MPW Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: What’s your biggest worry and how are you dealing with it? is written by Kim Lubel, CEO, chairman and president of CST Brands.
This year has been a year of breathtaking volatility in the equity and commodity markets. With stock quotes at the push of everyone’s fingertips, I worry that our employees will lose sight of the impact they are making on a daily basis. We are a strong and growing retail company with superior customer connections and great employees.
I admire how Warren Buffet speaks about the stock market daily.It’s like a voting machine, but in the long run, it’s like a weighing machine. I remind our employees as often as possible of all of the positive improvements they continue to make at our company. In the long run, I am confident that the weighing machine of the stock market will reflect their efforts.
Last November, we acquired the Nice N Easy convenience store chain in the Syracuse, New York area, which was founded by a convenience store industry legend John MacDougall. John used to preach to his employees his four rules for success in retail: Be Nice, Have Fun, Sell Stuff and Be the Best. Every time I speak to large groups of our employees, I end with these four simple rules. If we can focus on these, I know we’ll continue to bring value to all of our stakeholders.
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