Since the covid pandemic began, businesses have been confronted with immense challenges. In 2020, the Fulfillment industry was tasked with operating in the midst of the crisis as an essential business. While millions of us, avoiding the pandemic, relied on fulfillment companies to handle our packages and products and get them delivered, the companies faced the enormous challenge of keeping their employees safe, and assisting their clients in dealing with a world turned upside down. It has been a time when great leadership is called for.
Now that we are beginning to see a return to normalcy, we can look at the functioning of business leadership during this crisis, and Inc.com has done that. In a recent article, the author states: “While leaders differ greatly in many respects, according to a new study from consultancy Potential Project that examined 5,000 companies in nearly 100 countries, all the best ones share one essential trait in common. Wisdom + Compassion = Exceptional Leadership.”
The article goes on to state, “When compassion and performance seem to be at odds, which should leaders focus on? According to the authors of the new Potential Project study, the answer to this question is what sets great leaders apart from mediocre ones. The research shows the best leaders refuse to compromise on either.”
We are so proud to state that AMS leadership has not compromised on compassion for our employees and has not faltered on performance for our clients. Our AMS safety series of blogs tell of the extraordinary steps taken to protect our employees, and our B Corp blog series covers the compassionate manner in which AMS listened to the employees when it became necessary to lay off staff. Guided by the employees themselves, honoring their requests, the company came through the crisis, and served both the employee and the client needs.
The above-mentioned article concludes with the following regarding successful leaders: “They might need to make tough choices, but they never let that reality desensitize them to the human impacts of those choices nor distract them from carrying out those tough choices in the most humane way possible. It’s a difficult balance, but the ability to strike it well is a hallmark of the very best leaders.” Read the full article HERE.
AMS Fulfillment is a B Corporation, dedicated to placing Purpose before Profit, and we are seeing, as the above article reinforces, that wisdom and compassion are the actual ingredients that create business success. It is a winning recipe in a changing world and our leadership is proving it, by its focus on workforce development, safety, environmental awareness and community involvement. Excellent service to our clients is the outcome.
Recently AMS Fulfillment was featured in the B Corporation newsletter in celebration of B Corp Month. In the article, AMS CEO, Jay Catlin, talks about our focus on training: “Offering paid courses during work hours allows all of our employees the opportunity for betterment. This has been a major step in equity at AMS.” Ken Wiseman, Chief Workforce Development Officer, is also quoted in the article: “Our challenge is to look within our company at areas such as retention, promotional opportunities, and performance coaching to make sure we are creating and maintaining equity in all areas.” Read the full article HERE.
Finally, in speaking of wisdom and compassion in leadership, the President of AMS West, Betty-Lou Wiseman, was featured by one of the members of our B Corporation family in an article celebrating International Women’s Day. Betty-Lou talked about how a fulfillment company reduces its environmental impact. Please click HERE for the article published by 5&Vine!
We celebrate purpose before profit as this is not only the humane way to live life, it is also a recipe for success. We live in a changing world and it is changing for the better. B Corporations are the evidence of that, and we are proud that our leadership has chosen to Be The Change.
