Not many 27 year olds have the opportunity to take over as CEO of a multi-million dollar company, but Cody Hewitt was up to the task. In two years under his leadership revenues have doubled and he attributes much of that success to a focus on culture and even using the word LOVE in the construction industry. He set out to create a company where employees would be proud to say they worked and not only has that vision become a reality, but his employees have even become his best recruiters by selling that vision to prospective talent. -Hear how Cody took employee input from a Cultural Values Assessment to shape the future of Hewitt Young -How they're working to enact their culture through storytelling and alignment of values with strategic initiatives -Building culture in a unionized environment and the shift toward Conscious Capitalism in the construction industry Cody is dedicated to his career as CEO of Hewitt Young Electric, where he instills his expertise in electrical construction, his positivity, and motivation to succeed in every individual. By taking the serving leader approach to his mentorship Cody has worked diligently to transform the culture at Hewitt Young to an efficaciously prosperous environment, leading to recognition as a 2019 Top Workplace. Cody is an avid volunteer in the community where he has worked many events and raised money for those in need. Though his continued dedication to his work, Cody has made a positive impact on the lives of those around him.
[1:10] Founding of Hewitt Young Electric by Cody's Father and his father's cousin
[2:10] Cody's reluctance to join the family business
[3:35] Starting at the bottom and building an interest in the business
[6:00] Taking over as CEO in 2017 at age 27, building trust as a serving leader
[8:15] Cody's succession plan discussion with his father
[10:30] Employee pride as the inspiration for an EVOLution to Conscious Capitalism
[14:30] Focusing on values to get started on the journey to Conscious Capitalism
[16:20] Enacting values through storytelling
[21:15] Taking a Cultural Values Assessment to crowdsource the Hewitt Young values and create employee buy-in to create that culture
"If we're going to focus on our people and believe that we have the best people, then why wouldn't we take their input and use it to shape our future."
[27:00] 10-year vision for Hewitt Young
[28:00] Focusing on culture and using the word LOVE in a construction company
[31:20] Spreading love throughout the organization and creating alignment at all levels
[34:20] Building culture with a unionized workforce
[36:30] Creating an incentive program that aligned with vision and values
[37:30] Unlimited vacation policies and encouraging people to take MORE vacation
[41:10] Being "all in" when at work, "all in" when at home and "all in" when on vacation
[43:00] A shift toward Conscious Capitalism in the construction industry
"You look at the companies that are thriving. You look at the impact they're having on the community and the impact they're having on their people. And they're doing these things."
[46:00] Overcoming resistance to Conscious Capitalism among fellow business owners
[48:30] Short-term costs with long-term benefits to culture
[50:45] You know you're doing something right when your employees become your best recruiters
[53:00] Recommended books
Everybody Matters, Bob Chapman
Chief Joy Officer, Richard Sheridan