ESOP & Culture Development: An Interview with Jon Lewis

We caught up with Jon to talk organizational management, culture creation, and the benefits of an ESOP structure to team dynamics.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity:

SHELBY: John, thank you for spending some time with me to talk about these management topics. Can you tell me a little bit about your team, how many people you directly and indirectly manage, as well as, the team set up?

JON: We're dispersed throughout the country, from Florida to Texas, Minnesota, Pacific Northwest, throughout California. We've got locations throughout the country.

I have about, just north of 200 employees. That roll up to me.

SHELBY: So what do you feel are the most important elements in developing effective teams and organizations?

JON: I would say, first of all, always keep everybody in the know. Communication is huge. It's important to keep everyone in the know without getting in their way. I've had good success without empowering others, always supporting their decisions.

Sometimes I may not agree with a direction or a decision, but I'll always support it. I'll always back it, and whatever the outcome is, if it's right or wrong, I'll always back that decision. And then, if it's continually a wrong decision, I'll have a conversation. But empowering people is super important.

Listening is big and really listening. You can listen but not really hear what someone's saying. That's big. I think really listening, asking questions, and not dominating in a conversation when you're listening to somebody, not coaching or teaching or interject, but just really listen. You can listen well by asking questions to really read behind or between the lines.

Sometimes people have something to say but don't really coming out and say it. I think listening is a huge part of showing compassion, to your folks, and really understanding people, showing a personalization -- not just keeping everything business but making it personal.

It's important to get to know people on a personal level. They're not just employees. They've got families, they've got issues.

I oversee north of 200 people. That's who I work for. All those employees, I work for them, and so it's like an upside down pyramid, bigger your title, that just means more people that you have to work for, that you support.

SHELBY: So, uh, when it comes to hiring, what kind of, what qualities do you look for in individuals before you add them to the team?

JON: I'm always very respectful of our culture. The company has a special culture built on some of the things I just said.

So I do take that in consideration. I never first look at how big of a producer they are, how much, how much income and volume they could bring to our company. I look at them as a person, if they fit our culture, if they would disrupt our culture or if they would bring value to our culture.

I really get to know them first. When I go out and meet with people or recruit others, I never talk about the company. We just get to know each other as people. I'm looking to see if we have like mindsets. Do I feel they would be a good fit for the company?

And then, whatever part of the country that they're gonna work out of, I make sure that's who is overseeing that, you know, whatever branch they would go into, or whoever they would work for. I make sure they're a big part of the hiring process, that they have a decision that they know. And then I'll be behind the scenes.

Egos can get in the way of sometimes of doing the right thing. So I make sure that they work well with others, that they respect others. I think our company is built on a lot of dignity and respect for each other. I never lose sight of that.

SHELBY: Has there been a specific person or people who inspired you to manage your employees the way you do? And what characteristics did that person display that you hope to replicate?

JON: Yeah, so it's a good question. I've had two. My dad was one, big time. My dad had a very high position in, in a big oil company.

And I was very impressed. I remember when I was growing up, he had a retirement party and there was just a tidal wave of people that were coming up to me, just telling me what a wonderful leader he was, how he changed people's lives, people that he didn't even know.

He, he didn't even know who some of these people were, because he had so many people that reported to him. Some people said, I never even really spoke to your dad, but his presence, who he was, what he did for this company, he helped change our lives.

I'd always watch him around people and how he responded to people and would always pick his brain. He's a huge influence to me, on how I'd like or try to emulate how he was.

And then there was a guy named Jerry Baker who was a CEO, retired now, of First Horizon, and then First Bank at Tennessee.

He was an amazing, amazing leader, overseeing approximately 7,000 people. He would work really hard at getting to know everybody. He never walked into a branch or a situation and not know everybody. He would study before he would go into a branch, so he knew everybody. He would personalize his visits. It never was, "Oh, here's this big CEO coming in." It was just a person coming in, just like them and he did such a great job of personalizing himself with employees.

SHELBY: So when it comes to coaching, how do you co go about coaching under performers and at what point do you know it's time to make a change?

JON: Yeah, so couple things with that. Sometimes you can have someone in the wrong position or wrong spot, where they're struggling at what they're doing, but they're trying and they're a hard worker. They're a good person. Their intentions are to do the right thing. Maybe they're just in the wrong position and that's on me.

I put 'em in the wrong position, so I try to find the right position. There's those that, you know, I will give the benefit of the doubt. Hang in there with them as long as they're trying, as long as they're making traction. And I if can see that movement, that traction, I'll hang in there with them. If they stop trying, if they just aren't getting forward traction and momentum because of the effort they're putting in, then I will have to make a hard decision.