In nearly every issue, you read essays from us about the vital importance of leadership to success. We deliver analysis of how to identify, assess and develop leadership. We share stories about how chief learning officers shaped their careers and lessons they have for those following their footsteps.
If anyone should understand the enduring power and responsibility that comes with leadership, it should be the editors of this magazine.
Yet, despite that understanding built over the nearly 12 years we’ve published Chief Learning Officer, the loss of one of our own leaders still comes as a shock.
Norm Kamikow, president and editor-in-chief of MediaTec Publishing, the parent company of this magazine, died in July after a sudden illness. He was 70. It’s a loss we continue to feel.
Like most successful leaders, Norm had vision. In 1999, along with his longtime business partner John Taggart, he started MediaTec with the launch of Certification Magazine, a title aimed at career development for IT professionals.
On a shoestring budget financed out of their own pockets, Norm and John grew MediaTec from a single magazine into Human Capital Media, one of the largest and most successful media companies in the industry, including four magazines, a series of national and regional conferences and events as well as industry research and benchmarking programs.
Besides vision, Norm also understood that leadership means taking risks. When we launched the first Chief Learning Officer Symposium in 2003 there was no guarantee anyone would show up. But show up they did, and continue to do so.
He wasn’t afraid to place bets on people, too. He placed one on me, a former high school teacher and magazine and newspaper editor with little experience in learning and development. That choice and his belief in my potential changed my life and the life of my family for the better. I’m just one person transformed by working with Norm.
That’s the ultimate testament to his leadership. Despite his absence, his faith in others and commitment to build this magazine and community endures. The lessons of his leadership continue through each of us.
