Commodities like propane, gas and industrial lubricants may not be something you think about often, but they’re critical to providing the energy needed to heat our homes and run the farm equipment that produces our food.
Brad Morrell started his career in the Army and worked for a couple of large, well-known companies on his way to his current leadership job with Crystal Flash, an employee-owned propane company in Michigan.
On this episode of The Clarity Advisors Show, Brad and host Ken Trupke talk about some of the lessons Brad’s learned about growing and building teams.
Timestamps
(01:06): About Crystal Flash.
(02:01): What makes Crystal Flash unique?
(03:13): Brad Morrill’s background.
(04:02): Why agriculture and energy?
(06:12): Makeup of Crystal Flash’s team.
(10:41): Tips for building and growing teams.
(14:00): Attracting and retaining talent.
(20:44): Brad’s planned transition.
(29:20): Recommended reading and listening.
(32:55): How to connect with Brad.
Episode Quotes
“What I like about energy and food agriculture is those are foundational industries for the human race. We all have to eat and we all need energy.”
“I like to say (Crystal Flash is) a big enough company to have resources to actually do stuff, but a small enough company that you still know people and what they do.”
“Hire slow, hire for enthusiasm, and hire for curiosity. Those are three big things I look for. And in the situations where I’ve been able to find those people, they’ve been really great teammates to have for long periods of time.”
“People hire into companies and they leave managers.”
“I’m kind of a five- to seven-year guy and here I am at 10, so I’m kind of long in the tooth at this company and I’m ready for the next step.”
“Because it’s such a long transition and so well-orchestrated that I think by the time that I leave, it’ll be more like, ‘Brad, did you leave already?’”
“We’ve done a really good job at Crystal Flash of keeping people on part-time when they get to retirement age. Instead of just having them stop one day and go to a hundred percent retirement, we found ways to be able to allow people to move into a part-time role and continue so that they have a transition timeframe, and we get to still benefit from their experience.”
Recommended Reading and Listening
- “Working Identity,” by Herminia Ibarra.
- “Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader,” by Herminia Ibarra.
- The Pacesetter Pod with Joe Mosher.
- Politico Energy podcast.
- Oil and Gas This Week podcast.
- Path to Zero podcast.
- Freakonomics podcasts.
- Newt’s World podcast with Newt Gingrich.
Connect With Brad Morrill
