October 2, 2025 • 35 mins
What does it take to lead with clarity, build trust, and create a lasting culture in business?
In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, host David W. Carr sits down with Jim Bramlett, Vistage Chair, author of The Unconventional Thinking of Dominant Companies, and a serial entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience. Jim has started seven companies, navigated both failure and success, and now coaches executives through growth, leadership, and succession challenges.
Jim explains why peer groups like Vistage provide leaders with the safe space, accountability, and insights they can’t find anywhere else. He shares stories of business transformation, leadership lessons, and practical insights on how executives can grow healthier companies while avoiding burnout.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Connect with Jim Bramlett:
Website: https://jimbramlett.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbramlett1
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.
Watch more episodes on YouTube and subscribe here:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business
Connect with Steward Your Business:
Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr
In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, host David W. Carr sits down with Jim Bramlett, Vistage Chair, author of The Unconventional Thinking of Dominant Companies, and a serial entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience. Jim has started seven companies, navigated both failure and success, and now coaches executives through growth, leadership, and succession challenges.
Jim explains why peer groups like Vistage provide leaders with the safe space, accountability, and insights they can’t find anywhere else. He shares stories of business transformation, leadership lessons, and practical insights on how executives can grow healthier companies while avoiding burnout.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why the best leaders are vulnerable, coachable, and lifelong learners
- How self-limiting beliefs hold leaders back from their full potential
- Why culture is intentional—and becomes your biggest competitive advantage
- The importance of coaching and developing mid-level leaders for growth
- Why every executive needs trusted peers to avoid isolation at the top
Connect with Jim Bramlett:
Website: https://jimbramlett.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbramlett1
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.
Watch more episodes on YouTube and subscribe here:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business
Connect with Steward Your Business:
Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
All right, welcome back to the Business Roundtable podcast. I
am your host, David car Steward, your business bringing people
together to accomplish great things. We have another new guest
this week. I'm super excited to have Jim Bramlin with us.
Welcome Jim to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
David, thanks for having me. I'm so excited to be
part of this today.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Absolutely, you know, Jim, I'm excited because you have a
wealth of experience. We're going to get into it, and
I've learned the value of having such advisors like yourself
coming in in your forty plus year entrepreneurial journey with
logistics and really helping folks, and so I'm gonna learn
(00:51):
some things here on the podcast today. I hope everybody
is listening in to Jim on the podcast here, Jim,
before we get into kind of the nuts and bolts
of some of these things, I love having our guests
share a little bit about their journey. You are a
Versus chair. For those of you that know Visage, definitely
check them out and I'll let Jim share more about Vistage.
But what got you to being a Visus chair now
(01:14):
and what you're doing? Take us back a little bit
about your your your story as a business owner entrepreneur.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Jim Sure.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'll start with probably one of the main reasons I
became a versus chair so serial entrepreneur. I started my
first company when I was a senior in college, and
over my career, I've started seven companies, four for myself
and three for others, bigger organizations, companies, divisions, that kind
(01:42):
of thing. And I failed. My very first business was
a failure, my second was a failure, and I started
learning the hard lessons along the way, and that's one
of the reasons why I wrote my book. But when uh,
the first two companies I started, uh, you know, we're
(02:06):
pretty small. One one you know, it was just me.
Another I had a partner, pretty small. And what I
did I started the companies because of me. I mean,
any consideration for well, what's what's needed in the market.
Is there is there a need? No, I said, no,
I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna go do this guy
thing is a good idea and they and they failed, Okay,
(02:29):
And then in the middle of the dot com hysteria,
I started a company. I got venture funding and this
was my first real company. I like to say at
a board of directors. Uh, I was a visionary and
I'd never been uh a CEO at this level where
(02:51):
I've got over forty families. You know that I'm now
feeling responsibility for leading the charge. And again visionary, never
been a leader like that. And I made a lot
of mistakes because I did not have anyone else really
helped being to guide me. And so what ends up
(03:13):
happening Fast forward to three years ago. I had I
started my company that I'm still a share holder in.
I no longer am active. I started this company eight
years ago and you know, working grinding, and my wife
(03:34):
had retired years ago, and she put a lot of
pressure on me. Hey, remember those things we're going to
go do in our golden years. Well, I'm I'm in
startup mode and anybody who's there, they know the grind,
the hours commitments you got to make.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Well, she kept after me, after me, after me. So
finally I relented and I said okay, and I found
somebody to come over and take over the CEO, maybe
investment in the company, and I retired. I retired for
a whopping three months because I plump. I flumped. I
decided there's no purpose in pickleball, golf and tennis. Unfortunately,
(04:13):
Vistage called. I had never heard of Vistage and told
me what they were about. And I immediately reflected back
to ninety nine when I started this company and had
forty families and being the visionary, not being a real CEO.
And when they told me what they're about helping business
(04:36):
leaders succeed, I go, that will give me purpose. And
if I can help any leader avoid some of the
issues and challenges problems that I had, that will give
me great purpose. And they told me it'd be hard,
(04:58):
and I go out starting companies as hard. This will
be difficult, but but you know, hey, I'm a hard worker.
I put my nose to the grindstone and uh so yeah,
A three years ago I started my group, and uh
it's the best thing I've ever done, David. I I'm
a business nerd of learning how businesses work there, how
(05:23):
they just make money? What do they do customers? Because
they're all different and and so, and I joke about this,
I said, I get to be you know, I get
to be behind the curtain watching all of this. But
I don't wake up at three am in a cold sweat.
Oh my God, I got this huge challenge. I can't
make pair whatever it is. I empathize with my my
(05:49):
CEO members, but but I'm not in the in the
pilot's seat, you know, I'm maybe you know, first officer
somewhere navigating and navigate.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Well, well, you're doing such important work and and the
work and correct me. You know, Vistage is not just
an online thing. This is an in person group that
you're meeting with, right Jim, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I mean, I'm in Kansas City and all my members
are in the in the area, and we asked them
to meet. We asked them to take one day per
month to work on your business. Get out of that
day to day in and come on, let's talk strategy,
let's work on it, let's work on your development, and
let's gather together and spend a whole day. So yeah,
(06:33):
it's all local.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, so so, and there's for those of you want
to connect with Jim and you're in the Kansas City
are We're going to make sure we're your links so
you guys can definitely reach out to them in our
show notes. And uh, you know, I work with other
Vista's chairs and others in there, but we're super excited
to have you, Jim, because I want to hear you know,
some of the challenges that you're hearing. I mean there's
(06:55):
we're we're we're hearing about different technologies. Of course us
always coming up, But what do you see right now
as businesses like I think hearing just you share this,
Jim and having your forty years of experience. I know
we've had a conversation beforehand and learned, and I've learned
to lean into people and know that I'll go further.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And I don't have to have all the answer.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I don't have all the answers, I don't have all
the experiences. And so what are you seeing, Jim? When
you're coming Folks come to vistage come to you and
say where where are they feeling stuck in their business?
