Sitting in a restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky this past week, I had one of those moments that remind you why you do what you do — why the Champion Them movement exists.
Across from me sat Robbie, a fourth-generation CEO whose family has led their company since 1888.
We met by pure chance. The hotel I was staying at was hosting an industrial cooperative (IDCO) conference — a gathering of leaders in the hose and rubber industry.
On paper, that world couldn’t be further from mine in IT and organizational transformation. But as I listened to these leaders speak, one truth became clear:
No matter the industry, the mission is the same — to learn, grow, and bring that growth home to champion your people.
And that’s when Robbie entered my story.
He didn’t walk in wearing his title. He walked in wearing humility.
I had no idea he’d just stepped off the keynote stage or that he was a CEO — I only knew that the man who sat beside me was a leader worth listening to.
Leadership From the Floor, Not the Office
As we started chatting, I asked the question I ask almost every leader I meet: “How do you lead?”
Robbie smiled. “Whenever I visit one of our facilities,” he said, “I don’t go to the office. I go straight to the warehouse floor.”
Why?
“Because that’s where my most valuable resource works — my people.”
He doesn’t start with strategy meetings or executive briefings.
He starts with conversations.
He walks the floor.
He listens.
He observes.
He asks.
He knows leadership doesn’t live behind a desk — it lives where the work happens.
That’s “Champion Them” in motion:
Lead with presence, not position.
Listen before leading.
Value contribution over title.
His people follow him not because they have to… but because they want to.
That’s the difference between compliance and commitment — and it’s everything.
A Clash of Cultures
But Robbie’s leadership is being tested.
His century-old company, built on family values and trust, is now under the influence of private equity. The investors see scale, structure, and profit potential — but they question whether Robbie’s “hands-on” style fits their vision.
“They think I might not be the right CEO for the next phase,” he said quietly. “They want someone more… strategic.”
Imagine that.
A company thriving since 1888, now being told that the very leadership philosophy that built its legacy — a CEO who champions his people — might no longer fit the model of “modern success.”
It’s a clash I’ve seen too many times: when culture meets capital, and humanity risks being replaced by metrics.
But here’s the truth — you can’t spreadsheet your way to trust.
The Four Rules That Shaped a Champion
Then Robbie shared the greatest lesson he ever received — a piece of wisdom from his father when he took over the company:
“Son, remember these four rules and you’ll be successful.
Pay your mother and I first.
Pay your employees.
Pay your partners.
If there’s any money left, you can pay yourself.”
At first, it sounds like a simple life lesson — a father passing down financial wisdom. But beneath the surface, it’s a blueprint for Champion Them leadership.
It’s servant leadership distilled into four timeless principles.
1️⃣ Pay Your Mother and I First — Honor Your Roots
This isn’t about money. It’s about gratitude and grounding.
Championing begins by honoring those who believed in you before anyone else — the people who invested in your potential when you had none to show.
Why it matters:
Gratitude keeps leaders authentic. It reminds you that leadership is borrowed — a privilege, not an entitlement. You can’t champion others if you forget who championed you first.
2️⃣ Pay Your Employees — Take Care of Your People
Your employees are your organization’s heartbeat. They deliver the promises you make, weather the storms you can’t control, and bring your strategy to life every day.
Champion Them principle: “People before process.”
Why it matters:
When you champion your people — with trust, clarity, and respect — you don’t have to demand excellence. You inspire it.
3️⃣ Pay Your Partners — Lead With Integrity
Leadership doesn’t end at your org chart’s edge. It extends to every partner, customer, and stakeholder you serve.
Champion Them principle: “Build allies, not transactions.”
Why it matters:
Integrity isn’t just moral; it’s strategic. The most successful leaders are those others want to work with again — because they honor commitments and keep their word.
4️⃣ Pay Yourself Last — Lead With Service, Not Ego
This one stopped me.
In a world obsessed with status, speed, and self-promotion, Robbie’s father taught the opposite: serve others first, and success will follow.
Champion Them principle: “Lift others, and you’ll rise with them.”
Why it matters:
Great leaders understand that leadership is stewardship. You don’t lead to be seen — you lead to create something worth seeing.
The Champion Them Mindset in Motion
Robbie’s story is the “Champion Them” philosophy personified:
He shows up where his people work.
He listens before he leads.
He honors trust before taking credit.
He measures success in culture, not quarterly reports.
That’s what makes him a great leader — not because of his title, but because he lives this truth:
Leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about being in service.
When leaders live this way, people don’t just follow — they flourish.
They feel seen.
They feel safe.
They feel championed.
The Lesson
That conversation in a Kentucky restaurant reminded me of something simple but profound:
Leadership doesn’t scale through process. It scales through people.
When leaders choose to “Champion Them”, they create cultures that no strategy or system can replace.
Because as my friend Christine Aboud, CEO of St. Michael’s Learning Academy and founder of the SAP Veterans to Work Program, always says:
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
And leaders who champion their people?
They’re the ones who serve the breakfast — every single day.
💡 Final Thought
Every leader faces the same choice:
Manage tasks, or champion people.
The first builds compliance.
The second builds commitment.
And in the long run, commitment always wins.
🟨 The Champion Them Takeaway
True leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room — it’s about creating a room full of people who feel safe enough to be brilliant.