Magisterial district judge is co-author of book on leadership
Courtesy of Ron Arnoni
There’s been plenty written about leaders, and there are scores of courses, seminars, books and training sessions that seek to help cultivate their leadership skills.
So, the question is: Are leaders born that way, or is leadership a learned skill?
It can be both, according to Ron Arnoni, a magisterial district judge whose district includes Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair. The jurist believes that leaders are “not afraid to do the hard stuff.”
“There are different types of leaders for different types of situations,” Arnoni added.
Arnoni offers additional thoughts on leadership and how people can excel with “Navigate Your Path to Success,” a book co-written with motivational speaker Brad Killmeyer. It offers advice on how to be a leader, how to communicate more effectively, the benefits of feedback, and more.
“Navigate Your Path to Success” contains more than 30 interviews with business leaders and other high-profile individuals from the Pittsburgh region who have risen to the top of their professions, and they illuminate the various paths to success that they have traveled. They include state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, who represents all of Washington and Greene counties and a portion of Beaver County in the state Senate; Bill Sarris, the president and CEO of Canonsburg-based Sarris Candies; Steve Blass, the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and World Series champion; and Jim McQuade, the president and CEO of Dollar Bank.
Arnoni said that 90% of those interviewed are “old friends that I’ve had a relationship with for many years. They are people I have a great respect and admiration for.”
Before becoming a judge and author, Arnoni has had a varied career that has included being a mayor, a councilman and managing an environmental company. To highlight leaders in the Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park communities, Arnoni has given out citizen-of-the-year honors to individuals who have been exemplary volunteers, lead nonprofit endeavors and have otherwise given their communities a boost.
“I’m a person who believes we can learn something new every day,” Arnoni said. “I find it fascinating to learn different ideas and concepts.”
The judge believes, first and foremost, that a key to success is “doing it, going for it.”
“You can achieve anything you want if you put your mind to it,” Arnoni explained.
Additional information on “Navigate Your Path to Success” can be found at ourleadfamily.com.