Jeffrey Hayzlett, a global business celebrity and Chairman and CEO of C-Suite Network, discusses the importance of radical humility in leadership. He emphasizes the Hero Factor, which prioritizes values, employee well-being, and community impact. Hayzlett shares lessons from companies like Chick-fil-A and Starbucks, highlighting the role of transparency and consistent values. He also explores the significance of digital communication, polarization in marketing, and the role of humility in a leader's life.
Prioritizing company values and living by them, both offline and in the digital realm, is crucial for successful and impactful businesses.
Implementing hero leadership involves defining core values, prioritizing employees' well-being, and fostering humility as a key trait among leaders to create a positive work culture and attract loyal customers and vendors.
Deep dives
The Importance of Values and the Impact of Hero Leaders
In this podcast episode, the guest, Jeffrey Hazlett, discusses the concept of hero leaders and the value of putting people above profits. He shares the story of a company that created numerous millionaires among its employees by prioritizing their well-being. Hero leaders, according to Hazlett, prioritize the values of their company and focus on serving their employees and customers. By doing so, they not only achieve financial success but also create a positive work culture and attract loyal customers and vendors. Hazlett emphasizes the importance of clearly communicating company values and living up to them, both offline and in the digital world.
Living and Communicating Company Values
Hazlett emphasizes the need for companies to clearly define their values and ensure that they are known and understood by all employees. He mentions that many companies fail in this area, with a majority of employees not even aware of their organization's values. To effectively communicate values, Hazlett suggests publishing them and demonstrating them through actions rather than simply stating them. He gives examples of companies, such as Chick-fil-A and Starbucks, that have openly communicated their values and seen success in attracting loyal customers and employees. Hazlett also believes that living the values is crucial, even in the increasingly digital world, and that it starts with a servant mentality and humility from the leaders.
Implementing Hero Leadership and Overcoming Challenges
For leaders looking to implement hero leadership and transform their company culture, Hazlett advises starting with a team discussion to identify the company's promise and core values. The next step is to live up to those values and make them a priority in every aspect of the organization. Hazlett acknowledges that the process can be challenging, especially in the fast-paced post-COVID world. He emphasizes the importance of ongoing coaching, education, and motivation for leaders to ensure they are aligned with the values. Hazlett also highlights the need for transparency, healthy tension, and the involvement of employees in holding leaders accountable to their values.
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Jeffrey Hayzlett, a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV, and business podcast host of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on C-Suite Radio. He is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman and CEO of C-Suite Network, home of the world’s most trusted network of C-Suite leaders.
Key Takeaways:
The Hero Factor—a leadership philosophy emphasizing the prioritization of values, employee well-being, and community impact. Highlighting the importance of transparently publishing and living by these values, Hayzlett draws lessons from companies like Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. He underscores the relevance of conveying values consistently in both physical and digital realms. For CEOs aiming to instill change, he advises starting with defining and embodying core values. Humility, a key trait of hero leaders, is stressed as crucial in fostering a servant mentality towards employees and customers, ultimately shaping successful and impactful businesses.
Questions I ask Jeffrey Hayzlett:
[00:57] How do you view the expanding fractional C-suite industry?
[02:23] What is the Hero Factor?
[04:35] How do you instill values of radical humility in an organization?
[06:00] Is there a universal set of values every company should adhere to?
[06:54] As a company, how do you authentically communicate hero values?
[08:56] In a competitive market, how can values be communicated to attract like-minded individuals?
[11:56] Can a company's actions conflicting with its stated values send a message of its own?
[13:24] In our increasingly digital world, are there specific techniques for communicating the hero factor?
[14:11] What suggestions do you have for demonstrating radical humility to employees?
[17:11] As a leader transforming company culture, how do you introduce the hero concept?
[19:18] What role does humility play in this scenario?
[20:06] Where can people connect with you and get a copy of the Hero Factor?