Values-Driven Leadership
Picture this: I’m sitting in a nice leather chair in a waiting area.
Next to me on the table sits a ceramic mug of steaming, fresh coffee that was just handed to me with a smile by the guy manning reception.
“Thanks,” I said as I smiled back and thought, Nice guy.
I’m out hustling—making the rounds, wearing my business development hat. The waiting area belongs to a potential customer that I’ve been working hard to land. While I wait, I glance over at the wall…
At HM Rogers Mold & Castings, we live by these principles:
Kindness // Do the right thing rightly—even when the right thing is the hard thing—and do it in the way you’d want it done to you
Integrity // Always live outwardly in alignment with who you say you are inwardly, and when you fall short, own it and grow from it
Honor // Intentionally see the humanity in those around you, recognize their God-given value, and treat them accordingly in all your interactions
Well, that got me thinking.
First, I was impressed. But then—honestly—I was skeptical.
Maybe it’s my GenX tendency, but I’ve seen it before: a poster with fighter jets flying in formation and the word SYNERGY… yet the actual workplace feels anything but synergistic. More often, it feels political, sometimes just downright toxic.
“Kevan?” It was that polite kid, now standing in the doorway. “She’s ready for you.”
Again, I said, “Thanks,” got up—sadly leaving my coffee behind—and followed him out.
I wasn’t meeting Hank Rogers; he was re- tired. The company had grown significantly since he first started casting engine parts. Now, his daughter was at the helm, servicing new markets like aerospace.. Mid-forties, confident, and dressed like a boss.
“Welcome in,” she said, more like a restaurant host than the CEO of a successful manufacturing company. “Have a seat. Thanks for taking the time today.”
She had a warm and cheerful, yet serious, look. And in that moment, I believed it—the spark of kindness, the look of integrity, and the feeling of honor. It was real.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
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Let’s face it: this world is a crazy place.
Sometimes it’s the Wild West—lawless and cutthroat—especially in business. And while I always wanted to be a cowboy, it can be ROUGH.
SCRUPLES? Nope. Just show me the bottom line. Produce the deliverables—whatever it takes.
But values-driven leadership is different.
And as a person of faith, I know that I’m called to swim upstream.
As a leader, I’ve learned four things:
Culture is never neutral
Leaders are culture creators
Values are demonstrated first, communicated second
Clarity and reinforcement are vital to a healthy culture
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So, how about you?
What culture are you creating?
What values drive you?
Can you communicate them clearly?
Are you demonstrating them—living true to them—every day?
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a ROCK."
-- Thomas Jefferson
38 WESTERN PALLET