Putting People First—Humans Are Not Resources
Picture this: It’s a crisp morning as I pull in and park my truck. I’m fresh out of college, working for my dad, and just finishing my first week on the job.
My dad was a grinder—old-school—a real entrepreneurial, Type-A personality. But he was respected and admired by everyone who knew him because he always put people first.
I didn’t always get that…
He’s late AGAIN?!? Man, what’s with this guy?
It was Friday, and Danny was late—again. I was fuming.
“Hey,” I said curtly, not bothering to knock as I walked into Dad’s office. “There’s a problem.”
“Hi,” he smiled, looking up from his morning reports. “You okay? You seem upset.” It was like he hadn’t even heard me. So, I shot back.
“Yeah, I’m upset,” I said bluntly. “I’m gonna fire this guy.”
His eyebrows raised.
“Who?” he asked.
“Danny. He’s been late every day this week,” I explained.
“I see,” he said. Then he just looked at me—for what seemed like an eternity. It was the same look he gave me when I got kicked out of school for breaking Billy Morris’s nose.
Okay. Calm down.
“‘People First’ is not just some corporate jargon we say at company picnics, son.”
He paused for effect, then continued.
“Danny is a single dad, and he takes his kids to daycare every day. Unfortunately, the daycare opens at the same time the shift starts. So, since his wife is recently gone and he’s trying to figure it all out, we decided to cut him some slack.”
He paused again, weighing whether to continue.
“Also, you may be equally upset to know that we’ve been paying him from the start of the shift—not from the time he actually arrives.”
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…just because it’s smart, doesn’t mean it’s right.
-- Dale Partridge, People Over Profit: Break the System, Live with Purpose, Be More Successful
____________________________________________________________________________________
Good leaders put people first—and they do it intentionally, elevating them above processes and profits. That’s why leadership exists: because people exist.
Look, businesses exist to make a profit. I get it. But I also know in a deeply personal way that one of the quickest ways to miss the mark as a leader is to lose sight of the value of people.
REMEMBER:
We don’t lead organizations—we lead people.
Humans are not resources.
People are complicated.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Food for Thought
What are two or three things you can start doing right now to elevate the people around you in a more meaningful way?
Are there areas where you may be prioritizing processes or profits over people? How could you approach those differently to put people first?
“‘People First’ is not just some corporate jargon we say at company picnics, son.”
He paused for effect, then continued.
“Danny is a single dad, and he takes his kids to daycare every day. Unfortunately, the daycare opens at the same time the shift starts. So, since his wife is recently gone and he’s trying to figure it all out, we decided to cut him some slack.”
He paused again, weighing whether to continue.
“Also, you may be equally upset to know that we’ve been paying him from the start of the shift—not from the time he actually arrives.”
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…just because it’s smart, doesn’t mean it’s right.
-- Dale Partridge, People Over Profit: Break the System, Live with Purpose, Be More Successful
____________________________________________________________________________________
Good leaders put people first—and they do it intentionally, elevating them above processes and profits. That’s why leadership exists: because people exist.
Look, businesses exist to make a profit. I get it. But I also know in a deeply personal way that one of the quickest ways to miss the mark as a leader is to lose sight of the value of people.
REMEMBER:
We don’t lead organizations—we lead people.
Humans are not resources.
People are complicated.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Food for Thought
What are two or three things you can start doing right now to elevate the people around you in a more meaningful way?
Are there areas where you may be prioritizing processes or profits over people? How could you approach those differently to put people first?
“‘People First’ is not just some corporate jargon we say at company picnics, son.”
He paused for effect, then continued.
“Danny is a single dad, and he takes his kids to daycare every day. Unfortunately, the daycare opens at the same time the shift starts. So, since his wife is recently gone and he’s trying to figure it all out, we decided to cut him some slack.”
He paused again, weighing whether to continue.
“Also, you may be equally upset to know that we’ve been paying him from the start of the shift—not from the time he actually arrives.”
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…just because it’s smart, doesn’t mean it’s right.
-- Dale Partridge, People Over Profit: Break the System, Live with Purpose, Be More Successful
____________________________________________________________________________________
Good leaders put people first—and they do it intentionally, elevating them above processes and profits. That’s why leadership exists: because people exist.
Look, businesses exist to make a profit. I get it. But I also know in a deeply personal way that one of the quickest ways to miss the mark as a leader is to lose sight of the value of people.
REMEMBER:
We don’t lead organizations—we lead people.
Humans are not resources.
People are complicated.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Food for Thought
What are two or three things you can start doing right now to elevate the people around you in a more meaningful way?
Are there areas where you may be prioritizing processes or profits over people? How could you approach those differently to put people first?
“Seriously,” I said more evenly. “It’s no good. It’s against policy. I can’t have him showing up late like this with no consequences.”
“Did you talk to him?” he asked politely.
“Well, no,” I said. “I shouldn’t have to—he’s an adult. He knows he’s supposed to be on time. It’s in the handbook, for crying out loud.”
Then he said something I’ll never forget.
“‘People First’ is not just some corporate jargon we say at company picnics, son.”
He paused for effect, then continued.
38 WESTERN PALLET