by Julie Lineback
If you asked University of West Georgia President Kyle Marrero to use one word to describe Quint Studer, founder of the Studer Group, he would be quick to answer.
“Firestarter,” says Dr. Marrero. “He is a firestarter for igniting the flame in each of us to be the best that we can be and always act with urgency. You are here today because of a fire he started in me.”
Dr. Marrero invited Quint, who he identifies as a mentor, to speak at UWG on October 23, 2013. The session was titled "A Culture of Accountability: 5 Traits of High Performing Organizations."
Quint founded the private healthcare consulting group in 2000, after years of working at hospitals and developing a knowledge and passion for evidence-based leadership systems—connecting employee engagement and leadership development.
You could say he first encountered leadership excellence in grade school as a student with a hearing impairment. He told the story of Mr. Frye, his 6th grade teacher, who moved the young boy’s desk next to his for the school year.
“He put me in a safe spot,” recalls Quint. “I didn’t have to ask for help, he could give it to me without embarrassing me in front of the other kids. A good leader sets you up for success. A good leader puts you in the right spot to offer you help because a good leader wants you to be successful.”
That kind of leadership begins with teachers in school and continues with managers in the work environment.
The number one reason people quit their jobs isn’t because of poor benefits or lack of parking, he told faculty and staff who packed the Campus Center Ballroom. It’s because they don’t like their boss. According to a Gallup poll, he continued, the number one reason why people quit is that employees tend to feel their boss doesn’t care about them.
“Even if your boss does care about you, you might not know,” Quint says. “Sometimes bosses don’t have the right training or they get so busy. Research shows it takes three compliments for one criticism for someone to feel good about another human being.”
His ultimate goal, he says, is to help make companies and organizations greater places for people to work.
“I believe the key to a great organization is to have a great employee base and a great place to work,” he concludes. “If you have a great place to work, you have great leadership."
“Never underestimate the impact you’re having here. There’s nobody who’s not important.”
You can watch the video of Quint's talk here.