Or where they're feeling like, you know, how.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Do you you know?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Even maybe they're not even diagnosing the right problem, Jim.
I'm sure probably are saying like this is my problem.
You're like, I don't really think that's your problem. You know,
you knowing the problem.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I think all too often I see that the leader
maybe they maybe doesn't have the confidence and trust in
his team to take up you know the work that's
that's got to be done. And I've come to appreciate
the amount of trust that has to be between a
(07:58):
leader and especially direct team that that sea level. And
the other thing you know that I see a lot
is most leaders get their position because of their subject matter, expertise,
their skill set, what they know, but they've never been
formally trained on how to how to become a coach.
(08:21):
And I'm a big fan of leaders being a coach
because you can't listen. You cannot force an employee to
do their best, You cannot force them to improve, you
can't force them to be motivated. You have to inspire
those around you, influence those around you and that and
it's a skill set that can be learned, but you've
(08:43):
got to be willing to do that. And when you
can become a coach and inspire and get people to
just do what the right thing to do, is magic
can happen. It will alleviate this big burden you have
on your on your shoulders when you, oh, your people
know exactly what to do, how to do it and perform.
(09:06):
And that that's so having the right people, the right
people in the seat and having a coaching, mentality, I
think or two of the biggest things that you know
inhibit uh leaders from really succeeding and living that balanced
work life that they strive for.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Right, Well, I would imagine, Jim, the people that finally
do come to visage and they're they're in a place
where they can can be coachable and and and then
like you said, you're helping develop that skill if they
don't already have it, they've gotten like they maybe and
you can get pretty far in your technical skills, but
there's a certain point where you kind of tap out,
like you hit a ceiling, and it's like, hey, you
(09:46):
can't do it all.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
And I've seen this for some companies where it's like
they have to rely on their people, but they're they
haven't learned how like to your point, Jim, coach them,
integrate them, and and they just expect somehow magically all
the hire this person or this come in, they'll us
figure it out.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And I don't see that usually work.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That's exactly right, It's exactly right. First thing that's required,
in my opinion, to be part of a peer group,
whether it's vistage or another, you've got to be vulnerable
you know, the very best leaders are lifelong learners, and
they're curious and they admit they don't know it all.
(10:27):
And when you can get there, you're going to get
a lot of help. Shoot, if you're vulnerable to you
your own team, they're there to help you. It's not
a sign of weakness. They everybody wants to help everybody.
And so you know, I get I get my members
to say I need you to come to the table
(10:48):
and tell us what's really going on. Where are you
really struggling and where do you want just a little
bit of help. It's not a sign of weakness at all.
And when they do that, it's it's very refreshing for them.
They get these great ideas from their peers and they're
able to take great action. And and David, you know
(11:11):
you know this. It's it's me darn lonely at the top.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
It is.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
And and yeah, you say, yeah, I got my team,
but guess what, that team has their own agenda as well.
So so when you've got trusted and like minded peers
and that you can just call at any time and
vent a bad day at work, you know it's not
all going away and you can vent uh, that's pretty
(11:37):
powerful because I when I was you know, several times
in my history I need a event. Well guess what,
my wife didn't want to hear about it. Well, who
do you go to? You know, you know, you don't
always want to vent to your team because some of
that venting might be about them. So having others that
you can and you know, again, it could be a mentor,
(11:59):
it can be a co which, it can be a
peer group. But I encourage everybody who's in a leadership
position to have somebody And I joke about this, but
it's true. The very best golfers in the world have coaches. Yeah,
you know, and guess what that coaches on a better
golfer than the PGA player. But mentally they're helping them
(12:21):
get their mindset and everything aligned to where they can
perform at their peak. And so as an executive, I
encourage any leader to have somebody in their corner who
can help them.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
You made a really good point, Jim, because many coaches
sometimes that they're not maybe they're not like you said,
they're maybe not the best at that thing, but they
the mindset they're bringing their unique skill set. You're understanding, Jim,
and you're helping these folks and you're creating a space
in a community. Really it's not just that I know
you do one on one with them as well, but
(12:55):
as a group. And I think that's so powerful whatever
level you're in. I mean I help more on the
next level day on those group manager's, department heads and
those other groups too. But doing it's very complimentary to
what you're doing, Jim. That's why we have you on
the podcast. You're helping those executive leaders. But then they
need to go back and help implement this in their companies.
What does that look like and so wherever that is.
(13:16):
And I found the difference ym to your point. The
former company I was working with for years, she was
very coachable and wanted that and I was that way
underneath her and she was in vistaed, but there was
other people that weren't. And how if you don't have that,
it's really a struggle for the company to be healthy
if people are not in that place of like I said, transparency,
willing to be coached right.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Exactly, and any other thing I emphasized with my members
when we gather together once a month, this is a
safe space for you and there aren't too many safe
spaces left, you know, I know, right, maybe church or
you know that they're just not But this is a
safe space for leaders to come to share your concerns,
(14:03):
your issues, your challenges, even your opportunities and let others
weigh in. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah, well you mentioned Jim, I want to highlight you've
written a book called The Unconventional Thinking of Dominant Companies,
and I think I like the title what's Unconventional Thinking,
because there's conventional thinking and unconventional But I'd love you
to share a little bit about your unique approach, Jim,
and the way you look at things like how do
we become a dominant culture, especially into a company today
(14:32):
in the world that we're living with, We've got different motivators,
different generations, you know, just things are changing.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So from your perspective, how do we do that?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That's a great point. You look unconventional. I just had
a speaker at one of my Visinus groups who said,
don't let others write your script.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Hm, you need.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
To write your script. So if you come in as
a business leader, CEO, president, I don't care, don't assume.
Oh yeah, I just I've got the script here. I
know what all every CEO is supposed to do. Got
to write your own script. And you know, when I
(15:20):
talk to salespeople, I get a big kick out of
how do you how do you even get a communication?
You know, it's the old cod call dear sir, madam.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
No.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
A lot of times you have we're also darned busy.
You've got to stand out, Well, how do you stand out?
You've got to do something unconventional at times to stand
out to get a conversation. And I think the same
is true, you know for leadership. If if you are
simply h following a script that you've gotten from somebody
(15:51):
else and you're not genuine, you're going to come through
and people are going to realize I don't know where
he's going it and this stuff. But you know, uh,
it's got to be very genuine in my opinion, m hm,
and getting that, you know, And this this is why
a lot of times, David, in our meetings, we're we're
talking best practices a lot of times, you know, on
(16:15):
a variety of subjects we talk about. And I think
you mentioned in a minute ago, hiring is one of
the most important jobs a leader has. Okay, Well, when
you're when you're hiring A is this a candidate who's
going to fit into your culture? And B are they coachable?
