Welcome back to IBJ’s new video feature, “Leading Questions: Wisdom from the Corner Office.” Every week, we sit down with one of central Indiana’s most respected bosses and talk shop about the characteristics of an effective head honcho.

Stephen Russell, chairman and CEO of Celadon Group Inc., has plenty of wisdom to impart after founding the trucking firm in the mid-1980s and driving revenue to $490 million in its most recent fiscal year. A recent downturn in the trucking industry—first due to a spike in fuel prices, then the recession—tested his mettle. In the video below, Russell explains how advice from his dentist helped shape his approach to riding out the tough road ahead.



In the bonus video below, the native New Yorker finds profound meaning in a photo of the Twin Towers that hangs in his office. Russell also explains his formula for success, boiled down to the acronym “LIDS.”