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The confident, humble leader………… Oxymoron? Paradox? Leadership gobbledygook?

I am thinking about two of the best leaders I know. No, I am not thinking about myself. I am much too humble for that…………! The two leaders I am thinking of are similar in a few ways and different in many ways. Their differences are more stylistic, while their similarities are more fundamental.

If you are a leader and have not, at some point, asked the question “Do I have what it takes to lead in this situation,” you are…………unusual. Most of us harbor doubts about our own ability at some point. This is natural and healthy.

Back to my two leader friends. I believe that one of these leaders has always known that he will ascend to the position he is currently in – leading a large, growing, and successful organization. He is in the position for which God gifted him and his organization is clearly benefiting from those gifts. Most anyone that meets him can clearly see his gifts and the confidence that underlies those gifts. Perhaps paradoxically, I have never heard him described as arrogant or overly self-sufficient. He uses the gifts he has been given and he trusts his team to take care of the rest. You would never know that he has doubts about his ability to lead his organization into the future, but he does. I know – he has told me.

My other friend profiles as one of the most humble people you will ever hope to meet. Personal humility is the “leading edge of his leadership.”  I seriously doubt that he ever thought he would rise to the level of leadership that he now successfully occupies. He lives with doubts about his leadership ability most every day, and his team is aware of those doubts. He is an appropriately vulnerable leader. Interestingly, his vulnerability adds to his team’s confidence and trust in his leadership.

My two friends are miles apart stylistically. But they share fundamental characteristics and commitments to which we should all aspire. They are self-aware. They accept their gifts, their vulnerabilities, and their deficiencies. They lean on their teams. They are privately confident. They are publicly humble.

Do you have what it takes? Become more self-aware. Place the interests of your organization, your family and your colleagues above your own. Develop your gifts. Confess your vulnerabilities and deficiencies. Lean on your team. Be confident that God and your organization has placed you where you are for “such a time as this.”  Above all, cultivate a confident humility.

None of us gets there on our own.

25 years. 300 months. 1,304 weeks. 9,131 days. If these numbers sound vaguely familiar, it is because we used the same numbers to start our “25 Stories for 25 Years.” We hope you enjoyed, and were encouraged, by these stories which intentionally highlighted the value that well-led organizations bring to their communities.

We often hear talk of “corporate greed.” We are sure it exists. But in the world in which we live, we see very few, if any, examples of greed. Rather, we see mission and values-based organizations manifesting sacrificial, servant-like leadership. Leadership that places the interest of customers, employees, and communities above that of monetary or reputational gain.

An underlying premise of our “25 Stories” was to illustrate the importance of for-profit businesses and not-for-profit organizations/ministries to the well-being of the communities in which we live. Where would our world be without the time, talent, and treasure contributed by these 25 organizations and many more?

Whether your organization was highlighted or could have been… thank you!

We are grateful for the many ways in which you make our communities better.

Vision. Innovation. Care. Generosity. Chances are, you did not immediately think of the Amish community when you read these words. But we do. Many may think of the Amish as a “closed” community. But it’s not really true.

Certainly, family, hard work, and ingenuity come to mind when we think of our Amish friends. These words, and the descriptive words offered above, provide a more accurate description of MK Builders, a multi-generation framing contractor, with clients across the Mid-Atlantic.

With more than 30 years of vision, innovation, care, and generosity, MK’s footprint spreads across many miles and many communities. But the footprints are hard to see. Perhaps the most elusive leadership characteristic is that of humility. Humility characterizes MK and it characterizes the Amish community.

We are grateful to serve MK Builders. They make our communities better.

 


“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom…” Proverbs 4:6-7

Lancaster County is well known as a senior living community mecca. And for good reason. Our beautiful rolling farmland, accessibility to major cities, the ocean and the mountains, and a growing cultural scene make Lancaster County attractive to many retirees.

