06. “Nice” Leaders Don’t Build Great Companies: Chris Seegers on Standards That Grow Teams

Business owners often look to optimize systems and processes to achieve big goals.

But as my guest today can attest, without a solid foundation in culture, systems and processes will only take you so far.

Chris Seegers is a long-time owner of multiple businesses that he has stewarded through major transitions and growth. In this conversation, we talk about how people, processes, and profitability are critical pillars to the value of a business and how intentionally designing systems to reinforce culture over time is key for long-term sustainability and success.

Chris Seegers is a business owner with a long track record of starting and buying companies and building them into successful, self-governed entities. He founded the Exceptional Companies family office and is an active owner in many different businesses and part of leadership teams that have raised and deployed over $650 million in investor dollars. Chris is a self-proclaimed “capitalist missionary”, and his heart is activating and equipping others to live exceptional lives. He has written two books, Buying Main Street and Selling Main Street, aimed at equipping ordinary people in the complex space of business transitions.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How systems reflect and support instilling and sustaining values and culture across organizations
• Why values need to be clearly defined and implemented with concrete benchmarks
• How the core pillars of people, processes, and profitability translate into a company’s valuation
• Why leaders need the humility to be wanted, but not needed in their businesses
• How clear expectations and processes for accountability drive results while maintaining relationships and building trust

Learn More About Chris Seegers:

• Exceptional Business Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-seegers-8a30161a

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated: https://www.talentelevated.org