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Commentary

How CST Brands’ Kim Lubel is dealing with her biggest fear

By
Kim Lubel
Kim Lubel
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kim Lubel
Kim Lubel
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2015, 2:00 PM ET
www.joshhuskin.com
www.joshhuskin.comCourtesy of CST Brands

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.

Read all responses to the MPW Insider question: What’s your biggest worry and how are you dealing with it?

This is how top leaders in business overcome their fearsby Sandra Peterson, group worldwide chairman at Johnson & Johnson.

How this company is appealing to millennialsby Kathy Murphy, president of personal investing at Fidelity.

Why this CEO wants employees to speak up to leadersby Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup Latin America.

About the Authors
By Kim Lubel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
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