Leadership in Action

By Nate Legue

BusinessRockford.com

Owners/top executives: Ian Gregory and Karen Redieske

Address: 11360 Jeremy Lane, Roscoe

Telephone: 815-494-0600

Web site: liatraining.com

E-mail: info@liatraining.com

Opened: March 2005

Products and services: Leadership training and development

Why did you get into this business? I’ve been in the Fire Department for many, many years and involved as a teacher and I’ve coached soccer for, it seems like forever. A lot of the same principles that worked there, I never saw a lot of that kind of training being done. ... Most businesses, when they promote, they promote based on your technical expertise, your ability to manage things. But when you’re promoted, you’re asked to manage people and build teams, and nobody tests you for that.

What advice can you offer others who are thinking of entering the business? Make sure you have some practical experience behind you. The people we talk to are extremely bright people, and when you stand up in front them and say something, you’d better have done it. Otherwise, they’re going to know you don’t know what you’re talking about.

How has your business grown since opening? I think we’re doing really well. Our seminars are much more interactive than anyone else’s. I think we learn as much at our seminars as we teach.

Where do you see your business in the next five years? We’ve been doing really successful stuff with firefighters, EMS. We have a couple of hospitals we’re working with. What we’re looking to do is expand into the manufacturing and business end of it.

What is most satisfying about your business? That we can help people. We can take some of these principles and help people lead better lives at work and lead better lives in general. When somebody says, “You helped me change my life for the better,” man, that’s such an amazing thing to hear.

To nominate a business for Snapshot!, send candidate’s name, place of employment and phone number to Rockford Register Star Business Desk, 99 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61104; fax 815-987-1365; e-mail nlegue@rrstar.com