OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

CURRENT NEWS RELEASES

NEWS ARCHIVE

SPEAKERS' BUREAU

ATHLETIC NEWS

FINE ARTS EVENTS

CALENDAR

CAMPUS BULLETIN

ACADEME

HUNTINGTON UNIV MAGAZINE

Montana offers leadership insights at luncheon

FOR RELEASE September 24, 2009

Melissa Montana presents at the August luncheon of the Center for Leadership.

Huntington, Ind.—On Aug. 27, the Huntington University Center for Leadership hosted a leadership luncheon open to business and community leaders featuring Melissa Montana. She is a 25-year veteran of the radio industry and has served as the general manager of STAR 88.3 for 10 years and is the CEO/president of STAR Educational Media Network.

Montana’s presentation was titled “Moving from Good to Great: The Value of Excellence” and focused on how, as Christians, “‘good’ shouldn’t be enough.”

Montana pointed out that “when you step up to be the leader God created you to be – you will experience mountain tops and valleys.” But that doesn’t mean that people can be “rollercoaster leaders.” A leader is someone people can count on to be consistent.

It is because of this pressure, Montana suggests, that few people are willing to be true leaders.

“There is discomfort involved with the position at times,” Montana said, “but a true leader at heart will jump in and take the challenge and discomfort.”

To see how leadership is meant to work, Montana used the illustration of a puzzle.

“The people are represented by the pieces,” Montana said. “They are all different shapes and sizes, but when you put them in the right spot it makes a wonderful picture. However, this also means that not all puzzle pieces fit in your puzzle, or company.”

It is because of those ill-fitting puzzle pieces that Montana says it can be hard to be a leader.
If people are not in the right ‘place,’ a leader’s responsibility is to put them in the right place. 

Finally, Montana cautioned leaders to “deal with issues immediately and not let them brew, especially gossip, because gossip spreads like a cancer and is deadly if not dealt with.”

This event is part of a series of luncheons that is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month.

The Huntington University Center for Leadership is housed on the university’s campus in the EXCEL Adult Degree Programs office. Under the direction of Dr. Rick Upchurch, director of the EXCEL program, the CFL provides leadership training and resources to businesses, community leaders and pastors in northern Indiana.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S.News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest. In 2008, Forbes.com listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review named the institution to its “Best in the Midwest” 2009 list. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

# # #