Youth of Character in a Fractured World
David Holmes is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Character Collaborative, a non-profit that aims to elevate the role of character in college admissions. In this Tugboat Institute® talk from Summit 2021, David explains that research has demonstrated time and again that character, more than performance on a test, is one of the strongest predictors of future success in life.
Living in today’s world, character is often put second, or even third, after attributes such as competitiveness, achievement, etc. David draws on his deep experience as an educator to demonstrate why it is so important that we, as a society, shift our focus back to instilling and valuing character, in both our children and in our employees.
Watch and be inspired to sharpen your focus on character in your Evergreen® company.
What 100 Sixth Graders Taught Me About Leadership
Before becoming the 3rd generation President of Ramar Foods, Susie Quesada taught sixth grade. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Susie reflects on her leadership style and connects lessons from teaching to her work as President of an Evergreen® company. Her focus on listening, educating, team-building, and creating effective processes for growth and development all have roots in her experience in the classroom.
Susie’s lessons from teaching pair nicely with learning from more traditional business models and thought leaders, including Stephen Covey, LEAN, and Kaizen. Together, Susie’s experiences in leadership in the classroom and at Ramar Foods shaped her leadership philosophy and keep her company growing, thriving, and learning.
Why We Plant Trees in Africa
Lester Thornhill, President & CEO of Life’s Abundance, wanted to find a path to carbon neutrality for his Evergreen® company. Uninspired by the options he found nearby, he looked farther afield and settled on a program called Trees for the Future. This organization plants trees. All over the world. Lester has invested in a project that is creating Forest Gardens in Senegal, Africa. The project not only captures an enormous amount of carbon each year, but also supports the local community in important and significant ways.
Watch and learn more about this initiative and about Forest Gardens.
Battle for Growth
In this talk from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021, David Eichhorn, CEO of NISA Investment Advisors, examines the Paradox of Growth in business. As successful businesses mature, they grow, but at a certain point, the growth leads to a size which breeds complexity and then complexity kills growth. How can a CEO or Founder break this cycle?
David has spent considerable time and energy examining this paradox as it relates to his Evergreen® company. As a leader, he has found success in resolving it by implementing the Bain Micro-battles System®. He has managed to meet his goals for growth and reap the benefits of size without being derailed by growth-inflicted pain points that emerge as the organization becomes more complex.
Listen and learn how to make the size of your business an asset in innovation—not an anchor.
Teach Them How to Say Goodbye: Navigating a Graceful CEO Transfer Steve Shifman
Johnny Bench played for the Cincinnati Reds for 17 years. He was a hero to his fans and a star of the game. In his last game before he retired, in 1983, he hit a home run. He was at the top of his game. Steve Shifman is a Reds fan and the former CEO and current Executive Chairman of the Board of Michelman. He learned a lot from Johnny Bench. As he felt the end of his career as CEO coming onto the horizon, he took a page from Johnny’s book – go out on top.
In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Steve shares his experience and his advice around stepping into a CEO transition with grace, with hope, and with a solid plan. He identifies the key factors that will ensure it is as smooth as possible. As he plans to hand over the reins of his Evergreen® company, he feels that he has set the stage for a successful transition and is excited for his next chapter.
Watch and be inspired to make a succession plan for your Evergreen company.
Lessons from People First Cultures
What are the key characteristics and practices of companies that share space on the touted "best to work for" lists? How do you craft a culture to support and develop your team, sustain your company's growth, and make a difference in your community? How does a thriving business support inclusivity today?
In this talk from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021, Dave Petersen, President and CEO of O.C. Tanner, shares his insights into these key questions. As the Evergreen® leader of a company dedicated to creating employee recognition and reward solutions that help cultures thrive, which is itself repeatedly recognized as a Best Companies to Work For®, Dave has unique insight into this topic. This presentation offers valuable wisdom around culture and the challenges today's leaders face as they consider how their companies can create a positive and lasting impact for their employees and the communities they serve.
It's Not About the Bag, It's Where You Take It
In 2005, Conni Reed left a 16-year corporate career to launch her company, Consuela. In the wake of what she describes as “an early mid-life crisis,” Conni felt called to live an authentic, meaningful life and build a business that would make a difference in the lives of women and Mexican artisans. In the years since, she has poured her passion and creativity into Consuela, a handbag and accessories company based in Texas that vibrantly reflects the joy and beauty–her “magic”– she wants to contribute to the world.
In this talk from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021, Conni shares her story of personal and professional Perseverance – a journey that led to her current success and her ongoing mission to support and celebrate women who impact the world in positive ways.
Strong Roots, Strong Branches
When Michael Spraggins, CEO of Spraggins, Inc., made the decision to step into his family’s home flooring business, he realized pretty quickly he was facing some significant challenges. The company his father founded was a commodity business with a concentrated customer base that operated in Florida’s cyclical boom-bust construction industry—a tough combination.
Despite those challenges, Michael had a vision for building a large, diversified company, and he committed to doing just that. In this talk from Tugboat Institute Summit 2021, Michael shares the milestones—and notable failures—along the path to growing a global business and a nonprofit organization and the personal fulfillment of creating a legacy for his family.
Generation Z: Key Learnings In A New Workforce Generation
Tugboat Institute® Advisor Roberta Katz holds a PhD in anthropology as well as a law degree and was previously the General Counsel of McCaw and then Netscape. For 13 years, she served as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning at Stanford University and is currently a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University.
In this talk from Tugboat Institute Gathering of Teams 2021, Roberta shares insight into the three years of research she engaged in with her co-authors to write the book, Gen Z, Explained. The presentation provides scientific insight and context into the newest workforce generation—invaluable and practical tools for Evergreen® leaders and anyone in a management role.
Where Will You Find Your Next Great Hire?
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated upheaval in the US and in the workforce, specifically, widening the opportunity gap and leading to job losses that have disproportionally affected low-income individuals, minorities, and women. At the same time, this period has seen the acceleration of automation and digital technologies, creating a need for millions to transition to new jobs.
In this talk from Tugboat Institute Summit 2021, Steven C. Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, describes how Goodwill is working to close the opportunity gap by providing skills training, support resources, and career path mapping for people who may just be your next great hire. Steve notes, the time is now for Evergreen® leaders to open the aperture on talent and make a difference by seeking diverse, motivated employees whose lives can be transformed by the opportunity of fulfilling work.