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And I don't think all people are culturable. I think
there are people who want the most, and then there
are the people who want to be the best. Those
who want to be the best are coachable. Those simply
just want the most. Uh. A lot of times I
find they think they've got it all figured out on
their own and a way they go yes, So, so
(16:57):
I think that's you know, that's important.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I would gim I imagine, I mean the conversations I'm
sure you probably have right in vistage of like do
I have a coachable person or this person in my organization?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Are they the right person? Are there in the right seat?
You have that conversation with the business owner?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yep? Absolutely all all the time, you know, and they're
I refer to my leaders as head coaches. And your job,
your job is to develop those under you, right, So
you're not going to be there for do you have
a succession plan? And have you developed or are you
(17:34):
developing those under to where they can step up? Not
everybody wants to step up, but those who do, you
owe it to them to help develop them so that
they can lead, they can be more important leaders, bigger leader.
Maybe take your job when that that day comes. So
being that coach and providing professional development, whether you do
(17:59):
it internally or hire resources externally, you're going to get
more allegiance that way. You're you're saying, hey, you're important,
You're important to me, you're important to this organization, and
therefore I'm going to invest in your development. And of
course as a coach, you say what you believe you
(18:20):
need more development on, you know, and get them to
agree and then follow through. I just think, you know,
in in today's world, I was telling somebody the other
day about, hey, when it gets tough out there, one
of the first things to go is marketing. You know,
we trim that marketing budget. Also, personal development is one
(18:43):
of the first things you know, they take out of
the budget, which which is a shame it is.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And I agree because do you see the business owners
does this my experience Jim, and well, let's just buy
some software or some other program or every thing. But
it's it's it comes down that doesn't really get the
resert that they're wanting, that they would have stayed with
the professional development.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And and and now, David, You've got every kind of
AI tool out there that you can imagine. You know,
I've got a member in one of my groups today
who's who's developed an AI tool to enable salespeople to
practice their pitch and their conversations. Okay, cool, that's that's great.
(19:24):
I endorse that one hundred percent. I'm not running to
anybody who says, oh, yeah, I've got an AI tool
that's going to help develop managers into directors and directors
into vps and vps into you know, the see, because
I think it takes a human touch it. Really, there
is an AI tool that can do that well.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
At the end of the day, it's human to human relationship.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yes, I think there's we can you know, you've written
a book, you know, I have the These are good resources,
but they're not they don't they are supplemental to what
you're saying, Jim of like have like what we're doing
literally talking and connecting and having emotional intelligence awareness, right, absolutely,
(20:07):
And you're putting you're putting members in a room in
a good way, right, You're creating a space but of
vulnerability and opening up, and they wouldn't wouldn't wouldn't get otherwise.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
That experience, right.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, it's interesting when I when I talk to my
leaders in my one on ones, I don't think there's
been a meeting yet where they haven't had at least
one AHA that they've learned something. Yeah, it could be
from our speaker. We bring in speakers and do workshops
and and that's about professional development. If they don't learn there,
(20:42):
they're going to learn in the afternoon when we really
act as more of an advisory board, sharing best practices,
giving good advice to each other to solve issues. But
they they it just takes one AHA, you know to go.
Today's meeting was worth it, you know, because and I
tell this, money's not your most valuable commodity, it's your time. Yes,
(21:06):
you can go to a financial planner and they'll tell
you how much money you have, how much it's going
to be worth in ten years and twenty, and how
you can retire at this age. You can't go to
anybody and say, gee, how much time do I have left?
Do I have ten years left? I have fifty? No,
you don't know. So you have to treat that the
(21:26):
time you have very specially, and I think it's the
most important commodity. So when I get leaders to come
to this meeting, I know, because at times their most
precious commodity. We've got to make things happen, and we
do well.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I think that's a great place, Jim too, because I
would imagine when you're coming in there and I've learned
to put myself in what I've you want to call
it the crucible, whatever, the place, but a place it's
going to be a little uncomfortable because I think, Jim
in a good way. Right, You're going to be asking
them some questions. Are they focusing on the most important things?
I don't know if as a leader, I know I can.
I've gotten this in the I get go in the minutia.
I started parachuting into things that I really should not
(22:06):
be doing. But I feel comfortable there. I know that,
and I want to go there.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
But it's not moving. It's not making a real difference
in my company. To be honest, you know, one of.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
The things that we do, and it makes members a
little bit uncomfortable, is we'll go down and try to
uncover their self limiting belief. Okay, oh you're not able
to do this, Well, let's dig into that. Let's dig
a little deep. Why what what is your belief? And
what you'll do is you'll uncover a self limiting belief. Well,
(22:37):
I can't grow to fifty million because you know, I
know that is is that true? Aether? Facts behind that?
Or is that a self limiting belief you have? And
what's driving that? So you know, in a lot of case,
we'll die deep. We'll get into their emotional state and
what's what's preventing them from being the person they really
(23:00):
can be. We talk about you know, and I've learned
this in the last five years, that every decision we
make is based on our values and our beliefs. Okay, hey,
we we're gonna stop at that stop sign because I
believe if I don't a I can get a ticket
or I can get into an accident. I just believe.
(23:21):
So that's how I behave I'm gonna stop at all
those Okay. So well, a lot of those values in
beliefs are formed at an early age. Yes, Okay, when
you're young and growing up and you're seeing all these
other things in your environment. You your parents are probably
teaching a lot of your values, or your school or
(23:41):
your church are teaching your values, and then you are
coming to believe certain things. Well guess what, some of
those beliefs may not be true and they limit you. Yes,
you know, well I can't ever be a CEO. Wait
a minute, what's causing you to say that? And that's
a self limiting belief. So so we get we get
(24:05):
down deep into into how how people think, how they behave,
and and and the how they influence others that way.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Well, that's really super important.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
As you said that to me, what came to mind,
Jim is I would say, correlation to that is what
are your inhibitions and prohibitions?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
And I think we you know, we have a lot more.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
There's not many, there are pro prohibitions, but I think
there's more inhibitions to what you're saying, and they're self
imposed and your point, Jim, they might even realize to
you were saying how much that is there. But I
I can assure you and my experience working with the
leaders and teams, especially when I'm the next level the
team down further from the high up gym that you're
(24:50):
working with, I'll ask them questions about certain things and
they're like, well, it's just this is just the way
or this is what is and it's coming from the top,
and it's kind of unwritten. It's like you said, it's
like oozing out and they're wondering, why isn't their team
doing this? Well, they're not believing it, so their team
certainly isn't. It's like if you are hiring a salesperson
and if they're not, if you're not the best salesperson
selling yourself, they're not gonna They're definitely not going to
(25:12):
sell you.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
If you don't understand this right.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Absolutely, you know, I tell I tell my leaders, and
I tell mid managers this as well. You don't realize this,
but you're always on stage, your your people are watching
you and they are definitely listening to you. And I
didn't realize that. In my mid career. I would make
(25:40):
these snide remarks kind of as a joke, and the
next thing I know, it's it's spread throughout the organization.
