Tron Jordheim, Chief Marketing Officer at StorageMart and Director of Operations at PhoneSmart, shares how various mentors have modeled effective leadership and achieved executive success.
By Jill Yarberry-Laybourn
As a young boy in Brooklyn, New York, Jordheim had an entrepreneurial spirit that shined brightly. This entrepreneurial spirit has since elevated into corporate management. Jordheim partly attributes his executive success to mentorship.
StorageMart’s President Cris Burnam and CEO Mike Burnam have taught him a great deal about effective leadership. One essential leadership skill they exhibited was avoiding micromanagement. Jordheim took that to heart and likewise gives his team the tools and resources they need to develop projects and then “…let the results speak for themselves.” Jordheim also learned from them the importance of leading by example. “When it is time to put our noses to the grindstone, they are the first ones there doing the work.” He admires their ability to perform any task that they require of their employees, and if they need to step in and answer phones or help with a rental, they will gladly do it. “…That breeds a lot of respect from the whole organization. It is a lesson you can take with you. You should be able to jump in and grab an oar, anytime.”
Another key mentor to Jordheim was Bernhardt Mendel, a dog trainer from Germany. He was an integral part in one of Jordheim’s successful entrepreneurial ventures to train German Shepherds for airport security. Bernhardt really educated Jordheim on how to relate to people. “He had such great skill and empathy for the dogs, the dog owners and the dog handlers. He had such a good way about him.”
And from famous Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, Jordheim learned another way to become an effective leader. Being a huge fan and watching Clemente play game after game, Jordheim learned the importance of always be ready to perform and to perform well. “I can’t believe how he could throw the ball. He could throw a strike from the wall in right field. My gosh…you can be a human and a super human at the same time.”
Jordheim has learned a great deal from mentors who have played various roles in his life; his success record and nearly 14 years with StorageMart and PhoneSmart serve as proof.
Jill Laybourn is a Freelance Writer at Forefront Magazine
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