Setting the Table for the Next Generation

Sean shared more of his story on the first episode of our newly-launched Sharpen Podcast! You can check out his episode here and keep an eye out for other inspiring conversations with our community members on the Sharpen Podcast page.

We talk a lot about our dreams for the next generation—the world we want our children to inherit, and the mindsets, tools, and values we hope will be carried on by those who come after us. Especially if you’re a parent or grandparent like me, I’m sure you’ve spent a great deal of time dwelling on and praying for the futures and growth of those you’ve raised and nurtured. And if you’re a business owner, chances are you feel much the same about your company and the employees you’ve mentored! (For more on that topic, check out this interesting comparison of parenting and business ownership from my colleague Steve Van Diest.)

When I think about how I can build up and support the next generation, I visualize the act of setting the table. During our brief stint on this planet and our short time in leadership, we have the opportunity to lay out a nice tablecloth, make sure all the utensils are there, give the cups and plates a shine, and then step back and trust that our children and grandchildren, mentees and team members, will show up and do something special with what we’ve laid out for them. We hope we’ve passed along all the tools they’ll need to create their own exceptional feast.

So what do we need to lay out for them? Simply put: we need to instill our children and successors with values that mean something.

My father was a part of the Greatest Generation, and as such he lived a life that was simply and plainly all about God, family, and country. He was also drawn towards the Jesuit attitude towards service, so when he started his insurance and employee benefits firm in 1960, those values were woven into the company’s fabric from the beginning. Maybe they were never explicitly articulated, but he instilled those values in me and my brother, and when we acquired the company from him in 1992 following his cancer diagnosis, we did so with the firm intention of honoring them.

Setting the table for the next generation is not all about resources, wealth, or opportunities; it is first and foremost about faithful values, habits, and mindsets. It is about leaning into and imparting sustainable and meaningful values that can be embraced and lived into by those who will follow in our footsteps.

Today, our company’s core purpose has been crystallized: “We exist to serve others for the greater glory of God.” The Miller Group has been recognized as a Kansas City Business Journal Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer time and time again over the years, and our clear and actively lived-out values are absolutely the reason the company is still thriving today. 

So how did we ensure our core values were understood and embraced at all levels within the organization—and how are we working to ensure they’ll be sustained even as the next generation steps up to take our place?

1. Overcommunication. As our work with the Table Group taught us, we had to clarify our values again and again, till we were blue in the face, till we were confident ever single team member was on board—and then we had to continue communicating them every day and through both words and actions, permanently shaping the very fabric of the company in ways that could not be easily undone over time.

2. Family. This may seem like a bit of a cheat code, but there’s no better way to maintain consistent values within a company than to transition its leadership within the family—relinquishing the helm to someone you’ve nurtured and instilled with core values on a deep and personal level, from within your very home!
   
   I want to be clear: values-based leadership can never really be passed on to someone based purely on the merits of their last name. They have to exceed expectations, as well. In my case, my brother and I gave each of our own children the opportunity to get a feel for the company. When my niece showed particular promise and interest, we had her spend time working in every unit of the business, mentored her closely, guided her through her first challenges, and then stepped back and watched her flourish. She is an exceptional CEO, and I could not be prouder or more confident that the Miller Group is in the right hands today. Our culture of faithful service lives on.

3. Picking the right people. If someone in your organization makes it clear they aren’t on board with your core values, it’s time to part ways. In fact, following one memorable experience with an employee who actively opposed our company’s culture and way of being, we adopted a values profiling system to use during the hiring process at the Miller Group. We also added one final, crucial step to guarantee employee alignment during the hiring process: the very last interview every new hire completes, no matter the level of their role, is with the CEO.

You can set the table for the next generation of your company by spending time instilling your successors with values that matter. You’ll make your business more profitable and easier to recruit into along the way, and who knows? It may just be plain good for your soul, as well.

Interested in how else you can work to set the table for the next generation? My experience with peer groups like Acumen has been beyond instrumental. Learn more about how Acumen can support you in your journey into a more intentional and impactful kind of leadership here.