At DFW Leadership Series, Southlake CEO says, “Love Those You Lead.”
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by
Leslie Horn
Last week, the DFW Leadership Series hosted Roger Morgan, Founder and CEO of pawTree, a direct-to-consumer pet nutrition company he launched in 2014 that now has over 2000 sales representatives across all 50 states.
The DFW Leadership Series, sponsored by the Colleyville Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hosts regular events with insights from local business and government leaders.
Roger opened his remarks by talking about the vision he established for his company: “Our vision is to create a world filled with unconditional love, where pets and their people thrive.” His presentation was based on the idea of “How to Generate Power as a Leader.” He told a story from his childhood about how his father generated power in him and his brothers as he asked them to serve in the community by filling sandbags. Rather than bribing them with treats or telling them someone was expecting their help, he told them, “You are hard workers. I am confident that you can make a difference.” Roger learned from his father that to generate power in people, you need to inspire their hearts.
His message centered around three main concepts:
- Cast a vision that connects to peoples’ hearts.
- Love the people you lead.
- Lead by example.
Mr. Morgan, who also serves as the leader of a congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southlake, also emphasized the importance of loving the people you lead. He quoted Theodore Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” He asked the audience for their input by posing the question, “How do you develop love for those you lead in a business environment?” Answers included “seeing the people,” “acknowledging their strengths,” and asking them, “what is your passion?” then listening to their responses. He concluded the discussion by saying that “Love is the fuel that powers hearts.”
Roger talked about why leading by example isn’t just “good,” but it instills in people a sense of confidence, belief, and courage. When leaders live and act by the ideals they teach, they show what is possible and inspire others.
He concluded his discussion by presenting two fallacies of leadership.
- “Leadership is about your team.” The truth is, Morgan says, it’s about you. You set the vision and love those you serve. Only you can lead by example.
- “Leadership is shown in one-time, make or break situations.” He countered this fallacy by teaching that “leadership is about everyday, small and simple actions.”
All are invited to the next installment of the DFW Leadership Series on Thursday, November 17th. The speaker will be Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Southlake-based Gauge Capital, Drew Johnson. Drew will talk about how “There are No Secrets to Success, but There is a Formula.” The event will be held at 7:00pm at 500 W. McDonwell School Road in Colleyville, Texas. Visit the Series on Facebook here, and sign up to receive email updates and reminders here.
Leslie Horn is a writer, editor, fashion stylist, and Media Specialist living with her husband and teenage son in the Colleyville Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has a daughter in college out of state and a son serving a full-time mission in Quito, Ecuador.
