Leading with CARE: Communication, Awareness, Responsibility, and Energy featuring Steve Preston

In this episode of the Culture From The Heart Podcast, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are joined by Steve Preston, the president of Performance Food Service, Fairfield, Ohio. Steve discusses his leadership philosophy focused on genuine engagement and care for employees. He emphasizes the importance of eye contact, listening, and leading by example. Steve explains the acronym 'CARE,' standing for Communicate, Awareness, Responsibility, and Energy, and how it serves as a guiding principle for creating a positive and engaged company culture. The conversation covers practical strategies for implementing and maintaining a caring culture, including the role of leadership, the significance of communication, and recognizing and celebrating employee contributions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Importance of Leadership by Walking Around: Engaging directly with team members shows genuine care.
• Role of Care in Culture: The acronym CARE (Communicate, Awareness, Responsibility, Energy) is central to the company’s values.
• Building Authentic Relationships: Regularly engaging, listening, and showing empathy to employees creates stronger bonds and trust.
• Recognizing Positive Behaviors: Celebrating small wins and positive behaviors reinforces the desired culture.
• Consistency and Visibility: Leaders must consistently embody and communicate core values to instill them in the organization.

QUOTES

• "Leading by example, showing up means a lot more to people than dictating to them what you want them to do."
• "It's all about giving a rip about your people."
• "Feedback is a blessing."
• "Do the right thing when nobody else is watching."
• "Energy is very contagious, positively and negatively."
• "If your employees are happy at what they do, that's going to spill over to the customers."

Learn more about Darrell and Larry: 

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/

Connect and learn more about Steve Preston and his works.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-preston-45194494/

https://www.performancefoodservice.com/

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