As leaders, it’s vital to regularly reflect on the values and principles that shape our company’s culture. Taking time to reflect on our values and principles is essential because it shapes our daily decisions, fosters trust among employees, and ensures long-term success for our company.
As we enter the 4th quarter, it is a time to reflect on our year-to-date results and begin crafting our plans for 2026 and beyond. Some of you may have had a successful year managing many changes. For others, the past nine months have been more difficult than we could have anticipated. Yet, I believe we can all emerge from this as a stronger and more competitive organization if we put in the time to learn from the past and plan for our future.
Our people and our organizations need us to be Visionary Thinkers. Leaders who have a vision for the business and its business units. Leaders who maintain a long-term, big picture view while dealing effectively with the short-term business challenges.
We are the leaders who quickly identify obstacles and opportunities, and we stimulate breakthrough ideas from our best talent. Our leadership fosters innovative solutions resulting in new effective business strategies. This is who we need to be as we move into 2026 and beyond.
The process always starts with the clarity of who we are, where we are going, and how quickly we can get there and sustain success.
We may have begun the year as a cohesive team, highly-motivated with a strong commitment to growing the business. Although things may be different now, this still applies. And so, our tactics and approach must be different as we end this year and plan next year. The road ahead is ours to navigate.
Going forward, we will need to understand our business from an enterprise perspective including: what we do well, where there is opportunity to go deeper and wider with current customers, where there is opportunity with new customers in new markets that span the enterprise, and how to sell to a diversified customer base.
If we are not in the position to grow through acquisition in the near future, that leaves us with growing organically. This means we are all salespeople, and we are all brand ambassadors. Messages we communicate to our people are very important. So let’s be clear: We are all in the role of growing our business.
No matter what your leadership role, you have a tremendous impact on your people. It’s all about alignment and commitment.
As you work through the remainder of this year and plan for next year and beyond, everything starts with Our Values. They are the foundation from which everything we have to offer as a company is based – our processes, services, daily work actions, and commitment to excellence. Our Values, and our adherence to them, set the direction and establish the necessary culture for our organization to succeed.
I will begin with the values and boundaries—my personal “guard rails,” which are guidelines that have helped steer my decisions and actions throughout my career—as a starting point. However, these principles are only truly effective when you take time to reflect on them, adapt them to fit your own experiences, and commit to living by them in a way that genuinely feels authentic to
you.
Our Values provide clarity about who we are as a company, how we will conduct ourselves, and how we wish to be viewed by others. Again: who we are, what we stand for, what we aspire to be, and what we will never compromise.
• We recognize that our people are our most important asset.
• We believe integrity and excellence are the core of all we do.
• Each of us will conduct ourselves with honesty and integrity.
• We will adhere to our policies and guidelines. If there is something we doubt, we will raise that doubt until it is addressed.
• We make tough decisions, accept responsibility, and report bad news.
• We don’t stop at the first right answer. We focus on new ways to create solutions.
• We embrace change and thoughtfully use processes, technology, and tools for results.
• We have a vision and seek ways to transfer that vision to action.
• We are committed to supporting a climate for success for all and providing a safe work environment for employees, customers, and the public.
• We are humble and support each other.
• We work together as a team, are flexible, and will adapt to changing conditions.
• We will be respected leaders among our peers and within the industry.
• We will learn and grow from our challenges, and we will celebrate and recognize our success.
• We are a company that lives its values.
Finally, and equally important, is our Leadership Expectations. Like Our Values, they must be consistent in the way we hold ourselves, our peers, and our people accountable.
Our Leadership Expectations clearly define the expectations we have for our entire management team.
• Use only acceptable language when engaged in conversation with your staff and peers.
• Follow the rules. All our rules and policies apply to everyone.
• Provide open and honest communication.
• You are responsible to communicate important information and providing necessary accountability and oversight.
• We should expect a level of communication where there are no surprises.
• Do not leave extended voicemails or unprofessional emails.
• Talk with the right person directly.
• We should expect complete confidentiality of information.
• Avoid and put a stop to unnecessary gossip.
• Avoid situations where employees are given instructions or are led to believe that they should hold or hide information from Corporate or the next level of management.
• Your people will seek guidance from you.
• Take care of how and to whom you communicate.
• Seek counsel when you are unsure.
• Don’t get caught up in your position.
When it comes to providing leadership and setting expectations, and as the enterprise evaluates alternatives and then commits to moving in one direction, the team needs to accept company decisions as their own and communicate that direction to their people with conviction
You give away your authority when you say, “they said” or “corporate said.” Understand and embrace the company’s decisions. Communicate often and well to ensure your people understand and embrace change. It’s one of the easiest things you can do. It reflects positively on you. Soon you’ll find you are inspiring a deep-rooted commitment among all our people where they do model Our Values and the principles of Balanced Leadership.
The goal of the planning process is to create a vision of perfection centered on the customer. This includes communicating with, educating, and training our people, aligning performance goals, and focusing on accountability.
You become a world-class company through disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action.
Our success will be measured by the degree to which we can get everyone in our organization at every level, to:
• understand
• embrace
• emulate
• and execute our vision and strategy.
We may have to change our speed and approach but our vision, strategy, mission, and our values have not changed, but are being reinforced and applied quicker and deeper. Regardless of this adjustment, as the leaders of our organization, we must set the standards for what “Good Looks Like” and replicate it in everything we do.
As leaders, we must always be constructively dissatisfied – continuously improving our business processes, improving our own skills, and developing our people.
Good luck and “Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway” — Steppenwolf, “Born to Be
Wild”
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I believe that none of us can achieve success without some help along the way. For each of us, there is a person, a mentor, who we are grateful towards and who can help us get to where we aspire to be. Sharing stories and experiences as a speaker is a way of recognizing the value of these experiences and giving back to the next generation of leaders. It also is a way of demonstrating in words and deed the value I am placing in mentorship. As for me, I have been fortunate to have worked with and mentored by some incredibly special people, and none more incredible than Coach John Wooden.
“Rocky was the Keynote Speaker at our FragilePak Connect Conference. His presentation on Balanced Leadership was educational, informative, and delivered with great energy and enthusiasm. We especially appreciated Rocky attending the conference to learn more about who we are, what we stand for and what we are trying to accomplish as a team. He received a 4.9 score on our survey and the following comments best represent the overall comments.”
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I have broad experiences to share that can help others as they grow and take on new challenges. During my time as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, I integrated over 20 acquisitions that became UPS Supply Chain Solutions. I steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®” With the ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results, and the passion to develop the Best, The Brightest, Most Informed, and Best People in the industries they serve.
Please give me a call today at 610-322-0720 or email at
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