About the Guest(s):

Paul Neveu currently holds the position of CEO at BPAs, a national provider specializing in retirement benefits, benefit plans, fund administration, and institutional trust services. With 17 years under his belt at the organization, Paul Neveu's journey has seen the company grow from 40 to 410 individuals, handling a monumental scale of 4500 retirement plans, $110 billion in trust assets, $1.3 trillion in fund administration, and over 620,000 participants. His career trajectory started at Price Waterhouse Coopers and followed through with a pivot into mutual fund wholesaling at Federated, now Federated Hermes. His approach to leadership is grounded in people and culture, embracing the value of intrinsic happiness among employees.

Episode Summary:

In this captivating episode of the podcast "Growing Your Business with People," Jeff Lackey introduces us to CEO Paul Neveu of BPAs. The show delves into the principles of creating a thriving workplace culture that extends beyond transactional leadership to one that nurtures, transforms, and delegates.

Jeff and Paul embark on an insightful conversation about transitioning from a "Doer in Chief" to a leader who empowers. They explore the metamorphosis required when stepping into the CEO role, emphasizing on cultivating a culture that isn't merely driven by directives but flourishes through collective creation and trust.

Paul shares anecdotes from his company that illustrate the bonding power of shared laughs and how impromptu moments can solidify team spirit. The notion of assuming good intentions, the importance of disarming conversations to confront and resolve workplace conflicts, and the nuanced distinction between wanting a job versus a career - all underscore the multi-dimensional approach to leadership at BPAs.

Key Takeaways:

An effective leader transitions from being a "Doer in Chief" to a culture curator by empowering employees and creating an environment based on meritocracy and intrinsic satisfaction.

Humor and authenticity are key elements in creating a cohesive and engaged workplace culture, demonstrated through company-wide events and spur-of-the-moment initiatives.

Disarming conversations are crucial when addressing conflict, allowing leaders and team members to openly discuss issues and assume good intentions.

Recognizing the continuum of what employees seek from their work – some desire a job, while others pursue a career – is vital for leadership to match tasks with motivations.

Admitting to failures and learning from them, with a focus on the company's mission-critical objectives, can guide future initiatives and collaborations.

Notable Quotes:

"If you spend time on enough time on the culture to cultivate it… culture isn't important, culture is literally everything." – Paul Neveu

"Thick-skinned meritocracy… we don't really care where the idea came from. We want to take the best ideas, let those rise to the top and shape them up together." – Paul Neveu

"Disarming conversations can bring peace. They can resolve what would have become Defcon five." – Paul Neveu

"There's nothing wrong with keeping the amusement park running by running the antique cars properly. There are jobs and careers in every company and I think we want to celebrate all of them." – Paul Neveu

"It's important when you're wrong, you just need to own it." – Paul Neveu