“And just by recognizing your own fear you become…more personable and more trusted as a leader. And so many leaders don’t want to do that. “I can’t be…I can’t show fear because then people won’t...” You know what? If I can’t show fear and then people can’t follow me, there’s a bigger problem with me.”

Ron Dunlap serves as Graebel Companies’ President and Chief Operating Officer where he oversees the organizational health and growth of a global company in the relocation industry. Before joining Graebel, Ron held a variety of roles managing IT, operations, client and vendor relations, quality performance, and planning and analysis. Ron is a veteran of the United States Air Force and has a Master’s and Doctorate in experimental psychology and statistics from Texas Tech University.

Shownotes

• How Ron’s upbringing, family history, service in the military and his education journey through psychology and statistics shaped him to be the leader he is today.
• The story of Graebel Companies and the incredible brotherhood relationship between Ron and CEO Bill Graebel.
• How Graebel Companies quickly planned to cut tens of millions of expenses and implemented that plan in 3.5 weeks after the COVID closures in March 2020.
• The family atmosphere of Graebel Companies has contributed to the unity among staff to take pay cuts so that the family can care for every person the best way possible.
• Ron speaks to the “loneliness at the top” because of the way a leader must make hard decisions that negatively impact people sometimes. In those cases, some people can judge the intentions of the leader making the decision.
• How to lead a culture based on truth, love and integrity.
• The value of compassion when people make mistakes and how to be authentic in the tough times.