Transform at the top. It’s so important that the leadership shows that they care and they love and they respect and they’re part of the DNA of that organization.
Bernard Marcus is the founder of Home Depot. He has the DNA of Home Depot inside of him. When I spoke with him, it exudes from him. He talks about the transfer of power to a new CEO that perhaps didn’t have the same kind of focus on those values and ethics and beliefs he had when he first started Home Depot. Strong relationships with vendors and also the community. The community loved Home Depot because they could go there, get the best price, and if they happened to be a vendor, they would take them on. He created an ecosystem for community. Hiring people who helped other people in the community and lowering prices. It’s kind of a triangle effect where he showed loved for other people, and, as a result, formed one of the largest retail home building organizations in the world.
There’s great power in love and in respect for everybody. When you create that nucleus, either within yourself or within others, I guarantee you’ll win.
