things we do all the time to build collaboration and trust. One important activity is our weekly staff meetings. We always start by sharing how each of us are doing personally and any highlights in our personal lives. This is a good reminder that there is a lot more going on with us than just what we see at work."

Practice that has helped you lead with confidence, and how it has influenced your team: "I start each day in a state of gratitude for all that I’ve been given. Even on our hardest days, there are things we can be thankful for. I believe this puts me in a mindset to better serve others, whether that be my staff team, our association members, or other customers/vendors throughout the day. I encourage my team to stay positive even while confronting difficult challenges or working through sensitive, emotional issues. A positive attitude doesn’t fix things, but it makes it a little easier to work through the problems."