I was telling somebody the other day, I said, Okay,
let's say you come into work every day and every
day you say good morning to the receptionist, and today,
for whatever reason, you got distracted, you're on your phone
(26:00):
and you don't say hello, good morning, to the receptionist.
What what does the receptionists think? Oh my god, what
did I do wrong? And now she's telling you know,
others in her orbit, Oh my god, the boss is
must be pissed at me because he didn't say good morning.
And you're always on stage and it's a tough place
(26:23):
to be as a leader. But if you know that
you have to watching what you do, how you do it,
how you act, how you behave everything about you they're
watching and everything you say they are listening, and you
got to know that.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, no, that's so important, Jim. I mean what I
what you're explaining to me is I mean the word culture, right,
the cult? What is that culture that you're you're you're
you're creating on one.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Way or the other.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Like you said, you created it by the way you
were said some things and you didn't realize I'm actually
creating it. But that's not the culture I actually really
want at the end of the day. Right, And you're
helping the business that there's get clear on their values
and what do the how do they want to how
do they want this to show up in the organization?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Absolutely, We've had some phenomenal speakers on culture. And and
I've had a mind shift on culture. I I beck
when I was in day to day operations, I thought
culture just kind of happened, and you kind of you
maybe you suayed or influenced it a little bit. But
now I am an undestink. Culture is intentional and culture
(27:34):
is simply a collection of beliefs and values that translate
into behaviors. And it's up to the leader. And I've
learned this. It's the leader who says, here are the
acceptable and endorsed behaviors I want in this organization. This
is how we're going to treat each other. This is
(27:57):
how we're going to treat customers, this is how we're
going to treats uh. And it's not just a word
or phrase. They're actual long paragraphs in detail. So there's
no question this. And I have this in my vistage group.
We they're called fundamentals. This is what we believe and
this is how we're going to behave as a group.
(28:20):
And we we recite uh, we recite one or two
every time we meet because we have to hash it
in this is this is how we are going to
act as a group. And so I believe culture is
one of the most important parts of any organization and company.
It defines who you are, how you're going to act,
(28:40):
how you're going to behave across the board, and everybody
has to buy in. And I also learned David also
learned this. I had to speak. I had a speaker said,
any exception will define your culture. For example, well, this
is our culture, this is how we behave except except
for Ted who's been there twenty five years, or or
(29:03):
Susie who's the owner's daughter. With no no. It has
to be consistent, intentional throughout. Any exception throws out everything.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
You're you're, I hear, I hear you, Jim, and that
I think, I think business owners just to your point,
I think it's very common. I found this think, well,
it will just happen, and it's you're, you're, you're saying
like we have to recite these every time we come
back in and I know you're it's I like to
I like to say this. I've been married twenty years now,
but I I don't just tell my wife I lover
(29:37):
once and that's it, right. It's a repeating reminder of
like what it is. And I think they sometimes they went, well, well,
can we just set it and forget it, and it's
just it just it doesn't work that way, jam right.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
It just that's one of my experience absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
So the SpeakIt came in and share this awesome wisdom
about culture. He told us he really learned it from
the Four Seasons reason, okay, And he said, you know,
you know how big they are, how many properties they have,
and they have like thirty one of these what they
call fundamentals, and it's a paragraph how we act and
(30:13):
throughout the organization. On this week, we're all on fundamental six.
From housekeeping has their staff meeting, to maintenance has their
staff meeting, to the you know, the front desk has
their staff, and they're all on number six. And they
and they will ask somebody like a house the head
(30:34):
of housekeeping, the last housekeeper, what do you what do
you think of number six? Give me an example of that.
And then when they get through all thirty one, they
start back at number one, and the whole companies on
the same fundamental the same week at the same time.
And therefore when new employees come in, they just get
into the cycle. And they said, this is how we behave.
(30:57):
And I was telling somebody the other day. I hadn't
really thought about it. When you go to a Four
Seasons and say, excuse me, could you show me where
the restroom is? They say, certainly follow me, because that's
one of their fundamentals. You don't just tell them you
escort them. That's a behavior and absolutely that I tell
(31:20):
my members. Boy, if you can master culture and behaviors
and you get everybody behaving and thinking the same way,
it's gonna make your life and job as a leader
so much easier.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Well, I would say, Jim, I mean that to me
goes to what you're saying, unconventional thinging or being a
dominated company. How can you be if your service or
product is very similar to somebody else? How do you
distinguish yourself? And I think what you're saying I'm hearing
is the culture, right, you can distinguish yourself. You can
have a competitive advantage in the marketplace because you have
a unified team and then their experiences like whether you
(31:53):
go to whatever the Four Seasons or if I go
to Chick fil A or whatever, I'm gonna have a
very similar experience there.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Right Bingo, Bingle.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
They don't say you're welcome, they say, my pleasure that's
part of their culture. And a real quick story. I've
got a member who runs an organization of safety professionals.
So on a job site, when you have fifty construction workers,
you have to have one safety professional. And so his
job is to place these safety professionals with general contractors
(32:28):
from job sites. And he now takes his fundamental behaviors
on that sales call and with a general contractor, he
hands it to him and says, let me tell you
what the person I'm going to place with you, what
he believes and how they're going to act and behave,
and if they don't, he won't be with our company more.
(32:49):
And I said, there isn't anybody you're competing with who
is going to share that with a general contractor, say,
let me show you what the kind of person we're
going to place with you, what they believe in act,
And I said, that will get you more business because
you're selling your culture to your customer.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Oh man, Jim, I know we're getting the into the podcast.
This has been great having you here today. You're sharing
some awesome wisdom. You know, what really aligned aligned with
me is believing that leadership is really about people, that
that that coaching and inspiring them to you know, together
to do that meaningful work.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And you covered a.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Lot today on the podcast, but I always like to
give our guests an opportunity if they you know, the
last nugget or takeaway that if you're they're listening and
they're not in a group, if they're not in a
space right now, Jim, uh, and they're hearing this a
business leader owner, what would you say to them that
they're they're hearing your voice to hear on the podcast today?
Speaker 3 (33:45):
What what? What would you advice would you get to them?
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Yeah, my advice is this. There's an old African proverb
that goes like this. If you want to go fast,
go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
And I don't care if it's a mentor a coach,
a peer group, don't go it along. It's a rocky road.
(34:10):
There's lots of bumps and curves, and when you have
somebody else in your life that you can talk to,
that you trust, it's going to be easier journey than otherwise.
