Executive Suite: Mike Chung, Freeport

Engineer Mike Chung started an information technology business out of his basement in 2002.

Delan Associates Inc. provides software, logistics and training services. It has had as many as 150 employees, and Chung hopes to grow to 500.

He was named Small-Business Person of 2010 by the U.S. Small Business Administration's New York district office. Chung, in his 40s, is married and has three children. He is involved in the Long Island Caribbean Association. 

What qualities do you look for in hiring?
"I think people tend to try to rest on their credentials -- 'I have this degree. I know these people.' That's useless. I'd rather have a guy with a high school diploma who, if he says he's done something, I can sleep at night, than a genius who you're going to have to double-check. I believe in goal-oriented people." 

How did you learn to manage others?
"I studied all of the things that . . . I didn't like about the people that I worked for."

What kind of corporate culture have you tried to build here?
"I've tried to convince everybody that they are part of a family. You're not going to let your brother, your sister . . . fail. If they tell you their car broke down in the middle of the night, you're going to get up, you're going to go get them. Nobody knows what their weak spot is. But when it appears, you want your fellow person to back you up." 

Can that work if you keep expanding?
"Even at our largest point, every single employee had my cell phone [number]. I make sure that everybody feels that they are important enough that I, as a leader of the company, would want to hear their concern. That was the biggest negative I found when I worked for other people, a feeling that your contribution does not count. You know what happens when you feel like that? You just don't care. 'Oh, I did my part. It's 5 o'clock. I'll finish tomorrow.' " 

How would you describe your leadership style?
"I'm a concerned, non-micromanager. I don't believe in micromanaging. If you have to micromanage, then you don't need the person that you hired. However, you can't be a disinterested third party, either. I insist on staying in the loop, but I almost always let the people make their own decisions. . . . I encourage people to argue back." 

What advice would you have for someone starting a business?
"You have to do the research and have an understanding of the business you want to enter."