Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette John Bacon, New York Times best selling author, educator, hockey coach and a member of Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees, was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s MTEC SmartZone small business leadership conference in Houghton.

HOUGHTON – The MTEC SmartZone held a half-day Reimagining Leadership Conference Tuesday at the Bonfire, in Houghton. The leadership conference was created to to address the unique challenges small businesses face in the Upper Peninsula. David Rowe, MTEC SmartZone CEO, said the conference was aimed at helping small businesses achieve greater success. The conference was attended by a wide variety of businesses, companies and corporations, Rowe said.

“This is a mixture of companies throughout the western U.P. We have main street small businesses, entrepreneurs who are just launching their businesses,” Rowe said. “It may be a pizza shop. They may be a floor sander, or a contractor, all the way up to high-tech companies like Orbion Space Technologies, Loukus Technologies, high-tech manufacturers, high-tech service companies, Steelhead Technologies, software engineers.”

Rowe said the companies represent a broad mix from across the Western U.P. and are made up of unique people, in a unique area, and they all have something in common.

“These companies all need leadership and we’re trying to help them develop leadership within themselves and within their teams, so those companies can thrive,” Rowe said.

The conference, which ran from 10 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. featured four speakers,all are consultants, including the keynote speaker, John U. Bacon. The Ann Arbor native, is a New York Times Best Selling author and has worked for more than two decades as a writer, speaker, radio commentator, college lecturer and hockey coach. He currently teaches at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and the University of Michigan. Bacon earned his bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Michigan Technological University Board of Trustees.

Bacon talked about what makes the U.P. a special place for business, what makes it difficult and what some of the challenges are. Among the challenges discussed were weather and housing shortages.

Bacon said living in the U.P. is not for everyone, which is actually an advantage. While some may feel the harsh U.P. winters are a challenge, Bacon disagreed.

“You flip it on its head,” he said. “This place is awesome. We have skiing across the Canal (Mont Ripley). If you’re into snowboarding and fat tire bicycles, come on up.”

Bacon also touched on valuable leadership qualities. “Personality doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s your word. If your word is good, people will follow you.”

Bacon also discussed fostering a team mentality of sharing the credit for success rather than the blame for failure. He also talked about focusing on what can be controlled as opposed to what a company owner or CEO cannot control.

“You control what your wearing, what your attitude is, what time you show up for work and whether you’re ready to a team player. That’s what we control, and that’s what you focus on as a leader. Those are the things you’ve got to get right every single time.”

Good leadership attracts good employees, he said and good leadership focuses on good leadership skills. “That’s the place you want to work,” he said, “and you stay at that place. That’s what you’re selling.”

The bait you put in the water, said Bacon, determines the fish you’re going to catch.