That's my piece of advice.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Oh, I love that, Jim.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I really appreciate you being here on the podcast, just
dropping some knowledge and some gold with us today. This
is is very fortunate to have you as a chair
and if you guys are in the Kansas City are
you got to get together with Jim out there.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Thank you so much Jim for being with us on
the podcast today.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
David, thank you for what you do man. You shared
your wisdom with leaders. It is such an important thing
to do, so thank you for doing that. Thanks for
having me. It was a lot of.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Fun, awesome. Thanks everybody for coming along the podcast with us.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Of course we love it when you like and subscribe,
whether you're watching this on YouTube or LinkedIn, leave your comments.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
We'll make sure that Jim gets them.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Of course, we want your feedback always and share this
if we found value in this and appreciate the time
that we had today. Until next time, be well. Thanks
again for being a part of the Business round Table podcast. Everybody,
All right, welcome back to the Business Roundtable podcast. I
am your host, David car Steward, your business bringing people
together to accomplish great things. We have another new guest
this week. I'm super excited to have Jim Bramlin with us.
Welcome Jim to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
David, thanks for having me. I'm so excited to be
part of this today.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Absolutely, you know, Jim, I'm excited because you have a
wealth of experience. We're going to get into it, and
I've learned the value of having such advisors like yourself
coming in in your forty plus year entrepreneurial journey with
logistics and really helping folks, and so I'm gonna learn
(00:51):
some things here on the podcast today. I hope everybody
is listening in to Jim on the podcast here, Jim,
before we get into kind of the nuts and bolts
of some of these things, I love having our guests
share a little bit about their journey. You are a
Versus chair. For those of you that know Visage, definitely
check them out and I'll let Jim share more about Vistage.
But what got you to being a Visus chair now
(01:14):
and what you're doing? Take us back a little bit
about your your your story as a business owner entrepreneur.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Jim Sure.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'll start with probably one of the main reasons I
became a versus chair so serial entrepreneur. I started my
first company when I was a senior in college, and
over my career, I've started seven companies, four for myself
and three for others, bigger organizations, companies, divisions, that kind
(01:42):
of thing. And I failed. My very first business was
a failure, my second was a failure, and I started
learning the hard lessons along the way, and that's one
of the reasons why I wrote my book. But when uh,
the first two companies I started, uh, you know, we're
(02:06):
pretty small. One one you know, it was just me.
Another I had a partner, pretty small. And what I
did I started the companies because of me. I mean,
any consideration for well, what's what's needed in the market.
Is there is there a need? No, I said, no,
I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna go do this guy
thing is a good idea and they and they failed, Okay,
(02:29):
And then in the middle of the dot com hysteria,
I started a company. I got venture funding and this
was my first real company. I like to say at
a board of directors. Uh, I was a visionary and
I'd never been uh a CEO at this level where
(02:51):
I've got over forty families. You know that I'm now
feeling responsibility for leading the charge. And again visionary, never
been a leader like that. And I made a lot
of mistakes because I did not have anyone else really
helped being to guide me. And so what ends up
(03:13):
happening Fast forward to three years ago. I had I
started my company that I'm still a share holder in.
I no longer am active. I started this company eight
years ago and you know, working grinding, and my wife
(03:34):
had retired years ago, and she put a lot of
pressure on me. Hey, remember those things we're going to
go do in our golden years. Well, I'm I'm in
startup mode and anybody who's there, they know the grind,
the hours commitments you got to make.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Well, she kept after me, after me, after me. So
finally I relented and I said okay, and I found
somebody to come over and take over the CEO, maybe
investment in the company, and I retired. I retired for
a whopping three months because I plump. I flumped. I
decided there's no purpose in pickleball, golf and tennis. Unfortunately,
(04:13):
Vistage called. I had never heard of Vistage and told
me what they were about. And I immediately reflected back
to ninety nine when I started this company and had
forty families and being the visionary, not being a real CEO.
And when they told me what they're about helping business
(04:36):
leaders succeed, I go, that will give me purpose. And
if I can help any leader avoid some of the
issues and challenges problems that I had, that will give
me great purpose. And they told me it'd be hard,
(04:58):
and I go out starting companies as hard. This will
be difficult, but but you know, hey, I'm a hard worker.
I put my nose to the grindstone and uh so yeah,
A three years ago I started my group, and uh
it's the best thing I've ever done, David. I I'm
a business nerd of learning how businesses work there, how
(05:23):
they just make money? What do they do customers? Because
they're all different and and so, and I joke about this,
I said, I get to be you know, I get
to be behind the curtain watching all of this. But
I don't wake up at three am in a cold sweat.
Oh my God, I got this huge challenge. I can't
make pair whatever it is. I empathize with my my
(05:49):
CEO members, but but I'm not in the in the
pilot's seat, you know, I'm maybe you know, first officer
somewhere navigating and navigate.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Well, well, you're doing such important work and and the
work and correct me. You know, Vistage is not just
an online thing. This is an in person group that
you're meeting with, right Jim, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I mean, I'm in Kansas City and all my members
are in the in the area, and we asked them
to meet. We asked them to take one day per
month to work on your business. Get out of that
day to day in and come on, let's talk strategy,
let's work on it, let's work on your development, and
let's gather together and spend a whole day. So yeah,
(06:33):
it's all local.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, so so, and there's for those of you want
to connect with Jim and you're in the Kansas City
are We're going to make sure we're your links so
you guys can definitely reach out to them in our
show notes. And uh, you know, I work with other
Vista's chairs and others in there, but we're super excited
to have you, Jim, because I want to hear you know,
some of the challenges that you're hearing. I mean there's
(06:55):
we're we're we're hearing about different technologies. Of course us
always coming up, But what do you see right now
as businesses like I think hearing just you share this,
Jim and having your forty years of experience. I know
we've had a conversation beforehand and learned, and I've learned
to lean into people and know that I'll go further.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And I don't have to have all the answer.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I don't have all the answers, I don't have all
the experiences. And so what are you seeing, Jim? When
you're coming Folks come to vistage come to you and
say where where are they feeling stuck in their business?
Or where they're feeling like, you know, how.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Do you you know?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Even maybe they're not even diagnosing the right problem, Jim.
I'm sure probably are saying like this is my problem.
You're like, I don't really think that's your problem. You know,
you knowing the problem.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I think all too often I see that the leader
maybe they maybe doesn't have the confidence and trust in
his team to take up you know the work that's
that's got to be done. And I've come to appreciate
the amount of trust that has to be between a
(07:58):
leader and especially direct team that that sea level. And
the other thing you know that I see a lot
is most leaders get their position because of their subject matter, expertise,
their skill set, what they know, but they've never been
formally trained on how to how to become a coach.
