Most new leaders aren’t short on talent—they’re short on someone they can talk to.

Jim Heller has spent his career navigating that reality. As a fourth-generation leader of a Detroit-based machining company, he joined Vistage because he didn’t want to be the one who derailed the family business. Eight years later, after firing himself as CEO and helping transition the company to outside leadership, he discovered something even more meaningful: the power of simply being present for other leaders.

Now a Vistage Chair with four groups in Michigan, including an Emerging Leaders group he launched during COVID, Jim is passionate about developing first-time leaders and believes many of them are stepping into bigger roles without enough time or guidance to grow. Supporting them is one of the ways he chooses to serve. 

If you care about developing leaders at any level, you’ll appreciate this conversation!

If you’d like to connect with Jim, you can reach him via email at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.