Addressing criticism, overcoming a bad day. These are situations all leaders face, but for Christian business leaders, it means facing these issues with integrity and honesty. Michael Stanford, the President of Sharp Iron Group talks about how he and his team face these issues in the workplace; the six Leadership attributes that they measure themselves against; and what it takes to lead a company of professional craftsmen.

About our guest: Michael has been at the helm of Sharp Iron Group, a privately held contract manufacturing company in Wichita Falls, TX, for the past 7 years. Before that, he worked in the aerospace industry for over 15 years in various management roles. He has been married for over 23 years to his high school sweetheart, Francie. They have 2 children: Madeline is an education major at Midwestern State University, and Riley is a senior at Iowa Park High School in Iowa Park, TX.

You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-stanford-13352136/

Michael mentioned the 6 Leadership Culture Attributes that they focus on at Sharp Iron Group.  Not only do these get listed in every senior manager’s annual goals, but they also review them as a team each year and score themselves (as a team) on each attribute.  Michael added "If we do these things consistently, we’ll be positively influencing the organizational culture.  However, the inverse is also true… if we are NOT doing one of these things consistently, we may be negatively influencing the organizational culture.  There is no “neutral” 😊"

1. Tell the truth.  Simplest of all, but often the most difficult.  Truth will eventually find you.  An honest person doesn’t have to remember what they said.
2. Be humble.  Arrogance is the destroyer of respect. It’s not about thinking less of yourself, but more of others.  Show preference to others.
3. Trust others.  Trust is a choice.  Overcoming fundamental attribution error is the KEY to unlocking group potential.
4. Communicate often.  There is no such thing as “perfect communication”... it is subjective.  When in doubt, communicate some more.
5. Own your issues.  Consistently taking your share of the blame, plus a little bit more, will be noticed and appreciated (and it rarely costs youanything).
6. Be dependable.  Dependable people become the backbone of an organization whether they are in formal leadership roles or not.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

As a Christian leading a business, the unchurched who are in your organization may very well see you as their pastor. Brian Mosley, with RightNow Media expands on that thought and much more in this episode of True North Business. Brian shares how they really became transparent in building their team culture and how it has grown each year, as well as some of the growth struggles their organization has faced in his 20 years of leadership.

Brian mentions a free gift on the podcast. To take advantage of his offer, go to rightnowmediaatwork.org/finish-acuff

About our guest: Brian serves as the president of RightNow Media. His passion is to help people live out their faith in their neighborhoods, offices, schools, homes, and around the world. The 180 people at RightNow Media serve over 22,000 churches, ministries, and Christian business owners with powerful video content that inspires people to action. Brian graduated from Baylor University and then married his high school sweetheart, Julie. They have four kids, Abby, Grant, Ashley, and Tristan. They worship and serve at Allen Bible Church where Brian is also an elder.

You can connect with Brian on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmosley/

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

The next generation of young professionals who will be leading in business in the coming years are the same people who are leaving the church in massive numbers right now. Meet David Roth with Workmatters who is doing something about it. He will share how he feels he missed such an opportunity in the first twenty years of his professional life by not integrating his faith and work. He has lots of great insights to share on this episode of True North Business.

About my guest: David Roth is president and CEO of Workmatters, a national nonprofit organization founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2003 whose 2018 vision is to equip 1,000,000 leaders of faith in 10,000 companies by 2025. After two decades working in public company leadership roles, Roth’s passion for integrating faith and work led him to join the founding Board of Directors of Workmatters, a church-based marketplace ministry. Eighteen months later, Roth became the Founder and first employee of Workmatters, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Prior to leading Workmatters, Mr. Roth served in sales and marketing leadership roles in J.B. Hunt Transport, Manugistics and American Software, both supply chain management software providers, and McKesson Corporation.

Connect with David Roth on LinkedIn

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

Leadership can be as simple as identifying good leaders and emulating them according to my guest Dr. Dusty Johnston. Dusty is the president of Vernon College with campuses in Vernon and Wichita Falls, TX and he continues to be a student of great leadership.

After 43 years in education, he has some terrific insights into what leadership is, and he has taken the time to craft his own personal mission statement that you will want to be sure you hear in this episode of True North Business.

About my guest: Dr. Dusty Johnston has served as President of Vernon College since March 2009. Before coming to North Texas, he served for over 12 years as President of Ozarka College and served as a Vice President of Rich Mountain Community College and Howard College.   He firmly believes that education and training provide people the opportunity to improve their lives.

Dusty has been married to his wife Susie for 12 years, and together, they have four grown children and several grandchildren. His hobbies include welding projects, Team Roping, church activities, and helping young people, as well as travel and relaxing by the pool at home.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

If you grew your organization by over 30%, had 800 employees and $30 million in revenue, you might think you had overcome a lot of challenges. But when your workforce is 75% handicapped and you realize that the unemployment rate for handicapped individuals is 49%, you realize there is a lot of work left to be done.

