I received the most wonderful honor recently when Inc. named me to the Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018. It was humbling, to say the least. I am in some fantastic company on this list with so many speakers I admire. Plus, speaking to audiences is a thrill for me, because I get to share incredible examples of living and leading with values in business and in life. But most importantly, being labeled a top speaker on leadership actually pays tribute to the incredible leaders I get to talk about on a regular basis.

Leaders are not defined by job titles. The people throughout an organization make the real difference in a company striving for greatness.

Too many people equate leadership with fancy job titles. In truth, it’s completely different to me. Great leadership happens every day at every level across an organization. According to a report by the Harvard Business Review, managers manage work while leaders lead people. I agree. And everyone has an opportunity to be a leader.

I might be asked to speak at events because people have heard about the amazing success at Dwyer Group. They want to learn something about our culture. They may be in search of the secret sauce that’s missing at their own place of business. But guess what? That’s not my achievement. It’s the achievement of many people who are amazing in their roles, day in and day out. Dwyer Group is a $1.5 billion-dollar organization with more than 2800 franchisees around the world tackling millions of service calls every single year. The thing to recognize is the people making that happen, the culture they promote, the values they share, the kindness they reflect.

Today, Dwyer Group has fantastic leaders. The executive leadership team is amazing. The brand presidents are first-rate. And the franchisees are on the front lines of their businesses growing an astounding workforce of service professionals delivering world-class service for their customers. There are strong leaders at every level and places inbetween. I couldn’t possibly run out of examples to share. And best of all, they have a roadmap that unites them all in the Code of Values at Dwyer Group.

Great leaders and strong companies embrace principles and fun while doing good work.

The cultural foundation at Dwyer Group is something that is shared from every direction. The Code of Values can be found from the corner office of global headquarters all the way to the front doorstep of someone’s home. And that goal to Live R.I.C.H. at Dwyer Group - following the themes of Respect, Integrity, Customer focus and Having fun in the process in the Code of Values - can be seen in amazing places. That is what has built our reputation. And that is what I love to talk about. It has even made our organization Neighborly with our new overarching online platform!

People don’t necessarily grow up with dreams to be a plumber one day and go out and do dirty jobs. But who doesn’t aspire to make a difference, change people’s lives and be a hero? Our service brands are experiencing that daily. And more people are hungry for that. It’s one reason so many people decide to invest in a franchise opportunity with Dwyer Group’s service brands.

And there’s nothing but opportunity for other companies to find their own special culture, to write and follow their own code of values, and to be leaders others can follow. The key is putting values into action. Don’t write down values, hang them on the wall and then go about your business. Find a way to live your values, the way we work hard to Live R.I.C.H. across Dwyer Group.

If you want to get started, download my FREE Create Your Culture Workbook. It could be the beginning of something wonderful!