A Workplace Reunion & Five Leadership Lessons Learned

Twenty-five years ago, I left Dallas, Texas and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. It was an exciting time for my husband and me, as he was pursuing his musical aspirations (a story for another day) and I was ready for this new adventure. I was keenly aware of what I was leaving behind; the best job of my career at Maxtron Corporation.

Now, to call my work at Maxtron the best job of my career is quite a statement, considering all my jobs have been great, especially my current one with BOK Financial.  In fact, in reflecting on my career, I would consider myself beyond lucky. For each position I’ve held, there was someone who believed in me and gave me an opportunity. What made Maxtron so great? Why was this the best job of my career? Twenty-five years later, I was about to find out. And, in the process I learned a new lesson about leadership.

This past Saturday, I was blessed to reunite with a few of my co-workers from Maxtron, including the Founder and President, Mack Hargrave. A small group of people who I haven’t seen since 1994, eagerly and excitedly gathered together to laugh, reminisce, and most importantly thank each other for the experiences that helped shape our professions. As I sat and listened to each memory shared and each word spoken, the “Why” Maxtron became clear.

As with many people, our jobs are an integral and often dominant part of our lives and when you are “in the trenches” together, you often form very strong bonds. However, this experience went beyond bonds. Yes, lifelong friendships were formed and I can truly say I have a great love for these individuals. However, just as important and perhaps unique, I have respect and admiration for all of them.

Mack Hargrave formed Maxtron, a small Dallas based manufacturer of printed circuit board assemblies and sub-assemblies. We procured the materials and assembled the product to customer specifications which spanned industries from telecommunications, entertainment, offshore oil & gas research and computer enhancements.

I was in my early 20’s when I first met Mack and still wet behind the ears. His willingness to give someone a chance to learn and grow, along with many other practices make up my Lessons Learned from this Workplace Reunion.

LESSON #1 – Hire for Potential - Not for Experience. This was Mack’s claim to fame and part of his legacy. We read about this concept all of the time and when an organization is up against tight deadlines and high demands, this concept is the first one to be challenged. Mack practiced recruiting for potential and taught it to everyone who worked for him.

LESSON # 2 – Build a Legacy. Building a legacy keeps you focused on the big picture and gives us a moral compass we can judge our own actions by. By striving to build a legacy, there was an undeniable selflessness amongst each and every one of us. It was a place of “WE” not “ME”.

LESSON #3 – Learn How to Fire Well. Mack had an entire company of superstars working for him all at the same time. This happened because of his ability to fire. I don’t just mean, fire for no reason or fire everyone who is not a superstar, I mean fire when the time is right and fire without fear. He did so with respect and dignity for the person being fired. He had no enemies and was transparent in his communication which built everyone’s trust.

LESSON #4 – Hand Out Assignments Bigger than Experience. Mack always gave us assignments far beyond our experience or means. I always knew he challenged me and I discovered, he challenged everyone. We were approached by Mack frequently with requests none of us thought we were capable of handling. Yet one by one, we delivered. (goes back to building a legacy)

Here’s what I embraced, early on in my career:   

-At 22 years old, I had produced my first ever financial statement on Lotus 123. One day Mack buzzed me over the intercom to join him in his office. As I walked in, I discovered 3 men dressed in their finest suits sitting around his conference table. He looks up at me and says, “Roxanna, please meet our Business Banking team. They have several questions about our financials and I thought you could lead us through the rest of the meeting.”

-A few short months later, he walked into my office and asked me if my father was part of a Union. I proudly said, “Yes sir, he was a member of the Boilermakers Union Local # 587.” His response was, “Great. Our assembly line workers have decided to join a Union and I don’t feel it’s the right direction to go in for us at this time. The first negotiation takes place tonight at 7 pm. I’ll rely on you to lead us and find a resolution that is acceptable to all of us.”

These are my examples, and my co-workers had just as many. One by one we told stories of performing beyond our experience and means.

LESSON #5 – Give Someone Purpose and Money is Less Relevant. I believe in earning a good income and providing for my family.  When reflecting on my earnings and those of my co-workers at Maxtron, I was surprised by how little I made and what I was responsible for. You see, I was in charge of A/P, A/R, Credit, Collections, Financial Statements, Tax Filings, Payroll, and all Personnel related items. My earnings were $21,000 per year, the equivalency of $36,186 today. I worked 12 hours per day, on average or 60 hours per week for that salary! Oddly enough, I never regretted the time I gave or the money I earned. I was focused on the experience I was gaining and the legacy I was leaving.

Why Maxtron?

The organization was formed by building a legacy and filled with people who had potential not experience. Everyone there had a purpose and were given the opportunity to be challenged and grow. The focus was “WE” and not “ME” and relationships were authentic. I trusted everyone and they trusted me. No doubts, no questions, just blind trust! Twenty-five years later on this beautiful sunny Saturday, I discovered I still blindly trust each and every one of those people and I know they trust me.