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28 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2020 There can be a lot of weight given to the abil- ities of the leader of an organization. Perhaps you have heard someone describe a business leader or sports coach by saying, "They took them to great heights!" Maybe it is the skeptic in me, but I wonder just how much was attrib- utable to leadership prowess and how much was due to other factors. Here, I will share three important tools that should be in your leadership toolbox. Beware of 'Rising Tide Syndrome' Early in my tenure at IPC, I was at a dinner meeting with an association executive director who was also closely tied to the electronics in- dustry. Over the course of dinner, he proceeded to share with great pride how he had grown his association ("single-handedly" was implied) over the previous four years. This was 2013. He had taken over company leadership at the end of the great recession and—surprise, sur- prise—experienced growth every year thereaf- ter. What was left unsaid was that practically every other company experienced growth over that period. A rising tide lifts all ships. Now, this particular executive may have done some amazing things to be successful, but the message here is that we should not assume that as leaders we are solely respon- sible for the successes we are seeing. There are quite often too many variables in play to claim all the credit with any high degree of confi- dence. Leaders need to recognize that there are things we can control and things we cannot. A healthy dose of humility should be a well-used tool in the leader's toolbox. A Team Mentality Whenever I am asked what it takes to be successful, the first thing that comes to mind 3 Tools That Should Be in Your Leadership Toolbox One World, One Industry Feature Column by Dr. John Mitchell, IPC—ASSOCIATION CONNECTING ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES