Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
No one rises to the top alone, and no one leads an organization alone. Leadership is often portrayed as a solitary pursuit, a single visionary forging a path forward, but in reality, sustainable leadership is built on collaboration, shared purpose, and a collective commitment to doing what is right. When I first opened A.W. Companies, I understood that if we were going to build something meaningful, something lasting, it could not be driven by one person’s ambition. It had to be shaped by a team of leaders who shared a common vision and a common set of values.
Very early on, I gathered my key leaders together to define the core values that would guide our company. We did not want a list of generic statements that would sit on a wall or be recited only during onboarding. We wanted values that would be lived, values that would influence how we make decisions, how we treat each other, and how we show up for our clients and our communities. The result of that collaboration became the foundation of our culture: an acronym we call DAPPERS.
DAPPERS stands for:
• Do the right thing
• Always communicate openly
• Personal accountability
• Positive attitude
• Empowerment
• Respect
• Solution oriented
These seven principles are not just words. They are the lens through which we evaluate every decision at every level of the company. They shape how we hire, how we lead, how we resolve conflict, and how we celebrate success. They are ingrained in every facet of A.W. Companies, and they have become the heartbeat of our culture.
But values alone are not enough. They must be modeled, reinforced, and recognized. That is why we lead by example, why we provide tools that encourage personal empowerment, and why we reinforce these behaviors through our employee experience app, Recognize. When people see their peers living the values, when they are acknowledged for doing the right thing or for approaching a challenge with a solution oriented mindset, it creates a ripple effect. Over time, those ripples form a culture where leadership is not confined to titles. Leadership becomes something everyone participates in.
In many ways, that is the ultimate goal: to create an organization that leads itself.
The Two Values That Rise Above the Rest
While all seven DAPPERS values are essential, two of them stand above the rest for me personally: Respect and doing the right thing. These two values are the anchors that hold everything else in place. Without respect, communication breaks down. Without doing the right thing, trust erodes. And without trust and communication, no organization, no matter how talented its people, can thrive.
Respect: The Foundation of Effective Communication
Early in my career, my husband gave me a piece of advice that has stayed with me ever since. He said, “It is not what you need to say, it is how you say it.” That simple sentence changed the way I approached leadership.
Most problems in business are not actually massive problems. They become massive because of how they are communicated. A difficult message delivered with respect can strengthen a relationship. The same message delivered with indifference, frustration, or condescension can damage trust beyond repair.
Respectful communication is not about avoiding hard conversations. It is about approaching those conversations with empathy, clarity, and professionalism. It is about recognizing humanity in the person on the other side of the discussion. It is about understanding that tone matters, timing matters, and the medium matters.
One of the most important lessons I learned was this: never communicate bad news in an email. If you respect someone, you pick up the phone or you meet with them in person. Email strips away tone, nuance, and empathy. It leaves too much room for misinterpretation. When something matters, when someone’s job, performance, or dignity is on the line, you show respect by showing up.
This principle has become a nonnegotiable for me. It is my number one deal breaker. I have countless examples throughout my career where a problem that seemed complicated was resolved quickly and easily, simply because the people involved approached each other with respect. Conversely, when someone becomes indignant or dismissive, the path to a positive outcome narrows dramatically.
Respect is not optional. It is the price of admission for meaningful collaboration.
Doing the Right Thing: The Compass That Guides Every Decision
The second value that rises to the top for me is doing the right thing. It sounds simple, and in many ways, it is. Doing the right thing is often described as taking the high road, but I think it is even more fundamental than that. It is about integrity. It is about making decisions you can stand behind, even when no one is watching. It is about choosing the harder right over the easier wrong.
When I am faced with a difficult decision, I often ask myself a simple question: Would my mother be proud? And now, as a grandmother, I ask: If I told this story to my grandchildren, would they be proud of the choice I made?
This personal litmus test has guided me through some of the most challenging moments of my career. It does not mean the decisions are always easy. Doing the right thing sometimes means disappointing people. It sometimes means taking responsibility for mistakes. It sometimes means walking away from opportunities that do not align with your values.
But at the end of the day, doing the right thing allows you to sleep at night. It allows you to lead with confidence. It allows you to build a team that trusts you and trusts themselves.
I want every leader around me to feel empowered to make decisions they are proud of. I want them to know that if they choose integrity, they will always have my support. When leaders feel that kind of empowerment, they stop asking, “What will happen if I make the wrong choice?” and start asking, “What is the right choice?” That shift changes everything.
Creating a Culture That Leads Itself
The combination of respect and doing the right thing creates a powerful foundation for leadership. But when you layer in the rest of the DAPPERS values, open communication, personal accountability, a positive attitude, empowerment, and a solution oriented mindset, you create something even more powerful: a culture that leads itself.
A self driven organization is not one where leaders are unnecessary. It is one where leadership is shared. It is one where people feel ownership. It is one where individuals at every level understand the values, believe in them, and act on them without being told.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
• Employees hold themselves accountable because accountability is part of who they are, not something imposed on them.
• Teams communicate openly because transparency is the norm, not the exception.
• People approach challenges with solutions instead of complaints because they feel empowered to make things better.
• Positivity becomes contagious, not forced, because people feel supported and valued.
• Respect becomes the default, not something reserved for certain situations or certain people.
When these behaviors are reinforced through recognition, through leadership modeling, and through consistent alignment with company values, they become habits. And when they become habits, they become culture.
That is how an organization begins to lead itself.
The Power of Recognition
One of the most effective tools we use to reinforce our values is our employee experience app, Recognize. Recognition is not just about praise; it is about reinforcing the behaviors that matter most. When someone demonstrates personal accountability or approaches a challenge with a positive attitude, acknowledging that behavior publicly sends a message: This is who we are. This is what we value.
Recognition creates momentum. It encourages others to follow suit. It builds confidence. And it reminds people that their contributions matter.
In a world where many employees feel unseen or undervalued, recognition is not a luxury. It is a leadership responsibility.
Leadership as a Shared Journey
When I look back at the journey of A.W. Companies, I am reminded again and again that leadership is not a solo act. It is a shared journey. It is built on trust, respect, and a commitment to doing what is right. It is strengthened by open communication, accountability, empowerment, and positivity. And it is sustained by recognizing the people who bring those values to life every day.
DAPPERS is more than an acronym. It is the blueprint for how we lead, how we work, and how we grow. It is the reason our organization continues to evolve, innovate, and thrive. And it is the reason I believe so deeply in the power of values driven leadership.
When leaders lead by example, when they empower others, and reinforce the behaviors they want to see, they create something extraordinary: a culture where everyone leads.
And that is the kind of organization that does not just succeed, it endures.
