From the thousand-foot view Pontiac would be the envy of any suburban community. Historic neighborhoods flank a walkable downtown with the Clinton River a stone's throw away. But an economic monoculture, shortsighted planning practices, and a legacy of poor management have hobbled this once thriving city. Metromode looks at the city's attempts to innovate and revive its downtown with their Rise of the Phoenix program.

Despite his company's huge successes, John Gongos doesn't consider himself an entrepreneur. The veteran market researcher does, however, have strong opinions about leadership, developing talent, and taking a smart approach to business growth. Metromode's Jon Zemke get's the skinny.