The Kitchen Table

Stop Chasing Numbers: Build a Culture That Lasts | Leadership Expert - James Shin

Episode Summary

James Shin, author of "The Leader's Soul" and former 20-year Caterpillar executive, joins Ken Baden to discuss why integrity and compassion trump strategy in modern leadership. James shares his journey from South Korea to leading plants in America's Deep South, revealing how a people-centric approach consistently delivered sustainable results. He introduces the PQVC framework (People, Quality, Velocity, Cost) that flips traditional business priorities, and explains why getting to know your team on a personal level isn't just nice—it's essential for success. James addresses the challenges of leading younger generations, the importance of learning from mistakes without quitting, and why building long-term culture matters more than hitting short-term numbers. His practical wisdom, drawn from decades of real-world leadership experience, offers a refreshing alternative to the metrics-obsessed management style dominating today's business world.

Episode Notes

Guest Introduction

James Shin is the author of "The Leader's Soul: 52 Reflections for Unlocking Your Inner Leader" and founder of a leadership consulting practice. Originally from South Korea, James immigrated to the United States 31 years ago to pursue his PhD at Penn State. He spent 20 years at Caterpillar, moving seven times within the company and holding various leadership positions including Plant Manager and Supply Chain Manager. His last corporate role before starting his consulting business was with Cabinet Works Group. James is based in Houston, Texas, and is passionate about people-centric leadership that creates sustainable, long-term results.

Key Topics Covered

The Foundation: Integrity and Compassion

• Integrity defined as consistency between what you say and what you do
• Compassion = Empathy + Action (desire to help)
• These two characteristics are more important than strategy or results
• Without consistency, organizations become toxic
• Leaders must demonstrate these qualities, not just talk about them

The PQVC Framework

• Traditional business prioritizes Cost first
• Flip the priority: People → Quality → Velocity → Cost
• When executed in this order, sustainable results are guaranteed
• People-first approach leads to better quality, faster delivery, and lower costs
• This framework creates loyalty beyond transactional relationships

The PDCA Approach

• Plan → Do → Check → Act
• Shows consistency in how you think and execute
• Transforms responsibility from leader-only to team-wide
• Creates group mentality and shared ownership
• Prevents leader from being the sole decision-maker

Leading by Example

• You cannot hold people accountable to standards you don't meet
• Example: Leaders who aren't present on Saturdays can't demand Saturday work
• Being late yourself undermines your authority to address lateness
• "Do as I say, not as I do" is a failed leadership approach
• Actions speak louder than mandates

Personal Investment in Team

• Meet with people regularly (not just your direct reports)
• Ask about their personal goals: weight loss, home buying, family plans
• Understand what they like and don't like about the business
• This opens trust and creates genuine connection
• But don't make it mechanical—keep it authentic

The People-Centric Philosophy

• Plant manager example: Going to shop floor daily wasn't required, but built trust
• People came with problems first, then with problems AND solutions
• Corinth, Mississippi story: Concerns about foreigner in Deep South proved unfounded
• "People are people"—universal principle across cultures and backgrounds
• Sustainable long-term results come from investing in people

Challenges of Leading Younger Generations

• Leadership is tougher now due to entitlement and social media distractions
• Different work ethic than previous generations
• Older employees rarely call in sick; younger ones struggle with consistency
• However: Young people can dominate "just by showing up and doing what they're supposed to"
• Opportunity exists for those willing to be reliable

Mistakes and Learning

• Making mistakes is inevitable in entrepreneurship and leadership
• The only real failure is quitting
• Biggest mistake: Not learning from your errors
• Success comes from treating mistakes as lessons learned
• Jim Thorpe example: Shoes stolen before Olympics, won two golds in mismatched shoes—didn't quit

Long-Term Culture vs. Short-Term Goals

• Dangerous to fixate only on short-term quarterly goals
• Need to balance: Short-term actions within long-term vision
• "What does good look like?"—keep that vision alive
• 2008-2009 financial crisis example: Short-term actions necessary, but maintain long view
• Dissect failures: Internal factors vs. external factors
• Share analysis with team so they understand and recommit

Diversity and Different Perspectives

• Hiring people with different backgrounds brings different thoughts
• Ken's example: Female VP approaches problems differently than he does
• More measured, planned approach vs. "fire and brimstone"
• Diversity in thought leads to better solutions

The Trust Factor

• Trust is related to integrity and compassion
• Trust opens opportunities that closed doors can't
• Getting to know people builds trust
• Trust allows for honest conversations about performance
• People need to see you're invested in them, not just their output

Key Quotes

"Leadership is not about the results—it's about who you are at the core, so people can emulate what you do."

"Integrity is basically the consistency between what you say and what you do."

"Compassion is feeling plus action—empathy plus the desire to help."

"People, Quality, Velocity, Cost—if you execute in that order, I can guarantee you'll have sustainable results."

"Once you have trust, it opens up a lot of opportunities."

"Making mistakes, you can learn a lot from them. But quitting is actually destined to be a failure."

"Trust your wings and fly. Birds on branches aren't afraid of the branch breaking because they trust their wings."

"Leadership becomes tougher nowadays because of entitlement and social media distractions."

"You can take over the world just by simply showing up and doing what you're supposed to do."

"If you didn't achieve the goals, dissect what happened—internal factors or external factors?"

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "The Leader's Soul: 52 Reflections for Unlocking Your Inner Leader" by James Shin
• Other Leadership Books Referenced:
  • "Five Levels of Leadership" by John Maxwell
  • "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
  • "13 Fatal Errors That Managers Make and How to Avoid Them" by W. Steven Brown
• Historical Example: Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics
• Companies: Caterpillar, Cabinet Works Group, Penn State University

Connect with James

• Primary Platform: LinkedIn (for business, leadership, and life content)
• Instagram: For cooking, travel, and personal hobbies
• Facebook: Available but used for different purposes
• Book: Available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble