Tom Price

What leadership principle guides you most in challenging times?

The leadership principle that guides me the most in challenging times, I would say, is character and integrity. Being honest with myself about the situation and being honest with other people if it involves other people helps me understand the proper solutions to take to solve the problems.

Decisiveness is also another key leadership principle, because once you understand the plan of action that you need to take, deciding to do it and carrying out that decision is of utmost importance.

How do you approach balancing short-term results with long-term goals?

Any long-term goal is made up of a number of short-term goals that are just steps along the path towards the ultimate goal. Many times it can be frustrating that these short-term goals are difficult to achieve and often set you back, but it's very important to continue to persist forward, as these goals are just opportunities to learn and opportunities to grow and find your way back onto the path towards your ultimate goal.

The only sure way of not achieving a goal is to give up, and you cannot do that. You have to balance the short-term frustration with a long-term reward and understand that you'll get back on track and continue along the way to achieve that ultimate goal.

What external forces - for example, regulation, consumer behavior, or global markets - most affect your industry?

The external force that most affects the marine industry is the economy. These sport fishing vessels are expensive to buy. They're expensive to maintain. They require a captain and a mate oftentimes. They also require constant maintenance, which can be very expensive. When the economy takes a turn for the worse, oftentimes these are the first toys that are to go.

Another factor that affects this industry is the price of fuel. Most of the vessels that come south for the wintertime to Florida are from up north, and the trip can be quite expensive when the price of fuel is high, and many choose not to come to Florida at all.

How do you maintain resilience and focus during setbacks?

Maintaining resilience and focus in times of a setback can be very difficult. It's always important for me to remember that setbacks are just temporary. When I'm in the middle of a setback, bogged down and my mind can't think clearly, it's always very important for me to step away from that project. Step away, allow my subconscious mind to work, and many times I come back to that project and I see much more clearly. I've allowed my subconscious mind to work and, in effect, I get out of the way and allow that to work. That always helps me in times of setbacks.

In your opinion, what will define successful leadership in the next decade?

The definition of successful leadership in the next decade will consist of the following principles.

Integrity and character - being honest, ethical, and having strong moral values are important characteristics of a leader.

Having vision and purpose - setting a clear direction and common goals for your team members keeps everyone on the same track and moving in the right direction.

Having empathy and concern - understanding and caring for your team members' well-being, making them feel valuable employees.

And finally decisiveness - making timely, sound decisions under pressure is a very important aspect of a team leader.