By Amy Woog Patnode

Leadership is something South St. Paul native Dr. Dave Metzen learned by playing hockey at a young age. “There is no question in my mind that playing on a team, having to work together, finding your role and building camaraderie has helped me land the leadership positions I’ve had over the years,” said Dr. Metzen.

Forty years ago, Dr. Metzen captained the Gopher hockey team during his final season with the Gophers in 1964. Now, after years of experience, Dr. Metzen’s leadership knowledge has grown and developed tremendously. He spent 30 years in the South St. Paul school system, where he served as superintendent for 18 years.

He was also a longtime director at American Bank, part owner of a real estate and land development company and was an executive director of Dodge Nature Center.
Today, Dr. Metzen has taken his role as captain and leader to another new level as he serves the final six months of his two-year term as chair of the Board of Regents for all four campuses of the University of Minnesota.

As chair, Dr. Metzen serves as spokesperson for the Board, presides at Board meetings and fosters communication among Regents and with the President. He currently serves on a number of committees — Facilities, Faculty, Staff and Student Affairs, and Litigation Review. In addition, he is a member of the board of the University of Minnesota Foundation and the Minnesota Medical Foundation.

Amidst all of this responsibility, Dr. Metzen feels that his role of Gopher captain was not that much different than his current role of regent chair. “A captain is not necessarily always the most talented player on the team,” explained Dr. Metzen.

“However, a captain is often selected because he or she tries to bring out the best in everyone on that team, and that is exactly what my role is as chair of the Board of Regents.”

Addressing the issues that loom over hockey parents, Dr. Metzen insists that part of leadership is being in alignment. He says that parents must respect the expectations of their children’s coaches and that the coaches need to lead their players. Interference from parents can be distracting to coaches and players, and in turn the success of a team.

Dr. Metzen would like to see more young people involved in team competition and stresses that extra activities are not a frill but that they are a very important part of a child’s growth and development. Many of today’s successful leaders have been involved with a team at some point in their lives.

To more widely disseminate these “leadership” messages, Dr. Metzen has recently taken on another challenge — sharing what he has learned about leadership by providing keynote presentations and workshops that teach people how to create an environment that fosters continual learning and growing through proven, teachable leadership practices. Through Metzen Leadership, Dr. Metzen addresses the unique challenges and issues that face a given organization. He takes what he has learned about education, communication, teamwork, and professional growth, and shares those experiences with companies and organizations to help build a more positive, productive work environment.

“Athletics provided a great foundation; the steps and experiences along the way have enhanced my leadership and teaching abilities,” said Dr. Metzen. “I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to share these experiences with others.”

Forty years later, the message is still spoken like a true captain. MHJ

For more information on Metzen Leadership, you can log on to
www.metzenleadership.com