Steve Maloney, Director of Training at the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), reflected on his experiences at the organization’s 10th annual Live2Lead re-broadcast event held on November 7, 2025. The event attracted over 125 attendees and featured presentations from speakers including John Maxwell, Anthony Trucks, Tiffani Bova, and Jesse Cole.
Maloney noted that he approached this year’s retreat with an “abundance mindset,” a perspective he credits to last year’s Live2Lead event. He said, “I showed up expecting to be challenged and intending to find even more opportunities for my personal growth. It was exactly what I needed!”
John Maxwell opened the event by emphasizing intentionality in personal development. “This is John’s first Law of Growth – the Law of Intentionality,” Maloney recounted. He added that his own intention for the day was to continue building on his growth mindset and identify areas for further improvement.
Maxwell also presented his “6 Cs of Teamwork” framework: communicate constantly, create an environment for team member growth, collaborate, concentrate on strengths, celebrate wins, and consecrate oneself to do their best. According to Maloney, this approach highlights the link between leadership quality and team performance.
Anthony Trucks shared insights from his personal journey as a former NFL player and foster child. He encouraged attendees to embrace change through hard work out of public view: “work in the dark to shine in the light.” Trucks urged participants to “make shift happen.”
Tiffani Bova discussed effective communication within teams. She likened leadership to conducting an orchestra and advised leaders to surround themselves with supportive colleagues: “We are the conductors of our story so what will we do differently?”
The event also included recognition for Lisa O’Dell from Marquardt Switches as the Transformational Leader Award recipient.
Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, delivered a session focused on customer engagement using his Five Es: eliminate friction, entertain always, experiment, engage deeply, and empower action.
Maxwell concluded by discussing abundance in leadership: “All leaders have something in common – they see more than others see… His repeated phrase through the teaching was ‘more and before.’ The final takeaway from me was his question, ‘How will I intentionally grow every day, and how far can I go?’”
Maloney encouraged those who missed this year’s Live2Lead event that content remains available until February. He invited organizations interested in hosting a re-broadcast to contact MACNY and announced that next year’s event is scheduled for November 6, 2026.
