I was in Starbucks sipping my water and learning from the leader of Rego-Fix, USA a sixty plus year old company which continues to grow and expand into various international markets. Our purpose was for me to get to know him better and also during our time I had the opportunity to learn some of his guiding leadership principles.
Mr. Weber is a learner and that is why he is a great leader. We briefly met at a leadership development event and during our time at Starbucks he suggested three books to add to my ever-expanding list of books to read. From our time I can tell he is a man of great discipline, drive, and humility. If you are familiar with the book Good to Great by Jim Collins my guess is he would qualify as a level five leader.
During his tenure leading this organization his three guiding leadership principles are what have also become the guiding principles for the organization. Before covering those let me highlight how he defined the company’s culture. As I have heard people say culture eats vision and you will see how his cultural values align with his personal/company values.
Mr. Weber desires the company culture to contain the following four elements:
- A meaningful job for his employees
- Respect from peers
- Members of the company would clearly know what is expected of them
- He and his team would be resourced to do the job
When I look at these four elements I can see how they directly align with one of Mr. Weber’s core values:
Integrity
Of course hopefully every leader would say this, but Mr. Weber said “integrity is paramount.” He models this value by living only asking someone to do something he is willing to do himself. This creates an environment where he earns his people’s respect and models an expectation that is implemented throughout the organization.
Excellence
When he said excellence, I had to get clarification because one can easily confuse excellence and perfection. Mr. Weber described this as a function of disciplined habits. In order for his organization to provide an excellent product and results he must have clear expectations. He has built this into his culture in part by providing his people with the resources they need.
Growth
This value is obviously important to him personally since I first met him at a leadership development workshop and within our brief time, he recommended three books. When we discussed this topic more in-depth he suggested that growth requires discipline and planning. Growth is not accidental, but intentional and purposeful.
When these three core values are lived out daily by him personally he sets the example and helps create a culture that enables a sixty plus year old company to continue to develop and thrive in an ever changing world.
What about you? How are you doing in these areas? Do you have a plan for intentional growth? Do you need someone to come alongside you in that growth process so you can lead at your full potential? If so, contact me for a free thirty-minute coaching experience. In the meantime, lead well.
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