4 Employee-First Leadership Lessons with Stan Moss

Every leader has strengths and weaknesses. Some excel at strategic thinking, some are expert communicators, while others shine when motivating their teams. However, there is one strength that many great leaders share: they learn from others. When leaders remain open to new ideas, experiences, and knowledge, they not only improve themselves, they inspire their teams to embrace a culture of growth where everyone is propelled toward success.

I first had the opportunity to meet Stan C. Moss, CEO of Polen Capital, when we both served as volunteer mentors for NYU Stern’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellows program. The way he spoke so passionately about his company's culture and his commitment to employee development was inspiring. Stan puts his money where his mouth is by way of investing in his people, resulting in his firm being recognized in Pension & Investments as their “Best Places to Work in Money Management'' list for seven years in a row. Recently, he received the Norm Wedderburn Excellence in Leadership Award at the 2023 Make-A-Wish Donor Celebration. I continue to be impressed with Stan, therefore sought him out to be featured in this newsletter. I'm confident other leaders will find his perspective valuable (just like I do!)

Stan has so much wisdom to offer; here’s what stuck out to me the most. 

L-R: George Devino, Jillian Williams, Lisa Moss, Stan Moss, & Damon Ficklin of Polen Capital at the 2023 Make-A-Wish Donor Celebration.

Caring for your people inside and outside of work

My clients continue to share their challenges with attracting and retaining top talent. In a competitive job market, what makes organizations stand out from the crowd?  According to Stan, employee experience is the differentiator.  He told me that, “We try to put people in the best position to win—not just at work, but in life. It starts with taking care of people.”

He continued, “We have great benefits, including covering 100% of healthcare expenses, and providing family and financial planning resources for all employees. Our ‘Results-Only Work Environment’ is a way of working that empowers everyone at the firm to do their job and drive results in a way that works best for them. At the end of the day, my main goal is for a person at Polen to say, ‘I became better during my time here, both personally and professionally’.” 

Ask yourself: What are your employees saying about you when you’re not in the room? What actions are you taking to help them grow? 

Building trust with communication

Marketplace uncertainty often leads to fear and negativity, which can have serious repercussions, so when pessimism invades your team, it’s important to take action. A major component of culture is using steady communication to build trust with your employees. “One thing I learned early on is that consistency helps build trust. When communicating, it’s best to repeat your message with great frequency. I meet with my direct reports once a week, where we go over our top five priorities. They do the same with their teams and so on. This ensures that we’re all on the same page, focusing on the highest priority issues across the firm. We make sure to connect as a whole firm every quarter and once a year in person. I can’t emphasize enough the value of ongoing, consistent communication. That consistency and connection will create trust.”

However, once you’ve begun to improve the culture, you can’t stop putting in the work. “Culture is not something you simply maintain. Culture is something that must adapt and continually improve on pace with your business growth and societal change for it to be healthy.” 

Ask yourself: What impact does my communication style and frequency have on my team? What could be improved with small changes to your current approach? 

Developing your high-performers

I’ve written before about how difficult it is to identify your high-performing employees. Rather than focus resources on a select few, Stan believes in first providing all employees with an equal opportunity to learn, develop, and show up as their best self. “It’s important to nurture all employees and provide equal opportunity. We have a growth mindset and believe that with time and effort, our potential is unlimited. Everyone at the firm has the opportunity to learn and evolve through an individual annual educational budget, firm-wide trainings, capstone projects, and mentorship with senior leadership. We give everyone the autonomy to master new skills and learn new techniques so they can perform at their highest level.” 

It’s also crucial to define exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to high-performers. It may be tempting to say, “I’ll know it when I see it,” but take the time to outline exactly what traits you’re seeking. “At Polen Capital, we identify five key traits of the people that align well with our culture. We call this the Polen Person. For the people who excel in these five traits, we have seen high correlation to high performance. We empower our high-performers and provide them with a great deal of “freedom within a framework” to deliver on their value proposition. This creates a work environment in which high-performers thrive.”

Norm Wedderburn, Dan Davidowitz, and Stan Moss at the 2023 Make-A-Wish Reveal at the Polen Capital offices.

Ask yourself: What opportunities for development does your company offer? If a formal program is not possible, what other actions are available to you to support your employees’ growth? This could look like assigning a stretch project aligned to an individual’s goals, or identifying a mentor to help that person develop outside your organizational structure. 

Finding “the why”

When I have the opportunity to learn from a successful leader like Stan, I want to know what advice they would most like to give leaders. It’s my favorite question, not only because it’s usually highly valuable insight, but because it reveals something about the values of the other person. For Stan, it’s all about the people. “Our focus is on the employee first. I believe that if you invest in your people and give them an environment to grow and thrive, they will go beyond to deliver for clients.”

Expanding on this, Stan also stressed how important it is to “understand the psychology behind ‘the why.’” In other words, discerning what will motivate and inspire your people. “At Polen, we believe that we have been entrusted with the assets of some of the most important people in the world: police officers, firefighters, teachers, doctors, and our own families and employees. We take this responsibility very seriously as our actions impact their financial futures. This is why we do what we do every day. If you can connect people to your purpose, to your why, that is powerful.”

Ask yourself: What is your team’s “why”? What would you be able to accomplish with a compelling purpose? What would your “why” mean to your organization? To your customers? 

Great leaders are learning leaders. As challenges arise and new opportunities emerge, these leaders are best equipped to guide their organizations towards success. Together, we can create a workplace that thrives on the power of knowledge.