418: How Can Leaders Create the Conditions for Staff to Succeed?

Guest

Rich Gassen has worked at UW-Madison for over 15 years as Production Manager and, more recently, as Director at Digital Publishing and Printing Services. He focuses on empowerment, autonomy, and process improvements with his team. His work mantra has always been “Show Up and Participate,” which continues to guide him in his lifelong learning. He also leads a community of practice for supervisors at UW-Madison, focusing on training and development.

Summary

In this episode, Rich discusses his leadership journey and the principles that guide his work. Drawing on more than 35 years in the printing industry, Rich explains how influential mentors shaped his belief that effective leaders provide both autonomy and support. He recalls a manager who trusted employees to make decisions while remaining available during difficult moments—a model that continues to inform his own leadership style.

Rich emphasizes that leadership is fundamentally about people. He believes employees perform best when they feel valued, understood, and connected to the larger purpose of their work. Whether by sharing customer praise, encouraging innovation, or involving staff in major decisions, such as relocating the print shop, he seeks to create an environment where people feel a sense of ownership and agency.

A strong advocate for continuous learning, Rich helped build a campus-wide community of practice for supervisors, providing opportunities for networking, book discussions, and professional development. He stresses the importance of listening, asking questions, and resisting the urge to have all the answers. As leaders advance, he argues, their role shifts from solving problems to removing barriers that prevent others from succeeding.

Throughout the conversation, Rich highlights transparency, curiosity, and habit-building as essential leadership skills. Ultimately, he sees leadership not as a destination but as an ongoing learning process focused on helping people grow, contribute, and thrive.

The Essential Point

Great leadership is less about having the answers and more about creating the conditions for others to succeed. Leaders serve their teams best when they listen, build trust, remove obstacles, and help people see the significance of their contributions.

Social Media & Referenced

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richgassen/

Campus Supervisors Network Homepage: https://campussupervisorsnetwork.wisc.edu/

UW Printing site with article on innovation during a change initiative: https://printing.wisc.edu/2024/05/23/the-dpps-printshop-move-finding-innovation-through-challenge/

Jeff’s LinkedIn article

 

About Jeff

Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.

Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.

Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.