Tim O'Neal: 30th Anniversary: Lessons Learned from Excellence in Leadership Award Winner

Nov 8, 2022

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With nearly three decades of experience working in the thrift industry, Tim O’Neal has spent the past 18 years focused on the vision of ending poverty through the power of work.

When O’Neal was brought on with Goodwill of Central Arizona, the organization was in serious financial trouble and at risk of having its membership removed by Goodwill Industries International. O’Neal’s arrival marked a turning point in the 70-year history of the organization, and his leadership was instrumental in keeping the organization running by increasing retail operations by 3000 percent during his tenure as the Vice President of Retail Operations (1999 – 2007).

O’Neal brought a distinct level of professionalism to the retail side of the organization, a characteristic that quickly spread throughout the organization. O’Neal values the time and effort of his employees above all else. He knows the successful reach of Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona’s mission is due to the hard work and innovation all employees exhibit every day. O’Neal recognizes talent and feels it is important for the organization to cultivate leadership at all levels. He is most proud of the transparency the nonprofit presents, as well as the workplace culture that regularly earns top marks on “Best Places to Work” rankings.

Goodwill’s founder, Edgar Helms, envisioned providing people in need with the skills and opportunities that lead to self-sufficiency by providing a hand-up, not a handout. O’Neal believes wholeheartedly in carrying out this mission to better the lives of everyone in our state. He knows the best way to bring a positive impact to Arizona is to work together, collaborate, and cultivate partnerships with community members, organizations, and leaders.

Tim O’Neal is proud of his employees and proud of the positive impact Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona leaves on the local community.

O’Neal holds a Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management from the Harvard Business School Executive Education program. O’Neal graduated in June 2010 from Goodwill Industries International’s Executive Leadership Development program, which drives excellence, strategic planning, and personal development skills for top executives in the industry.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Tim O'Neal discuss:

Creating impact through servant leadership
The purpose is community
Taking care of your team
Communication and transparency

Key Takeaways:

We have different job titles, but nobody's more important than the next person. Take care of your people and they’ll take care of everything else.
The purpose is community, taking care of your fellow humans. No matter what people think, you and I can make a difference and that’s why it matters.
As a leader, make sure that your organization has enough resources to weather any kind of storm that comes up. Be careful about the decisions you’re making today. Keep in mind that you have a responsibility to care for your team when tougher times arrive.
Why wouldn’t you want to communicate and be transparent? It saves you the hassle of having to relay messages over and over to make sure that everybody’s on the same page.

"If you're the leader, the number one job, you have to take care of your people. And if you do that, they take care of everything else." — Tim O'Neal

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Tim O’Neal:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tim-o-neal

Website: https://www.goodwillaz.org/team-member/tim-oneal/

Email: timoneal@goodwillaz.org

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/