Kevin Hancock is the CEO of our family business as well as an award-winning author and nationally recognized public speaker. For the last decade, Kevin’s written books, spoken nationally, and created content that fuels his website, The Business of Shared Leadership, where he invites any visitor to follow his blog for leadership inspiration. The mission of his personal website is to heighten RESPECT FOR ALL VOICES. If everyone on Earth felt trusted, respected, valued, and heard, what might change? Kevin believes that everything might change–and, most importantly, that the workplace can and must become a catalyst for this transformation.
We wanted to pull together some of his work featured on his website for our Hancock Lumber audience to enjoy. Take a look at the excerpts below and click through to listen or read the full interviews and/or articles. Thank you for joining our mission of shared leadership, dispersed power, and respect for all voices!
Work & Life with Stew Friedman
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Work and Life Podcast host Stew Friedman about the changes his leadership style and life underwent after losing his voice. Kevin shares how important changing way he approached leadership became and how strengthening the voices of others to help them find their true, authentic self became his life mission. He also talks about how Hancock Lumber has grown exponentially since sharing leadership and power in the organization. Kevin and Stew speak about the faults of having top-down management with power condensed at the top leadership.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
Employee-Centric Versus Capital-Centric Organizations with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Human Capital Innovations Podcast host Dr. John Westover about shared leadership and employee-centric organizations. They discuss the differences, benefits, and drawbacks of capital-centric organizations and how the shift to shared leadership has impacted Hancock Lumber.
“We have been at it for over a decade, so we have very good empirical evidence. Our performance in every category we measure took off. What’s so interesting is, the performance took off when we made the people in the company, not the company, the first priority.” – Kevin Hancock
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
The 7th Power – Shared Leadership with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Leadership Re-Imagined host Dr. Jane Lovas about his leadership philosophy and The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. They discuss how his leadership style changed from top-down to shared and dispersed power. He shares his story about how his leadership style so drastically changed and the business implications of this change. Kevin and Jane also discuss supply chains, buying patterns, and how Hancock Lumber hopes to challenge these norms.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
The Seventh Power – with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Being Human host Richard Atherton about his book The Seventh Power. They start by talking about how Kevin lost his voice and the journey that he undertook to Pine Ridge to find inner balance. He explains how this journey led him to the realization that other people’s voices are unique, others are capable of leading, and that leadership should be dispersed. Kevin and Richard also speak about how Hancock Lumber has flourished since his shift in leadership and how other companies can follow suit.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
The Breakfast Club Guest: Kevin Hancock
In this radio podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with The Breakfast Club host Mark about his career, his newest book, 48 Whispers, and his mission to empower and strengthen the voices of those around him. During Kevin’s life journey, he has adapted Hancock Lumber to create balance for the employees and ensure that their voices are heard in the company. Kevin also shares how he became involved with the Lakota at Pine Ridge and how this led to his idea of shared leadership.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
Success Made to Last
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with host Rick Tocquigny about shared leadership. Kevin describes how losing the full use of his speaking voice led him to Pine Ridge, where he discovered an entire community that did not feel heard. The two events convinced Kevin that each human is here on earth in a personal quest to find and share their own unique and never to be repeated voice. Unfortunately, across time leaders have done more to restrict the voices of others than to liberate them. Kevin takes these understandings and develops and deploys a new leadership model designed to push power out – away from the corporate center – and give everyone in the organization a leading voice. The result is a high performing corporate model in which business metrics soar as an outcome of a higher calling.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
Heart-Centered Sales Leader
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to host Connie Whitman about his book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. In his book, Kevin sharesthe philosophy, values and strategies Hancock Lumber Company has embraced on its journey toward becoming an employee-centric company. They also discuss the dangers of being a leader who micromanages a team and the effects this can have on self-worth, work ethic, and stress levels.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
Keep It Local Maine: Episode 29
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Keep It Local Maine hosts Kimberly and Todd Regoulinsky about his shared leadership philosophy and creating an employee-centric business model for Hancock Lumber. He shares the journey that brought him to this understanding and how important he feels investing in your employees is for the business and for the employee. He has created a culture where the leadership responsibilities are shared among everyone, meaning that solutions are coming from the people working inside the situations and not just upper management. Kevin can see the confidence that it helps build when everyone’s voice is respected, heard, and valued.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
We Need More From Business and It Starts With Listening
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with People At Work host Bev Attfield about his journey to finding an employee-centric business model and developing a workplace culture where everybody leads and every voice is respected, valued, and heard. Kevin shares how devastating feeling unheard can be, both in the workplace and in the community, and he has developed a way to embrace all voices at Hancock Lumber. By sharing the leadership responsibilities with everyone, Kevin has decentralized the power and spread it across everyone in the company. He shares the impact this has had, economically and socially, and how it can be utilized for any community, not just the workplace.
Click here to listen to (or read) the full interview.
We Believe in Shared Leadership
In this article, Kevin Hancock is interviewed about his progressive view on shared leadership. He shares how the lumber industry is often misunderstood and seen as outdated, but he says this is inaccurate. Everything from the technology inside the sawmills to the culture fostered at the company is modern and innovative. Kevin explains more about why the shared leadership, employee-first company model has been so successful.
“The company focuses on the employee experience, and in doing so, positions employees to really create a world-class customer experience.” – Kevin Hancock
Click here to read the full article.
Q&A: Company Culture, Productivity, and Retention: How Does Your Company Measure Up?
The Softwood Forest Products Buyer is reaching out to company leaders across the industry to solicit their input on key issues that impact overall business success. In this publication, Kevin Hancock shares his insights.
“Some organizations collect leadership power into the bureaucratic center, where a few people can make the majority of the decisions for the many. This is the traditional model of business—and government—leadership and, during a period of time in human history, this may have been optimal. But, that time has passed.
In the 21st century, organizations that disperse power, share leadership, and give everyone a voice are going to win because they recognize and celebrate the capabilities of everyone on the team. These types of cultures don’t see employees as expendable commodities whose purpose is to serve the company. In fact, these types of cultures flip the traditional script by recognizing that the company exists to serve the people who work there. In a great company, profit is an outcome of a higher calling. That higher calling is the celebration of the human spirit and human capacity. In this way, culture makes all the difference.” – Kevin Hancock
Click here to read the full article.
A Lesson in Leadership From the CEO of One of America’s Oldest Companies
In this interview, Kevin Hancock is asked specifically about his leadership style and how it differs from others. They also speak about how important your authentic voice is and why it is important to listen without judgment. Kevin highlights the importance of hearing voices besides your own, especially as a leader. By engaging others, their voice can start to be heard and they can become leaders as well.