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Brad is a leader who believes that genuine care for people is the foundation of effective leadership. This philosophy was shaped early on by his father’s words: “Leadership isn’t that hard. If you just truly, genuinely—because you can’t fake it—give a shit about the people who work for you, they’ll run through a brick wall for you.” While he’s not entirely sold on the brick-wall imagery, the sentiment stuck with him.
Throughout his career, Brad has built environments where trust, transparency, and mutual respect define the culture. His approach isn’t about hierarchy or authority—it’s about partnership. He believes that when people choose to work with him, it’s a two-way street, a relationship built on trust rather than transactions. That’s why he leads with honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to admit when he doesn’t have all the answers. His teams know they have the space to challenge him, to share ideas, and to bring their best.
His leadership style took on even deeper meaning during COVID, when he personally reached out to every employee, checking in not just on their work but on their well-being. Those moments, simple as they were, had a lasting impact on people who were struggling.
Beyond work, Brad invests in his team’s growth in unexpected ways—whether it’s helping younger colleagues understand personal finance, guiding them toward homeownership, or even teaching them how to plant a thriving Texas garden. People who feel valued, who bring their full selves to work, and who, in turn, help create something greater than the sum of its parts.
Brad’s belief is simple: Treat people as whole humans, not just employees, and they’ll bring their best to the company. But treat them as transactions, and don’t be surprised when they act the same way in return. His career has proven time and again that when leaders put people first, success follows.
Editor’s note: This is the twentyfirst in a series of guest posts where people from all walks of life share their best advice in times like these. A big thanks to the leaders who volunteered to share their life experiences. Reflection on the past is a deeply personal exercise. The willingness to share it with the world, especially in the written form, is a commendable act of vulnerability. For this alone, they have my deepest gratitude.
My Best Advice
Leadership isn’t complicated. It comes down to one thing: truly caring about the people who work with you. Not in a performative way, not because it’s a management trend, but because people can tell when you mean it. And when you do, they’ll give you their best.
That’s the lesson Brad learned from his dad, and it’s guided him ever since. Leadership isn’t about command and control—it’s about building relationships based on trust, transparency, and mutual respect. That means listening, sharing your own struggles, and making it clear that you don’t have all the answers. It means seeing employees as people, not as resources, and investing in their growth both professionally and personally.
Brad’s advice is simple: If you treat people as whole humans, they’ll show up for you and the team in ways that no amount of management techniques ever could. But if you treat them as replaceable cogs in a machine, don’t be surprised when they act like it’s just a job.
Leadership isn’t about getting people to run through a brick wall for you—it’s about creating an environment where they want to bring their best. Do that, and everything else follows.