0:00
/
0:00
Transcript

The Leadership Pendulum: Balancing Systems and Humanity

When the Hammer Meets the Heart: Lessons from an Interim CEO

Margaret's message came through unexpectedly.

"Здравствуйте," she began. "I wanted to write here because I don't know how quickly I can reach you. An investor and potential interim CEO is coming to Charlotte. He's been in the field of medicine and startups for a long time, and I'd really like for you to meet him. Do you have time on Tuesday? Maybe you have thoughts on who else he could meet while he's in Charlotte next week."

The timing wasn't ideal. Tuesday through Thursday, I'd be in Las Vegas. But I suggested Monday. We arranged to meet at 11:00 a.m. at Hygge, a co-working space near Uptown Charlotte.

Cole arrived with quiet confidence. A man accustomed to complexity, he spoke with the precision of someone who has untangled problems others avoided. He was there to stabilize, to build, to prepare for the next chapter of a company's journey.

We connected. An hour passed quickly. By the end, he invited me to lunch. The conversation spilled over, and I invited him to join me for a podcast conversation later that week.

A Conversation That Swings Both Ways

The morning of January 10th, before the winter storm rolled in, Cole and I sat down to record. The theme that emerged was clear: the delicate tension of leadership.

Cole framed leadership as a pendulum — an ongoing swing between systems and humanity. He called it "hammer and heart." Systems, metrics, and structure provide the foundation, the hammer that builds and refines. Humanity, relationships, and patience provide the heart that guides those structures with compassion.

"Some days, you need the hammer. Others, the heart," he explained.

This dynamic is vividly reflected in his work with Margik, a company pushing the boundaries of organic LED technology. Margaret, the founder, thrives in the lab, where her passion for research and development drives innovation. Cole's role is to create the operational foundation that allows her to focus. "If someone loves the lab," he said, "let them stay in the lab. Give them the freedom to excel."

At the same time, he recognizes the importance of aligning metrics with purpose, a lesson also highlighted in From Fire to Fuel: How Purpose Shapes Metrics, KPIs, and Decision-Making. Metrics, Cole noted, are like tools—they should serve the fire, not extinguish it. His work involves ensuring that KPIs reflect the company's broader mission rather than overshadowing it.

Hammer, Heart, and the Challenges of Leadership

Cole’s leadership philosophy isn’t abstract. It’s shaped by years of hands-on experience, including his time at JR Electronics, a family-owned company specializing in nurse call communication systems. The company wasn’t struggling, but its deeply rooted culture presented a unique challenge: how to introduce change in a way that honored its legacy. “The family had been running the company a certain way for so long that change was very difficult,” Cole explained. Instead of pushing for immediate results, he leaned into patience, observing the rhythms of the organization and building trust through small, steady improvements. Over three years, he worked closely with the team, growing the company while learning to see change as a conversation rather than a command.

This experience didn’t just teach Cole how to navigate tradition—it reinforced a broader truth about leadership. “Sometimes you have to slow down, to listen, to notice,” he reflected. “That’s where the humanity of leadership shows up—in the pause.” It was, as he described, a “wonderful time,” and a reminder that growth isn’t just about systems or speed, but about creating space for people to believe in the journey.

At Margik, the pendulum is swinging again, but in a different direction. Margaret's vision for organic LEDs spans multiple industries, from medicine to defense. It's an ambitious mission that risks stretching the company too thin. Cole's role is to guide this energy, creating sub-companies under the Margik umbrella to focus on specific markets. "It's like guiding a river," he explained. "You don't dam it — you channel it."

This delicate balance between structure and purpose echoes deeper truths about organizational life. Like the fire that pulls teams together in Purpose Before Team, the pendulum's swing between systems and humanity isn't just about management technique—it's about creating spaces where purpose can flourish. When Cole talks about "channeling the river" of innovation at Margik, he's really describing how to keep purpose alive while building the structures it needs to grow.

Finding Humanity in Leadership

Cole's health challenges have shaped his leadership profoundly. After enduring multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation, he found himself physically confined but mentally sharper than ever - an experience that fundamentally shifted his understanding of leadership. "Physically, I was falling apart. Mentally, I was at my peak and wanted to help companies," he reflected. Some clients moved on, seeing only the wheelchair, missing the mind behind it. This experience forced him to confront how easily we reduce people to their immediate capabilities, missing their fuller humanity.

The irony wasn't lost on him - a leader known for systems and efficiency, now having to advocate for his own humanity. "I was mentally so capable of helping these businesses, but physically just not able to," he shared. This vulnerability deepened not just his empathy, but his understanding of how systems and humanity must intertwine. Leadership, he learned, isn't just about what can be measured, but what can be felt.

In one manufacturing role, Cole prioritized listening to employees. He spent months understanding their challenges, incorporating their insights into operational decisions. "When people feel heard, they stop resisting," he said. "They become part of the solution."

This philosophy ties back to purpose-driven leadership. Whether creating systems or mentoring founders, Cole emphasizes the humanity behind every decision. "You can't lead purely by numbers," he reflected. "People aren't machines. If you forget that, you might hit your KPIs, but you'll lose your team."

The Pendulum's Lesson

Leadership, as Cole describes it, is more than a balancing act—it's a dynamic dance between structure and spirit, between the measurable and the meaningful. The pendulum never stops because growth never stops. Each swing between systems and humanity creates new possibilities, new understanding, new ways of keeping purpose alive.

For Margaret and Margik, the pendulum is in motion. Cole is building the foundation, guiding the company toward stability, while giving Margaret the freedom to focus on her passion. Their partnership exemplifies what leadership can look like when systems serve people, and people give life to systems.

But perhaps the deepest lesson lies in Cole's own journey. His path from systems expert to purpose-driven leader, shaped by both professional expertise and personal crisis, reminds us that leadership's greatest power comes not from perfecting either systems or humanity, but from the wisdom to know when each is needed.

Leadership isn't about finding perfect balance. It's about staying in motion, guided by purpose, swinging between hammer and heart as the moment demands. In this constant movement, we find not just effectiveness, but meaning—not just success, but transformation.

Our full conversation, rich with stories of resilience and insight, dives deeper into this dynamic. But one truth remains clear: in the space between systems and humanity, purpose finds its home.