(08:21):
And I'm a big fan of leaders being a coach
because you can't listen. You cannot force an employee to
do their best, You cannot force them to improve, you
can't force them to be motivated. You have to inspire
those around you, influence those around you and that and
it's a skill set that can be learned, but you've
(08:43):
got to be willing to do that. And when you
can become a coach and inspire and get people to
just do what the right thing to do, is magic
can happen. It will alleviate this big burden you have
on your on your shoulders when you, oh, your people
know exactly what to do, how to do it and perform.
(09:06):
And that that's so having the right people, the right
people in the seat and having a coaching, mentality, I
think or two of the biggest things that you know
inhibit uh leaders from really succeeding and living that balanced
work life that they strive for.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Right, Well, I would imagine, Jim, the people that finally
do come to visage and they're they're in a place
where they can can be coachable and and and then
like you said, you're helping develop that skill if they
don't already have it, they've gotten like they maybe and
you can get pretty far in your technical skills, but
there's a certain point where you kind of tap out,
like you hit a ceiling, and it's like, hey, you
(09:46):
can't do it all.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
And I've seen this for some companies where it's like
they have to rely on their people, but they're they
haven't learned how like to your point, Jim, coach them,
integrate them, and and they just expect somehow magically all
the hire this person or this come in, they'll us
figure it out.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And I don't see that usually work.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That's exactly right, It's exactly right. First thing that's required,
in my opinion, to be part of a peer group,
whether it's vistage or another, you've got to be vulnerable
you know, the very best leaders are lifelong learners, and
they're curious and they admit they don't know it all.
(10:27):
And when you can get there, you're going to get
a lot of help. Shoot, if you're vulnerable to you
your own team, they're there to help you. It's not
a sign of weakness. They everybody wants to help everybody.
And so you know, I get I get my members
to say I need you to come to the table
(10:48):
and tell us what's really going on. Where are you
really struggling and where do you want just a little
bit of help. It's not a sign of weakness at all.
And when they do that, it's it's very refreshing for them.
They get these great ideas from their peers and they're
able to take great action. And and David, you know
(11:11):
you know this. It's it's me darn lonely at the top.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
It is.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
And and yeah, you say, yeah, I got my team,
but guess what, that team has their own agenda as well.
So so when you've got trusted and like minded peers
and that you can just call at any time and
vent a bad day at work, you know it's not
all going away and you can vent uh, that's pretty
(11:37):
powerful because I when I was you know, several times
in my history I need a event. Well guess what,
my wife didn't want to hear about it. Well, who
do you go to? You know, you know, you don't
always want to vent to your team because some of
that venting might be about them. So having others that
you can and you know, again, it could be a mentor,
(11:59):
it can be a co which, it can be a
peer group. But I encourage everybody who's in a leadership
position to have somebody And I joke about this, but
it's true. The very best golfers in the world have coaches. Yeah,
you know, and guess what that coaches on a better
golfer than the PGA player. But mentally they're helping them
(12:21):
get their mindset and everything aligned to where they can
perform at their peak. And so as an executive, I
encourage any leader to have somebody in their corner who
can help them.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
You made a really good point, Jim, because many coaches
sometimes that they're not maybe they're not like you said,
they're maybe not the best at that thing, but they
the mindset they're bringing their unique skill set. You're understanding, Jim,
and you're helping these folks and you're creating a space
in a community. Really it's not just that I know
you do one on one with them as well, but
(12:55):
as a group. And I think that's so powerful whatever
level you're in. I mean I help more on the
next level day on those group manager's, department heads and
those other groups too. But doing it's very complimentary to
what you're doing, Jim. That's why we have you on
the podcast. You're helping those executive leaders. But then they
need to go back and help implement this in their companies.
What does that look like and so wherever that is.
(13:16):
And I found the difference ym to your point. The
former company I was working with for years, she was
very coachable and wanted that and I was that way
underneath her and she was in vistaed, but there was
other people that weren't. And how if you don't have that,
it's really a struggle for the company to be healthy
if people are not in that place of like I said, transparency,
willing to be coached right.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Exactly, and any other thing I emphasized with my members
when we gather together once a month, this is a
safe space for you and there aren't too many safe
spaces left, you know, I know, right, maybe church or
you know that they're just not But this is a
safe space for leaders to come to share your concerns,
(14:03):
your issues, your challenges, even your opportunities and let others
weigh in. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah, well you mentioned Jim, I want to highlight you've
written a book called The Unconventional Thinking of Dominant Companies,
and I think I like the title what's Unconventional Thinking,
because there's conventional thinking and unconventional But I'd love you
to share a little bit about your unique approach, Jim,
and the way you look at things like how do
we become a dominant culture, especially into a company today
(14:32):
in the world that we're living with, We've got different motivators,
different generations, you know, just things are changing.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So from your perspective, how do we do that?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That's a great point. You look unconventional. I just had
a speaker at one of my Visinus groups who said,
don't let others write your script.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Hm, you need.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
To write your script. So if you come in as
a business leader, CEO, president, I don't care, don't assume.
Oh yeah, I just I've got the script here. I
know what all every CEO is supposed to do. Got
to write your own script. And you know, when I
(15:20):
talk to salespeople, I get a big kick out of
how do you how do you even get a communication?
You know, it's the old cod call dear sir, madam.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
No.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
A lot of times you have we're also darned busy.
You've got to stand out, Well, how do you stand out?
You've got to do something unconventional at times to stand
out to get a conversation. And I think the same
is true, you know for leadership. If if you are
simply h following a script that you've gotten from somebody
(15:51):
else and you're not genuine, you're going to come through
and people are going to realize I don't know where
he's going it and this stuff. But you know, uh,
it's got to be very genuine in my opinion, m hm,
and getting that, you know, And this this is why
a lot of times, David, in our meetings, we're we're
talking best practices a lot of times, you know, on
(16:15):
a variety of subjects we talk about. And I think
you mentioned in a minute ago, hiring is one of
the most important jobs a leader has. Okay, Well, when
you're when you're hiring A is this a candidate who's
going to fit into your culture? And B are they coachable?
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And I don't think all people are culturable. I think
there are people who want the most, and then there
are the people who want to be the best. Those
who want to be the best are coachable. Those simply
just want the most. Uh. A lot of times I
find they think they've got it all figured out on
their own and a way they go yes, So, so
(16:57):
I think that's you know, that's important.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I would gim I imagine, I mean the conversations I'm
sure you probably have right in vistage of like do
I have a coachable person or this person in my organization?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Are they the right person? Are there in the right seat?
You have that conversation with the business owner?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yep? Absolutely all all the time, you know, and they're
I refer to my leaders as head coaches. And your job,
your job is to develop those under you, right, So
you're not going to be there for do you have
a succession plan? And have you developed or are you
(17:34):
developing those under to where they can step up? Not
everybody wants to step up, but those who do, you
owe it to them to help develop them so that
they can lead, they can be more important leaders, bigger leader.
