A couple of weeks ago on The American Entrepreneur, we hosted the newest leader of the Technology Council (and not the “High Technology Council”), Ms. Audrey Russo.

Audrey is the fifth leader in the 20-plus year history of the council, an organization that has seemed to have problems first defining its mission, and then once defined, staying with that definition. As a result, the Council has had almost as many incarnations (save for its ability to purchase life insurance at a discount for the membership) as it has had leaders.

One of my start-ups was actually among the first couple dozen members of the council … this was way back in the mid-eighties … my business partner and I greatly enjoyed hearing other entrepreneurs tell their start-up stories at the “Breakfast Briefings” that so many companies of that era attended.

One of the oddest things about the council was its penchant for advisors. Recently, this has reached an incredible level, as the council lists nearly four dozen individual members on its Board of Directors. The largest board I ever had in any of my businesses was seven, and even this was a bit cumbersome.

Well, at least one of those Board members came up with some good ideas lately when they first had the courage to release CEO number four (Steve Zylstra) and then really ‘sucked it up’ and hired Ms Russo as his successor.

Night and day? How about Metallica following La bohème? Or, Blackbeard succeeding Hyman Rickover?

I find it curious and ironic that the first three letters of Audrey’s name are also the first three letters of the word audacious … for this is perhaps the first thing that one notices about her management style. For where “Arizona Steve” (I’m told that he has since returned, a la Steve Pederson, to the site of his original success) was an empire builder who loved to hold his staff members hostage - pontificating about his personal philosophies of life and business - Audrey prides herself on holding as few meetings as possible, and for as short a period of time as possible.

I think that you’ll see real change and real growth at the council from here on in. Already, my sources are telling me just how much more productive the atmosphere is at the HTC; politics are pretty much gone, people are judged based on merit, and the first and foremost consideration of the council itself is the members.

Gone forever are the four ‘business units’ that the previous CEO had formed. The Catalyst Connection is no longer a separate organization with redundant cost centers and functions; instead, it’s simply one part of the council that happens to benefit companies that manufacture things. As it should be.

Also gone are the unending trips to Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. (last I heard, neither of these two places are in western PA) --- trips that made little or no sense unless “sucking up to politicians” is one of the key missions of the council.

(Ah … my kind of manager!)

So to the Board of The Tech Council … great work folks! And congratulations for having the guts to do the tough but right thing, which of course was bringing in a true bomb thrower to do just that … blow ‘er up - start over again.