I hope you will join me as I visit with David Toogood, CEO of Work Services Corporation (WSC), a non-profit organization that focuses on opening work opportunities for handicapped individuals.

From food service to making paperclips, WSC fulfills government contracts and continues to develop new opportunities. David shares many of the leadership insights he has learned at WSC and through his unique workforce.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

About my guest:

David Toogood, CEO of Work Services Corporation, possesses a wealth of experience in organizational strategy and design, operational analysis, and corporate leadership skills. His leadership is central to the company’s reputation as a quality provider of federal and commercial services and manufacturer of specialty products.

Driven by David’s vision of continuous improvement and inspired by his authentic and collaborative leadership approach, the company tackles the challenge of delivering quality while simultaneously achieving its non-profit mission of employing people with severe disabilities. By keeping a keen focus on people, building a healthy culture, and leveraging modern training tools and techniques - David’s efforts have led his team of over 800 employees to achieve top customer reviews while empowering those members with disabilities to grow and gain personal independence. For two of the last five years, the company’s flagship food service operation won awards for best service Air Force-wide. David successfully led the company’s revenue to grow by 30%, created 200 job new opportunities, and expanded into 2 new lines of business.

“Never underestimate what the human spirit can accomplish,” says Toogood. With over 25 years of experience instructing and leading some of our nation’s most talented airmen in fighter aviation and leading his team at Work Services Corporation, David has unique insight into human capacity and how to optimize a team’s performance.

With the complexities of both the federal acquisition process and government disability programs, David has become an active participant in the legislative process by testifying in state committee hearings and working with congressional representatives to improve programs. David is also active in his community serving as the Vice President of the Wichita Falls Economic Development Corporation where his insight has helped the city retain and attract businesses with the objective of achieving economic impact through job growth. David also serves on the Texas Governor’s Committee to Support the Military where he helps legislators understand and act on the needs and issues facing military installations in the state.

Previously, David was an officer in the US Air Force where he provided oversight for aviation programs for the Defense Contract Management Agency, directed classified aviation technology programs for the USAF Warfare Center, served as an Inspector General, and held the post of US Senior National Representative to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program where he liaised with representatives from 13 partner nations to develop and implement the successful international aviation training program used today. David earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from the US Air Force Academy and holds a master’s degree in Aviation Systems Safety from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is an active member and participant in the National Council of SourceAmerica Employers.

David lives in Wichita Falls, Texas, and is the proud husband of an entrepreneurial wife and father of five children.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

Forty years ago, kids with Cerebral Palsy had few rehabilitation services available to them, and those services were beyond their family's means. Leaders stepped up and the first in the nation Ranch Rodeo was formed and now has raised over $4 million dollars. In this episode, Mike Castles, President and CEO of North Texas Rehab Center tells the story of the cowboys, how he has learned leadership, and following through on what the Lord tells you.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

About my guest: Mike Castles

Born in 1947 in Wichita Falls Texas, Mike graduated from Rider High School in 1966 and the University of Houston in 1970 where he was a member of the golf team. Mike served in the Army and Air Force Reserves and was active duty 1971-73 at the Defense Language Institute.

Mike owned and operated a golf driving range while in high school, and later a tropical plant business in Dallas. He and his wife Kenda worked part time for ABC Television on their golf telecasts during and after college. They also operated convenience stores in Wichita Falls until he was hired as President/CEO of North Texas Rehabilitation Center in 1991. Kenda passed away in 2013. The family consists of a daughter, two sons and their wives, ten grandchildren and one great grandson. Mike and several of his family members attend Grace Church.

His primary goals in life are to serve God by being a loving family leader, treating others with respect and grace, and leading others to the Lord by example and encouragement.

The North Texas Rehabilitation Center has a 69-year tradition of improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Established in 1948, the North Texas Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit outpatient facility that provides quality medical and educational rehabilitation services to children and adults with disabilities in 23 counties of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. You can find them online at http://www.ntrehab.org/

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

Developing leaders for over 25 school campuses is just one of the many jobs for Mike Kuhrt, Superintendent of the Wichita Falls Independent School District in Texas. With so many campuses, Mike talks about how he starts planting seeds with employees who really don't see themselves as leaders, but he does.

Additionally, Mike shares stories of knowing God had him in the right place at the right time for the unexpected outcomes when he led one school district through the aftermath of a hurricane, only to move across the state and face near disaster following a flood.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

About the guest: Michael Kuhrt is the superintendent of the Wichita Falls ISD in Wichita Falls, Texas. A superintendent since 2004, Mike has led three diverse Texas school districts. He has been instrumental in improving instructional practices, classroom technology environments and community perception to garner support for bond and tax referendums. His staff routinely presents at early learning and technology conferences around the country and Wichita Falls ISD is recognized as a Google Reference District. Mike is a member of AASA’s Early Learning Cohort and on the TASA Executive Committee.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

Transitions and change initiatives are two of the key times when Leadership is proven. Whatever size organization you lead, when it comes time for change, if things don't go well, you can usually point to a leadership failure. My guest on this episode is Jason Turner who serves as Vice President — Talent and Growth Initiatives at ArcBest, a global logistics company headquartered in Fort Smith, AR.