Maybe take your job when that that day comes. So
being that coach and providing professional development, whether you do
(17:59):
it internally or hire resources externally, you're going to get
more allegiance that way. You're you're saying, hey, you're important,
You're important to me, you're important to this organization, and
therefore I'm going to invest in your development. And of
course as a coach, you say what you believe you
(18:20):
need more development on, you know, and get them to
agree and then follow through. I just think, you know,
in in today's world, I was telling somebody the other
day about, hey, when it gets tough out there, one
of the first things to go is marketing. You know,
we trim that marketing budget. Also, personal development is one
(18:43):
of the first things you know, they take out of
the budget, which which is a shame it is.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And I agree because do you see the business owners
does this my experience Jim, and well, let's just buy
some software or some other program or every thing. But
it's it's it comes down that doesn't really get the
resert that they're wanting, that they would have stayed with
the professional development.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And and and now, David, You've got every kind of
AI tool out there that you can imagine. You know,
I've got a member in one of my groups today
who's who's developed an AI tool to enable salespeople to
practice their pitch and their conversations. Okay, cool, that's that's great.
(19:24):
I endorse that one hundred percent. I'm not running to
anybody who says, oh, yeah, I've got an AI tool
that's going to help develop managers into directors and directors
into vps and vps into you know, the see, because
I think it takes a human touch it. Really, there
is an AI tool that can do that well.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
At the end of the day, it's human to human relationship.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yes, I think there's we can you know, you've written
a book, you know, I have the These are good resources,
but they're not they don't they are supplemental to what
you're saying, Jim of like have like what we're doing
literally talking and connecting and having emotional intelligence awareness, right, absolutely,
(20:07):
And you're putting you're putting members in a room in
a good way, right, You're creating a space but of
vulnerability and opening up, and they wouldn't wouldn't wouldn't get otherwise.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
That experience, right.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, it's interesting when I when I talk to my
leaders in my one on ones, I don't think there's
been a meeting yet where they haven't had at least
one AHA that they've learned something. Yeah, it could be
from our speaker. We bring in speakers and do workshops
and and that's about professional development. If they don't learn there,
(20:42):
they're going to learn in the afternoon when we really
act as more of an advisory board, sharing best practices,
giving good advice to each other to solve issues. But
they they it just takes one AHA, you know to go.
Today's meeting was worth it, you know, because and I
tell this, money's not your most valuable commodity, it's your time. Yes,
(21:06):
you can go to a financial planner and they'll tell
you how much money you have, how much it's going
to be worth in ten years and twenty, and how
you can retire at this age. You can't go to
anybody and say, gee, how much time do I have left?
Do I have ten years left? I have fifty? No,
you don't know. So you have to treat that the
(21:26):
time you have very specially, and I think it's the
most important commodity. So when I get leaders to come
to this meeting, I know, because at times their most
precious commodity. We've got to make things happen, and we
do well.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I think that's a great place, Jim too, because I
would imagine when you're coming in there and I've learned
to put myself in what I've you want to call
it the crucible, whatever, the place, but a place it's
going to be a little uncomfortable because I think, Jim
in a good way. Right, You're going to be asking
them some questions. Are they focusing on the most important things?
I don't know if as a leader, I know I can.
I've gotten this in the I get go in the minutia.
I started parachuting into things that I really should not
(22:06):
be doing. But I feel comfortable there. I know that,
and I want to go there.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
But it's not moving. It's not making a real difference
in my company. To be honest, you know, one of.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
The things that we do, and it makes members a
little bit uncomfortable, is we'll go down and try to
uncover their self limiting belief. Okay, oh you're not able
to do this, Well, let's dig into that. Let's dig
a little deep. Why what what is your belief? And
what you'll do is you'll uncover a self limiting belief. Well,
(22:37):
I can't grow to fifty million because you know, I
know that is is that true? Aether? Facts behind that?
Or is that a self limiting belief you have? And
what's driving that? So you know, in a lot of case,
we'll die deep. We'll get into their emotional state and
what's what's preventing them from being the person they really
(23:00):
can be. We talk about you know, and I've learned
this in the last five years, that every decision we
make is based on our values and our beliefs. Okay, hey,
we we're gonna stop at that stop sign because I
believe if I don't a I can get a ticket
or I can get into an accident. I just believe.
(23:21):
So that's how I behave I'm gonna stop at all
those Okay. So well, a lot of those values in
beliefs are formed at an early age. Yes, Okay, when
you're young and growing up and you're seeing all these
other things in your environment. You your parents are probably
teaching a lot of your values, or your school or
(23:41):
your church are teaching your values, and then you are
coming to believe certain things. Well guess what, some of
those beliefs may not be true and they limit you. Yes,
you know, well I can't ever be a CEO. Wait
a minute, what's causing you to say that? And that's
a self limiting belief. So so we get we get
(24:05):
down deep into into how how people think, how they behave,
and and and the how they influence others that way.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Well, that's really super important.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
As you said that to me, what came to mind,
Jim is I would say, correlation to that is what
are your inhibitions and prohibitions?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
And I think we you know, we have a lot more.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
There's not many, there are pro prohibitions, but I think
there's more inhibitions to what you're saying, and they're self
imposed and your point, Jim, they might even realize to
you were saying how much that is there. But I
I can assure you and my experience working with the
leaders and teams, especially when I'm the next level the
team down further from the high up gym that you're
(24:50):
working with, I'll ask them questions about certain things and
they're like, well, it's just this is just the way
or this is what is and it's coming from the top,
and it's kind of unwritten. It's like you said, it's
like oozing out and they're wondering, why isn't their team
doing this? Well, they're not believing it, so their team
certainly isn't. It's like if you are hiring a salesperson
and if they're not, if you're not the best salesperson
selling yourself, they're not gonna They're definitely not going to
(25:12):
sell you.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
If you don't understand this right.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Absolutely, you know, I tell I tell my leaders, and
I tell mid managers this as well. You don't realize this,
but you're always on stage, your your people are watching
you and they are definitely listening to you. And I
didn't realize that. In my mid career. I would make
(25:40):
these snide remarks kind of as a joke, and the
next thing I know, it's it's spread throughout the organization.
I was telling somebody the other day, I said, Okay,
let's say you come into work every day and every
day you say good morning to the receptionist, and today,
for whatever reason, you got distracted, you're on your phone
(26:00):
and you don't say hello, good morning, to the receptionist.
What what does the receptionists think? Oh my god, what
did I do wrong? And now she's telling you know,
others in her orbit, Oh my god, the boss is
must be pissed at me because he didn't say good morning.
