NORWOOD, MA  William Hadge, CEO of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., a leading environmental and geotechnical engineering consulting firm, is honored by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) for his insights on leadership.

Hadge was one of 35 business owners and CEOs to receive the honor at CIANJ's 2nd Annual Best Practices Conference.

"It starts at the top," said Hadge. "Leaders must connect with those they are working with, starting with knowing their names and what they do. That's crucial. Leaders must put a high value on listening. An organization can only thrive if everyone is embraced and feels valued; everyone has to feel good about what they're doing. It can't just be some of the people or most of the people, it has been everybody. Respect and recognition motivate people.  Regardless of their position in the firm, never forget that a big part of their life and identity is wrapped up in the company, and that they deserve to be treated as if they matter to the organization. Because they do."

CIANJ assembled an independent panel of judges to review the leadership practices and decide the winners. The association is a statewide business advocacy group, which represents more than 900 member corporations.