Is it fair to ask what Lancaster County gains from this concentration of seniors? We believe the answer lies in the biblical quote with which we started this post. If you took a stroll through “main street” at Pleasant View Communities, in the green hills outside of Manheim, you would no doubt encounter a variety of very wise people. Home to seniors from many different states, occupations, and faith traditions, Pleasant View affords us the richness of experience, knowledge, wisdom, and examples of lives well lived.

Yes, “wisdom is supreme.”

We are grateful to serve Pleasant View. They make our communities better.

It is likely that few of us give much thought to ambulances or fire trucks. That is, until we need them. But at Glick Fire Equipment Company, Inc., fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency services vehicle users are not only their customers, they are their “calling.” The Glick Family and their 110 employees (spread across four locations in Pennsylvania) live and breathe emergency services. And we are sure glad they do.

Founded in 1987, in the living room of David and Susan Glick, this second to third generation, family-owned company is growing rapidly because of their immersion in this indispensable sector of our communities. Talk to most any fire chief or ambulance captain in Pennsylvania and you can be sure they will know and praise Glick Fire’s commitment to their services. Talk to most any local fire chief or ambulance captain in a community near a Glick Fire location and they will identify a Glick employee as one of their volunteers. Yes, it is a “calling.”

When a family business focuses first on the good of their employees, customers, and community, “success” is inevitable.

We are grateful to serve Glick Fire Equipment Co., Inc. They make our communities better.

Four generations of Martin’s have been making ham, sausage, hot dogs, and lots of bacon(!) since 1932. If you didn’t have a John F. Martin & Sons, ham on Easter, you made a serious mistake!

Producing thousands of tons of high-quality meat products in a year is no easy task. At John F. Martin, quality is taken very seriously, as is efficiency. But not to the point of eliminating the human touch. JFM works hard to balance automation and individual skills, recognizing the unique value their team brings to quality production.

Currently transitioning from third to fourth generation leadership, John F. Martin’s commitment to quality, efficiency, and employee focus, will not waver. While technological advances are many, employees are never looked at as expendable. The commitment of the fourth generation to the founding ideals of great-grandfather John, are stronger than ever.

When speaking with the leaders at JFM, it becomes apparent that “ownership” is not their mentality. “When you believe you own something, you tend to tighten your grip. When you understand it is not really yours, decision making with the long view in mind becomes much easier.”

We are grateful to serve John F. Martin & Sons. They make our communities better.

Did you know that in their early days, the congregation of the Worship Center gathered in the Lititz Rec Center, which – at the time – was located in the very building North Group welcomes our clients to today?

Now located in Leola, the Worship Center has grown to serve close to 5000 people and has gracefully navigated one of the most seamless first to second generation leadership transitions we have seen.

Business family or family business? Is that a real question? Yes, it is and a very important one at that.

EGStoltzfus is a family business. The values and philosophy of the family are deeply engrained in the business. Second generation owners, Brent Stoltzfus, Chad Stoltzfus, and Colleen Brubaker lead a highly successful general construction business that has experienced tremendous growth and an extremely loyal customer following. They also lead a family that LOVES being together. If you were to watch a movie of a Stoltzfus family gathering, it is likely you would have no indication whatsoever of their business ownership. What you would witness is a highly cohesive, connected family.

Brent, Chad, and Colleen credit their dad, Elam G. Stoltzfus Jr., for building a family first and a business second. If “push comes to shove,” family will always win. But in this family, there are very few pushes and no shoves. In the family, love wins out. In the business, merit wins out. Non-family employees have the same opportunity as family employees. The result of this philosophy is a connected family, a growing business, loyal employees, and delighted customers.

If you run across a ministry or non-profit construction project locally, you are likely to encounter EGS employees donating time and in-kind resources. Intertwined in the communities in which they build, EGStoltzfus executives, employees, and family members are strongly committed to the wellbeing of their communities.

We are grateful to serve EGStoltzfus. They make our communities better.