And you're always on stage and it's a tough place
(26:23):
to be as a leader. But if you know that
you have to watching what you do, how you do it,
how you act, how you behave everything about you they're
watching and everything you say they are listening, and you
got to know that.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, no, that's so important, Jim. I mean what I
what you're explaining to me is I mean the word culture, right,
the cult? What is that culture that you're you're you're
you're creating on one.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Way or the other.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Like you said, you created it by the way you
were said some things and you didn't realize I'm actually
creating it. But that's not the culture I actually really
want at the end of the day. Right, And you're
helping the business that there's get clear on their values
and what do the how do they want to how
do they want this to show up in the organization?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Absolutely, We've had some phenomenal speakers on culture. And and
I've had a mind shift on culture. I I beck
when I was in day to day operations, I thought
culture just kind of happened, and you kind of you
maybe you suayed or influenced it a little bit. But
now I am an undestink. Culture is intentional and culture
(27:34):
is simply a collection of beliefs and values that translate
into behaviors. And it's up to the leader. And I've
learned this. It's the leader who says, here are the
acceptable and endorsed behaviors I want in this organization. This
is how we're going to treat each other. This is
(27:57):
how we're going to treat customers, this is how we're
going to treats uh. And it's not just a word
or phrase. They're actual long paragraphs in detail. So there's
no question this. And I have this in my vistage group.
We they're called fundamentals. This is what we believe and
this is how we're going to behave as a group.
(28:20):
And we we recite uh, we recite one or two
every time we meet because we have to hash it
in this is this is how we are going to
act as a group. And so I believe culture is
one of the most important parts of any organization and company.
It defines who you are, how you're going to act,
(28:40):
how you're going to behave across the board, and everybody
has to buy in. And I also learned David also
learned this. I had to speak. I had a speaker said,
any exception will define your culture. For example, well, this
is our culture, this is how we behave except except
for Ted who's been there twenty five years, or or
(29:03):
Susie who's the owner's daughter. With no no. It has
to be consistent, intentional throughout. Any exception throws out everything.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
You're you're, I hear, I hear you, Jim, and that
I think, I think business owners just to your point,
I think it's very common. I found this think, well,
it will just happen, and it's you're, you're, you're saying
like we have to recite these every time we come
back in and I know you're it's I like to
I like to say this. I've been married twenty years now,
but I I don't just tell my wife I lover
(29:37):
once and that's it, right. It's a repeating reminder of
like what it is. And I think they sometimes they went, well, well,
can we just set it and forget it, and it's
just it just it doesn't work that way, jam right.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
It just that's one of my experience absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
So the SpeakIt came in and share this awesome wisdom
about culture. He told us he really learned it from
the Four Seasons reason, okay, And he said, you know,
you know how big they are, how many properties they have,
and they have like thirty one of these what they
call fundamentals, and it's a paragraph how we act and
(30:13):
throughout the organization. On this week, we're all on fundamental six.
From housekeeping has their staff meeting, to maintenance has their
staff meeting, to the you know, the front desk has
their staff, and they're all on number six. And they
and they will ask somebody like a house the head
(30:34):
of housekeeping, the last housekeeper, what do you what do
you think of number six? Give me an example of that.
And then when they get through all thirty one, they
start back at number one, and the whole companies on
the same fundamental the same week at the same time.
And therefore when new employees come in, they just get
into the cycle. And they said, this is how we behave.
(30:57):
And I was telling somebody the other day. I hadn't
really thought about it. When you go to a Four
Seasons and say, excuse me, could you show me where
the restroom is? They say, certainly follow me, because that's
one of their fundamentals. You don't just tell them you
escort them. That's a behavior and absolutely that I tell
(31:20):
my members. Boy, if you can master culture and behaviors
and you get everybody behaving and thinking the same way,
it's gonna make your life and job as a leader
so much easier.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Well, I would say, Jim, I mean that to me
goes to what you're saying, unconventional thinging or being a
dominated company. How can you be if your service or
product is very similar to somebody else? How do you
distinguish yourself? And I think what you're saying I'm hearing
is the culture, right, you can distinguish yourself. You can
have a competitive advantage in the marketplace because you have
a unified team and then their experiences like whether you
(31:53):
go to whatever the Four Seasons or if I go
to Chick fil A or whatever, I'm gonna have a
very similar experience there.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Right Bingo, Bingle.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
They don't say you're welcome, they say, my pleasure that's
part of their culture. And a real quick story. I've
got a member who runs an organization of safety professionals.
So on a job site, when you have fifty construction workers,
you have to have one safety professional. And so his
job is to place these safety professionals with general contractors
(32:28):
from job sites. And he now takes his fundamental behaviors
on that sales call and with a general contractor, he
hands it to him and says, let me tell you
what the person I'm going to place with you, what
he believes and how they're going to act and behave,
and if they don't, he won't be with our company more.
(32:49):
And I said, there isn't anybody you're competing with who
is going to share that with a general contractor, say,
let me show you what the kind of person we're
going to place with you, what they believe in act,
And I said, that will get you more business because
you're selling your culture to your customer.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Oh man, Jim, I know we're getting the into the podcast.
This has been great having you here today. You're sharing
some awesome wisdom. You know, what really aligned aligned with
me is believing that leadership is really about people, that
that that coaching and inspiring them to you know, together
to do that meaningful work.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And you covered a.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Lot today on the podcast, but I always like to
give our guests an opportunity if they you know, the
last nugget or takeaway that if you're they're listening and
they're not in a group, if they're not in a
space right now, Jim, uh, and they're hearing this a
business leader owner, what would you say to them that
they're they're hearing your voice to hear on the podcast today?
Speaker 3 (33:45):
What what? What would you advice would you get to them?
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Yeah, my advice is this. There's an old African proverb
that goes like this. If you want to go fast,
go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
And I don't care if it's a mentor a coach,
a peer group, don't go it along. It's a rocky road.
(34:10):
There's lots of bumps and curves, and when you have
somebody else in your life that you can talk to,
that you trust, it's going to be easier journey than otherwise.
That's my piece of advice.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Oh, I love that, Jim.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I really appreciate you being here on the podcast, just
dropping some knowledge and some gold with us today. This
is is very fortunate to have you as a chair
and if you guys are in the Kansas City are
you got to get together with Jim out there.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Thank you so much Jim for being with us on
the podcast today.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
David, thank you for what you do man. You shared
your wisdom with leaders. It is such an important thing
to do, so thank you for doing that. Thanks for
having me. It was a lot of.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Fun, awesome. Thanks everybody for coming along the podcast with us.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Of course we love it when you like and subscribe,
whether you're watching this on YouTube or LinkedIn, leave your comments.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
We'll make sure that Jim gets them.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Of course, we want your feedback always and share this
if we found value in this and appreciate the time
that we had today. Until next time, be well. Thanks
again for being a part of the Business round Table podcast. Everybody,
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