Sometimes we get time to prepare and train for leadership roles, and sometime it comes when we least expect it. Shakespeare famously wrote, “some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” It is interesting how we may have the best-laid plans, but unforeseeable circumstances can take us on a different trajectory in life. In these situations, we have no choice but to sink or swim.

Jonathan Lee, President of Mississippi Products, Inc., never thought he would be leading the business that his parents founded over twenty years ago. In fact, after high school he did not even see himself staying in Mississippi. An outstanding student, Jonathan was accepted at the University of the North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His plans changed, and he came back to his home state and attended Mississippi State University where he was both an outstanding student and leader. He stayed on and earned his M.B.A, and his life plan was to obtain his doctorate in marketing at the University of Alabama.