{"id":690,"date":"2025-05-09T11:18:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T16:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/philadelphia-pa-1200\/?p=690"},"modified":"2025-05-09T11:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T16:18:45","slug":"what-philadelphia-taught-me-about-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/philadelphia-pa-1200\/blog\/what-philadelphia-taught-me-about-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"What Philadelphia Taught Me About Leadership\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

… and Still Teaches Me Every Day<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I attended a leadership conference on Wednesday, and in a break between sessions, I found a table in Love Park (here in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love) and opened my laptop. It\u2019s a routine I\u2019ve repeated all over the city, more times than I can count, but this time, it was a beautiful spring day after a long winter, and I felt inspiration everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

People were crisscrossing the plaza, some on their lunch break, some snapping photos of the iconic LOVE sculpture, and others deep in conversation with colleagues. And for a moment, I just watched the rhythm of the city. A city I\u2019ve known my whole life.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a fourth-generation Philadelphian, this place is stitched into who I am.<\/strong> It\u2019s where I learned what it means to be part of a community. And more than that, it\u2019s where I learned how to lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the same values that shaped this city still shape how I run my business. They\u2019re not just historical footnotes; they\u2019re daily decisions. And whether you\u2019re from Philly or not, I think they might resonate with you, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Lead with Respect\u2026 The Heart of \u201cBrotherly Love\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia was founded on the principle of brotherly love. William Penn didn\u2019t just pick a nice-sounding name; he was serious about building a place where people treated one another with dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n

That idea stuck with me. Respect is the starting point of any good relationship, not merely the reward for a job well done.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In our company, that shows up in how we give feedback, how we disagree, and how we manage hard conversations. We assume good intent. We look people in the eye. We listen.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that doesn\u2019t stop at the office door. When we work with clients (especially small business owners who are spinning a lot of plates) we don\u2019t talk down to them like some other tech companies do. We aspire to grow those relationships into partnerships and even friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Make Space for Different Voices\u2026 Tolerance Was a Founding Feature<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the world built on the idea of tolerance: religious freedom, diverse backgrounds, and a mix of viewpoints. Penn believed those things made a city stronger, not weaker.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019d call that diversity and inclusion. And while I realize those terms have become a political hot potato in some quarters, within our office, it works to make us stronger. Having different points of view helps us understand our clients better and solve their problems faster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, our employees came together to define our company\u2019s core values. We didn\u2019t push it top-down; everyone weighed in. We settled on four \u2013 and one of them is diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

To me, that\u2019s not just about backgrounds. It\u2019s about thinking styles, work approaches, and ideas that challenge the norm. The best decisions we\u2019ve made as a company often came from perspectives that didn\u2019t match mine. And that benefits everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same goes for how we serve clients. We don\u2019t hand them a standard-issue solution and tell them to make it work. We listen first. We learn what makes their business tick. Then we adapt\u2014because their success depends on us understanding their perspective and pressures, not fitting them into an arbitrary formula.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Structure Should Help People Flourish\u2026 Not Box Them In<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia\u2019s city plan was revolutionary for its time.<\/strong> Penn laid out wide streets, generous public squares, and green spaces that made room for people to live well, not just survive.<\/span><\/p>\n

That always struck me. Structure wasn\u2019t there to control people. It was there to let them breathe, move, and thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Borrowing on this concept, we recently moved into new offices that give everyone a lot more space. The change has been dramatic. We also try to bring that same mindset to how we organize ourselves and our work. We have systems, yes; but they\u2019re designed to reduce friction, not add layers. Our processes aim to help people focus on doing their best work, not chasing status updates.<\/span><\/p>\n

We think the same way when we serve small businesses. If we\u2019re helping a company streamline operations or improve their technology setup, we\u2019re not just looking at efficiency. We\u2019re thinking about what gives their team more breathing room. What unlocks their ability to thrive and compete without constant firefighting? That\u2019s what structure should do, starting with technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Shared Responsibility Builds Stronger Teams\u2026 We\u2019re All Stewards of Our Culture<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia didn\u2019t just birth a nation. It showed what it looks like when people believe they\u2019re accountable to something larger than themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

I try to carry that forward in how I lead. In our business, we don\u2019t wait for permission to do the right thing. We encourage leadership at every level. You don\u2019t need a title to take initiative or improve something broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

Culture isn\u2019t built by the CEO alone. It\u2019s built by what each person does when no one\u2019s watching.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That same belief guides how we serve our clients. If something in a client\u2019s system looks off, we don\u2019t always wait for a service ticket. Once our monitors show something isn\u2019t working, we dig in. We speak up. We find a fix. Because that\u2019s how you treat a client relationship \u2014 not like a contract, but like a shared responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Summing Up: Your Business Is Part of a Bigger Story<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia isn\u2019t just a place. It\u2019s a mindset. It\u2019s a reminder that we\u2019re always part of something bigger<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As business owners, we often get caught up in metrics, timelines, and tasks. But we\u2019re shaping something much more lasting. We\u2019re shaping how people experience their workday. How they feel about their jobs. How they connect with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that includes our clients, too. When we do our jobs well, people feel less overwhelmed. Their systems run smoother. Their energy goes to big ideas, not daily breakdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n

So whether or not you\u2019re from Philly, I hope you lead with the kind of intention this city was built on. Because leadership, like a great city, is something you shape every day.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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