This article features an interview of Steve Casbon, Founder and Managing Partner of ADG. Steve lives with his wife and 3 boys in North Carolina.
TheAdvisor: ADG clearly comes from a place of large vision and large passion. Personally, what is your biggest passion in business as it relates to people. Steve: Helping someone do work they have been providentially designed to do is an amazing thing. I strongly believe that, when we create an environment where work roles and job descriptions uniquely align with those gifts, these individuals will not only be more content in the workplace, they will make a more significant contribution to the company. We make this a part of our strategy, our philosophy for doing what we do. The probability of systemic strategy succeeding when the team has buy in and ownership is exponentially higher. The results of such a philosophy improve retention and can’t help but impact the bottom line. We work to demonstrate how this philosophy is the right thing to do from a profitability standpoint AND the right thing to do as leaders who are responsible for a workforce and, ultimately, the families represented by that workforce.
TA: How do you implement Christ-like principles in a secular workplace without “crossing lines”?
Steve: We focus on universally accepted values and character traits. Whether an individual is a person of faith or not, a focus on values and principles naturally creates a situation where that individual can begin to operate as they were providentially designed to do. We believe we can make principles such as servant leadership and a commitment to integrity quantifiable. We aren’t just giving lip-service or regurgitating bumper-sticker anecdotes. Rather, we are weaving these principles into the fabric of every action and guideline we implement.
TA: What does ADG look like in 10 years?
Steve: Wouldn’t it be something if ADG’s companies were the premier places to work in America? What if everyone wanted to work for us? What if everyone wanted to invest in us? What would happen if our quality of product and services far exceeded any industry standard in the business culture? We wholehearted believe this is possible because of the Kingdom-Class mindset that permeates our team.
TA: Gives us a final thought related to that team you mentioned.
Steve: ADG brings together an exceptional team of leaders that have confirmed both the achievability of this vision and the necessity of its implementation. We believe that by instilling tried and true values and selecting companies already operating with said values, we could become one of the premier investment opportunities in America. The unique giftedness we seek to instill in team members comes out of the unique giftedness coupled with the integrity and servant mindset of this exceptional team of leadership professionals.
Click here to read more about Steve's background and experience.