ADP Co-Founder Provides Kean University Students with Lessons in Leadership

On Nov 21, 2014

In a visit with students at the Kean University Global Busiess School, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Inc. Co-Founder and Honorary Chairman Josh S. Weston, a Montclair resident, regaled about 60 students and Kean faculty with stories of his five decades leading one of New Jersey’s largest employers with the hope that his experiences would benefit the entrepreneurs of tomorrow during the inaugural session of the Dean’s Forum.

Weston shared some of his lessons learned leading one of the country’s most successful corporations and near the top of his list was “pilot before you pile it.” In other words, always start new programs on a small scale before you unleash them on the world. Another of his many insights was DINK: Data is Not Knowledge.

“It’s the job of the keeper of the data to show where the knowledge is whether you are trying to influence one person or 100,” he said. “You have to take as much time as you need to collect the data and then whatever time you need to turn it into knowledge before you dump it on someone.”

Time was one subject that Weston emphasized repeatedly during the program at Kean’s new Green Lane Academic Building, which opened to students earlier this year. He told the students that he would routinely take 10 percent of his time when he was the Chief Executive Officer of ADP, based in Roseland, to engage in activities that would leave a lasting impact on employees.

“The most important element in any company, including a high tech company like ours, is people,” he said. “But that’s just words unless you walk the talk because every company says their employees are important.”

Weston said handwritten notes congratulating employees on their accomplishments and calling hospitalized employees to see if they needed anything were just two of his many ways to touch employees. “It would take me two minutes to call and check on an employee in the hospital, but they wound up telling 50 people afterwards,” he said.

“Josh Weston provides our students with a unique perspective that is rarely available to students today,” said Dr. Michael Cooper, Dean of the College of Business and Public Management. “We started the Dean’s Forum because the Global Business School is committed to preparing students for careers in the global economy. Our students can learn from great corporate leaders like Josh so we are extremely thankful for his time and insights.”

Weston began his career at ADP in 1955 and led the company in a variety of capacities before being named CEO in 1982. He was the company’s Chairman when he retired in 1998. Weston has developed a second full-time career leading various non-profit boards, providing generous support to many institutions in the arts and education, and participating in humanitarian efforts and business councils.

The Kean Global Business School provides students with a uniquely global, comprehensive, and personalized learning experience, which prepares them to contribute and prosper in a diverse and dynamic world. Kean’s MBA in Global Management Studies is a specialized MBA degree program that prepares managers to succeed in a global business environment. It offers a wide and deep selection of global-focused courses, experiences, and training in global business issues. In addition, it has an extensive global experience requirement that sets it apart from other programs. For more information, please visit globalbusiness.kean.edu/graduate-program.

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