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12 PalletCentral • May-June 2022 palletcentral.com 12 PalletCentral • May-June 2022 palletcentral.com Leadership By Caryn Smith HELPING HANDS AT WORK We Caught You Caring Building trust and charity within your company sometimes takes extra work and pays more in morale than dividends, but these leaders believe that it is worth the effort. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill L eadership is most often evaluated by the bottom line. Visionary leaders set productivity and sales goals, and motivated employees are rewarded based on meeting or exceeding their expectations. Yet, some leaders find that this isn't enough for them to define their company as successful and look for more meaningful ways to serve a larger purpose inside and outside their operation. Company leaders who seek ways to broaden their purpose often bring charitable measures to the fold to bolster standard operations. Adding service to others into the workplace creates a positive synergy. is improves morale, retention, and productivity, and builds trust with their teams as they prove they care about more than the bottom line. In fact, leadership expert John Maxwell says, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." In a Huffington Post article, leadership author Susan Steinbrecher says, "Business owners who genuinely lead with their heart – not just their head – are also more equipped to connect with the emotional needs of employees. ey understand that people have the need to be valued, respected, listened to, and involved. By acknowledging and honoring the human element, heart-centered leaders possess the wisdom and capacity to positively transform any organization and run extremely successful and profitable businesses." PalletCentral connected with several member- companies who engage in philanthropic programs to discover how leaders are engaging business with a charitable heart. ey share their programs, why they do it, and how it impacts their company. Hay Creek Pallet – Lead with Care Submitted by Tom Gardner, President H ay Creek Pallet started out as a trucking company that evolved into a pallet rebuilder and then added new pallets as a manufacturer. e company also offers colored mulch and animal bedding along with wood fuel pellets. We currently have about 50 employees. Tom Gardner joined a C-12 group in 2012. Participation in C-12 opened the doors to looking at company culture and serving others. e first thing the company did was to get a chaplain from Corporate Chaplains of America. e chaplain visits once a week and builds relationships with the employees, prays with them with permission and if the opportunity presents itself, he shares the gospel. e other thing that has really helped employee engagement is adopting His Way at Work, a transformative, inspirational and empowerment program. It provided structure, helped the company

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