Episode 50: The Daily Work of Leadership with Jon Dario
On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Jon Dario joins the show. Jon is currently the CEO of Edison Properties. He has also spent over 30 years translating operational excellence principles across industries most people think are completely different. For example, Jon ran Gap's busiest store in New York City. He oversaw 240 locations and $1.7 billion in business at Travelex. Plus, he’s got experience in banking and real estate.
Regardless of the industry, Jon has noticed one problem that never goes away. How do you get consistent results when everything is moving fast and nothing ever slows down? Strategy sounds great in the conference room. But when that strategy hits the floor, things can fall apart. Jon and Dan explore why that happens. They also talk about leader standard work and daily rhythms that actually help. Jon explains what it takes for people to feel safe enough to try new things and occasionally fail.
This episode covers the stuff that makes leadership so challenging. Jon doesn't pull punches, and he's got the stories to back it up. Of course, this is Quality Time with MoreSteam, so there’s some college football in the mix. Oh, and we’ll have you singing a jingle you haven't thought about since the 90s. You're welcome.
If you want operational excellence that's honest and real instead of theoretical and rehearsed, this is the episode for you.
In this episode, you will hear about:
1:41 - Meet Jon Dario
4:40 - Universal management challenges
6:10 - Getting strategy from the executive suite to the store floor
8:22 - Effective communication strategies for leaders
10:48 - Authentic humility in leadership
13:44 - Multiple locations and leader standard work
15:11 - Effective huddles in a fast-paced environment
18:20 - Giving people the freedom to try
21:24 - We Are Penn State
24:28 - The manager’s core purpose
27:49 - Jon’s shift from retail to banking
34:30 - Dealing with resistance to change
38:20 - Old Navy in the 90’s
45:05 - Continuous improvement and high workforce turnover
48:03 - Jon discusses the books he has written
50:51 - What Jon wishes he had learned earlier
Additional Resources:
Jon Dario's Author Profile on Amazon
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram
Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
Lean Leadership Habits that Drive Organizational Excellence
Hoshin Kanri: Making Strategy Work Across Your Entire Organization
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Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
CEO • Edison Properties
Jon Dario is the CEO of Edison Properties. He has spent over 30 years translating operational excellence principles across diverse industries such as retail, financial services, banking, and real estate. Jon ran Gap's busiest store in New York City and served as President and Regional Divisional Director at Travelex, where he oversaw 240 locations and $1.7 billion in business. He's also the author of multiple books on management skills and leadership. Jon holds a BS in Marketing from Penn State University. Learn more by visiting Jon’s website at jondario.com.
(Image from Jon Dario's LinkedIn profile.)
