SSN begins Leadership Talks

YARMOUTH, Maine—Security Systems News last week started a new webinar series to showcase different approaches to leadership from notable professionals in the industry.

“Leadership Talks was developed as a way to share ideas and provoke thoughtful discussions. The program is a weekly 20 minute Q&A … where industry leaders share their successes and failures and of course their perspective on an ever changing industry,” Tim Purpura, VP and group publisher for United Publications and SSN, said. “Leadership Talks is simply a forum to voice opinions, challenge the norm and be heard by your peers and competitors alike.”

Leadership Talks webinars will be held on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Each week, Purpura will speak with an industry leader.

The first Leadership Talks featured Todd Keller, CEO of Speco Technologies, a supplier of video surveillance, electronic accessories, and high-quality audio products for residential and commercial applications. Speco is based in Amityville, N.Y.

Purpura opened the webinar by asking Keller to describe his leadership style. “My leadership style is encouraging entrepreneurial spirited people. We're very fortunate that we're one of the last … of the privately held businesses that are out in the market place,” Keller said. “What that does is it gives us that flexibility of being able to let people act and create without having the feat of losing a position or a job. That entrepreneurial spirit, it has been what has thrived and made Speco last for the last 60-plus years.”

Purpura noted that, in working with Speco, he's dealt with many of the same people over the last 10 years. “What's the trick in terms of retaining these quality folks—at least the ones that I know—and how would you explain the culture?”

Keller responded: “The proximity of where we're located, we we're able to pull in really good quality people. One of the most important factors that we have is people. … Encouraging everyone to participate, everyone to be involved, and everyone having a say is really the culture that we've created and people aren't afraid to take risks.”

The next Leadership Talks will be held on Sept. 21, featuring Bill Bozeman, president and CEO of PSA Security Network.