In this episode, Jason shares what's winning in the workplace to attract and keep the right people on your team.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

The ArcBest websites mentioned by Jason Turner are:

www.arcb.com and the jobs site is jobs.arcb.com.

Another way to connect with Jason Turner is through his LinkedIn profile at:

http://linkedin.com/in/jason-turner-91b91013

More about my guest: Jason Turner: Vice President — Talent and Growth Initiatives at ArcBest

Jason previously served as Chief Operating Officer of ABF Logistics, an ArcBest company, from January 2015 to July 2016. He was President of the Albert Companies, an ArcBest subsidiary, since 2009 where he led Albert’s moving and storage brands. Before joining ArcBest, he held several leadership positions in manufacturing and utilities, leading numerous quality and change management initiatives.

Mr. Turner has served on several trade association boards and committees and with nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Turner earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Northwestern State University and a master’s degree in business administration from North Texas University.

ArcBest helps keep the global supply chain moving. United as ArcBest, the company leverages a full suite of shipping and logistics solutions to meet the critical needs of customers. Through less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight®, the Panther Premium Logistics® fleet and a growing network of over 40,000 capacity providers across North America, ArcBest offers ground, air and ocean transportation, as well as offering fleet maintenance and repair services through FleetNet America® and household goods moving through U-Pack®.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

Bringing your faith and your work into one vision to glorify the Lord is what we talk about in this episode of True North Business. I really enjoyed talking with Jim & Martha Brangenberg, who lead several ministries, the primary one I Work For Him (iwork4him.com). They share how they searched for many years for what God had planned for them and now help Christians across the country live out their faith at work.

Jim and Martha have found many Christians, as I have, who believe they operate in two different worlds - one at work and the other at church. That is not the way God designed us, and I hope you will join me to hear great stories about people coming to understand this important principle better after visiting with the Brangenbergs.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

There is mention at the end of this show of an offer for a free book. The number to call for the free gift is (866)713-9675.

More about my guests: Jim and Martha Brangenberg committed their lives to full-time ministry as teenagers and later recognized that their workplace answered that call. As entrepreneurs and business owners, Jim and Martha learned their work was significant in the Kingdom of God and able to reach people who would never set foot in a church. Since 2013, Jim and Martha have co-hosted the iWork4Him Talk Show challenging thousands across the globe with the simple message that your workplace is your mission field. They have recently added podcasts for iRetire4Him and sheWorks4Him into their line-up. In addition to the podcasts and radio spots, speaking, and mentoring, they have co-authored the collaborative books of iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him. Learn more about Jim, Martha, and iWork4Him at www.iWork4Him.com.

More about your host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com

You might think that attaining jobs with two different governors would make you feel you are a leader, but my guest John Esparza shares how he learned so much at every step of his career by being in the company of other strong leaders. John overcame obstacles in his life, including losing his father while still a teenager, but was able to rise to very high-ranking positions in and around government.

You can listen to and follow True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts.

About my guest: John D. Esparza, a graduate of Texas Tech University in Lubbock and a sixth-generation native of West Texas, serves as president and CEO of Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) and Executive Director of Southwest Movers Association (SMA). TXTA, one of the largest trucking associations in the nation, was established in 1932 in Austin, while SMA got its start in 1917. Prior to becoming TXTA president, Esparza worked for both the Gov. Rick Perry and Gov. George W. Bush administrations holding both policy and political management and advisory positions. He has served on the Texas Energy Task Force, the Texas Panama Canal Stakeholder Work Group and the Texas Proposition 1 Special Committee on Transportation Funding. Esparza continues to serve on the Texas Transportation Commission’s State Freight Advisory Committee and the Texas Border Infrastructure Planning Committee. Esparza serves on the executive committee as the immediate past chairman of the PrePass Safety Alliance, an Arizona-based premier non-for-profit, public-private partnership whose mission is to improve highway safety and efficiency through technology. He was appointed by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to the Household Goods Advisory Group. He also serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Texas Tech University Research Park (TTRP) in Lubbock where he is the manager of the TTRP Venture LLC fund. He is a former member of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2012. John and his wife Leah, a private school administrator, reside in Southwest Austin and have three sons; Jake Pecos, a junior and Josh Brazos, a sophomore, both at Texas Tech University. Jack Sabine is a high school senior attending St. Michaels Catholic Academy in west Austin.

About the host: Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby sold his business to a publicly-traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  

Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored:

Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job,

True North Business: A Leader’s Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and

The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America?

Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com