Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1177710
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEOPLE: The most effective leaders know that their success begins and ends with their people. "Surround yourself with people that love you, that care about you, and that hold you accountable. People that are strong, where we're weak, are like-minded, and challenge us in certain areas." CARE AND RESPECT: Studies have shown this to be critical to sustainable leadership success. This is a psychological need for people to be at their best. "We have to have this mutual level of care for each other and respect for each other. That tends to be the glue that holds us together." VULNERABILITY: This is a crucial element to build safety, trust, and collaboration. Nick emphasizes that leaders need to create an environment for people to practice vulnerability through their own actions. "Make yourself vulnerable first, and hopefully, people will build up." CORE VALUES: Core values drive the culture and need to be demonstrated, not just spoken and written. "They should already feel these things, you're just putting a name on them." It's important that leaders create "clear values that people know and that are regularly mentioned, practiced, and noticed." Nick emphasized that as humans, none of us honor these values 100%. What's important is that we own our mistakes. "Put a name on it and make that public, it's not something we're going to be shamed about." UNPLUG FROM DAY-TO-DAY: It's easy to develop tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture. "That's where a vacation and balance and all that stuff comes in. Slow down and pull ourselves out of our daily activities to open our minds up to bigger picture thinking." BEING A GOOD ROLE MODEL: This is a universal leadership principle. "I'm not going to ask you as an employee to do anything I won't do." Brent McClendon is the President & CEO of the NWPCA. He's in the unusual position of interacting with many of the most successful leaders in the industry. Brent shared his insights and observations about the best leaders from his unique perspective. 14 PalletCentral • September-October 2019 palletcentral.com LEADERSHIP Brent McClendon President & CEO NWPCA