Show Notes

Bill Morean is the former CEO and Chairman of a Fortune 200 company and a good friend of mine. After studying aviation from Western Michigan University, he briefly worked as a bush pilot in Alaska. In 1978 at the age of 22, after buying a majority stake in his father’s company, Jabil, Bill became the CEO. Over 35 years under his leadership, the company grew from 90 employees at one facility with annualrevenue of $700,000 to a $17-billion organization with 100,000 employees at 60 facilities in 19 countries.

 

Bill joins me today to share stories of how he built a company culture rooted in trust and appreciation. We discuss his unique and personable leadership style and explain how the impact of trusting your employees creates a distinct company culture. We share several stories, some of which describes employees making mistakes - myself included - and discuss his perspective on handling those situations. We also discusshow he handled difficult decisions as the company leader such as letting go of employees that are long-term friends and addressing inter-organizational romantic relationships as well as his perspective on leaders ‘being lonely at the top.’

 

“Don’t try to be the ‘rigid guy at the chalkboard’ leader that you think you should be. Go be you.” - Bill Morean

 

 

This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:

 

  • Reminiscing on old times and my experience while working at Jabil.
  • How Bill led the company as a ‘servant leader.’
  • Why he admired my decision to leave the company to pave my own path and career goals instead of resenting it.
  • How his leadership style enabled us to build a deeper friendship after I left the company.
  • The impact of deferring responsibilities onto others in your organization instead of facing challenges you, as the leader, should handle yourself.
  • How he approached the challenge of letting go of three employees that were his high school friends.
  • Why he felt joyful about ‘passing the baton’ when he retired.
  • Why character strength is crucial for leading a successful company.
  • The importance of trusting your employees to do their job and make mistakes without micromanaging them.
  • Why he believes balancing appreciation with direct, honest critiquing helps your employees receive the critique more easily.
  • The mistake I made during a customer presentation while working at Jabil and how his value in me as a person encouraged me to be comfortable and accountable for the mistake.
  • Examples of how he authentically appreciated his employees by feeding their strengths to help them achieve their goals.
  • Embracingthe ‘human aspect’ of inter-organizational relationships.
  • Why he believes ‘feeling lonely at the top’ depends on the relationships you build with your team.
  • How he naturally closed the gap between himself and his employees.
  • How he embraced the ‘open door policy’ in a large organization.
  • How he encouraged social connection between his employees and how it impacted the company culture.
  • How he coached his employees to be better in their role or to become better leaders.

 

 

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop for Couples

 

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshop for Couples will teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

 

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop for Couples, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PC or call (828) 712-8398.

 

 

Let’s Talk About It!

 

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.

 

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Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

 

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