Craig Hergenreother, CIO of Barry Wehmiller, is preparing his staff to be leaders. His company has a living legacy of leadership and he’s serious about maintaining it with the IT staff. "People are normally hired for their hands. We’re looking to engage their hearts and minds. If we treat them properly, we get that response for free. We’re already paying for their hands, let’s get the rest of it," Hergenreother says. "It’s grossly unfair to stereotype technical people as not being personable," he adds. He believes the lack of “people skills” is the fault of their current leaders. IT people need to be groomed. If you want a job at Barry Wehmiller, it’s not necessary for you to first be a leader. If you’ve got passion and understand the business, they’ll train you. "We’ve got them captive for 40 hours a week," says Hergenreother. We want them to go home fulfilled, and we want to make a positive impact. If we do that, it’ll come back to us in spades."