Today I was able to sit in during a meeting with the CEO and other high-level leaders. I am realizing that I am in a unique position with the Hall of Fame Village, because it is currently in the planning and preparation stages for something that has huge potential and lofty goals. It seems like something that has been well-established because it is so closely associated with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it truly is an organization that is still being born. This is a cause of a lot of frustration for some employees that I have been able to work with, because there are many telltale signs of a company that is still developing. It is not a large company today, but it is working toward being a huge destination as a resort and retail space in addition to some of the already-existing sports and event spaces. This was an encouraging conversation to listen to because I have felt some of the frustrations experienced by those employees which have been here for months or years. I think this experience showed me the importance of quality, inspiring leadership. It can be incredibly easy to lose sight of what the goal of an organization is when that goal seems far from reach. But if the right leader is in place, then those that are willing to buy into the future goal are may be able to simply follow the lead rather than feel like they need to manufacture their own reasoning for staying with the organization. I think this conversation showed me that the Hall of Fame Village is a good place to be and now is a good time to be here.
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