We were sitting in the lobby outside of Holder Mattress in Carmel, IN. I was learning from the third-generation leader of this family owned business. A woman who had grown up around her family’s mattress factory in Kokomo, IN.
When she had volunteered seventeen years ago to take over the leadership of this struggling business from her Aunt and Uncle, she had many challenges on her hands. As a young, but determined, leader she refused to allow the business to close while she was leading. This determination paid off. Within a few short years of taking over a business that was being protected by bankruptcy at the time, she made decisions that quickly made it into the profitable family owned small business it has become.
During our time we discussed some of the principles that guided and continue to guide her leadership.
Build the Best
All industries have varying degrees of competition. Instead of focusing on the competition, Lauren learned from her grandfather the value of building the best. As a small company in a big industry that manufactures their own product they are able to control quality. When you focus on being the best you can be, then everything else takes care of itself.
In his book Wooden on Leadership, John Wooden and Steve Jamison state:
“When you start thinking about winning, you stop thinking about doing your job.”
This mindset of focusing on doing your best will help leaders build the best. We can’t control the competition or the market or other situations. Just like John Wooden focused on his team being the best they could be, find what you are best at and excel. This is a significant reason why Lauren was able to turn around the business when she took over.
Treat People Right
I have been reading leadership expert John Maxwell’s book Ethics 101 and he made the observation that the golden rule of treating others as you would want to be treated spans across all belief systems. This was the foundational guiding principle Lauren learned from her grandfather. Watching her grandfather build a small town, family owned business taught her to treat everyone like a neighbor.
When we treat all people right, we get positive results. If we treat others with respect and care they often will do the same. Leading in the retail business Lauren learned from her grandfather that sometimes letting a person leave, with respect and care, is treating them right because you may not have what a customer is looking for.
Put the Needs of Others Before Your Ego
Through an early experience with a customer Lauren learned the negative impact of her strong will and ego. She had a customer whose needs she did not think would be met by the product they purchased. Instead of discussing with them possible modifications and having an open conversation she decided to have her manufacturers make the modifications she thought would be helpful. . . . a few weeks later the customers returned dissatisfied.
She regularly shares with her team how she realized she needed to learn to listen to people well and above all be honest. We can easily think we know what is best for another person, but when we listen we are able to serve others and do what is best for them and not what we think is best.
After looking at these three principles, which of them do you need to grow in? Do you need help thinking into this? Contact me for a thirty-minute thinking partner session at no cost to you. Lead Well.
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