Guy Wells is President and CEO of Wells Cargo, Inc. I met Guy while I was the leadership keynote speaker at a Vistage Worldwide event in Las Vegas, NV.

I am impressed with him as a leader because he not only took over the family business, he is the first person in three generations to own the business outright.

I am intrigued by him as a leader because he fosters an incredible company culture and people genuinely seem to like working there. Wells Cargo isn’t a sports related company or some glamourous technology firm, it’s a paving company and people love being part of the company culture Guy has created.

Guy’s insight is valuable because there are a lot of family business owners out there trying to navigate the very same triumphs and trials, up and downs, that Guy has to navigate.

Some of the best business leadership concepts Guy and I unpack together in this episode are:

  1. The primary role of business is to create value for society; money is merely a byproduct of serving others well, creating value, and improving society.

  2. The importance of being present and how to think about being present.

  3. Good and bad is a label we put on things; have a yes…and, not a yes…but perspective.

  4. Find someone to mentor you.

  5. The one trait to look for in the people you put on your team.

 

Enjoy!

Lead well,

p.s. – Thanks for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe to my leadership podcast on iTunesSpotify, and/or SoundCloud.

 

Show Related Links:

Show Timestamps:

  • What intrigues Dan about Guy Wells of Wells Cargo [1:00]

  • Guy talks about the garage to goliath story of the family business Wells Cargo [2:25]

  • Dan asks Guy ‘So have you paved a lot of Las Vegas?’ [4:25]

  • Guy quips about how he got to where he is today [4:45]

  • Guy shares his passion, his why, and his vision for creating opportunities for others [6:15]

  • Guy talks about his personal values and what those values mean in his life [7:59]

  • Guy reveals the core values of his company [9:00]

  • Learn what Guy spends his time thinking about and how to be present [10:23]

  • Dan on how to be better at work because we are good at home and how to be good at home so we can be better at work [11:23]

  • Guy talks about his concerns about the future and how he balances the future with the present [12:06]

  • The one piece of advice Guy would give his 20-year-old self [13:30]

  • Guy explains his personal leadership philosophy and how he developed it [15:53]

  • Dan shares what it means to be a we company versus an company  [18:15]

  • Guy gets transparent with obstacles and trials in his life [19:02]

  • Learn Guy’s strategy to create a vision for his team [23:14]

  • Guy unpacks a time when he wasn’t leading well and how he self-corrected [20:45]

  • The one trait Guy looks for in his top people [27:59]

  • Guy shares the type of people he has in his kitchen cabinet [29:29]

  • Guy talks through how he integrates new employees into the company culture [34:03]

  • Guy shares how he has integrated his kids into the company and how to avoid feelings of nepotism [37:33]

  • Guy imparts some advice to family run businesses [40:53]

  • Guy shares the best business and life advice he shares with his grandkids [45:51]

  • Guy talks about Wells Cargo’s big why beyond profits and tells how the company culture is dedicated to creating value in the community [45:58]

  • Guy tells how he maintains presence not balance with family and business [48:02]

  • Learn Guy and Jody’s parenting strategy  [49:32]

  • Guy praises the person who had an impact on him as a leader [53:05]

  • Guy shares how he wants his children to describe him to his grandchildren [55:32]