Uncommon company - uncommon leader

Paul Spiegelman is the Founder and CEO of Beryl based in Dallas. The company claims the distinction of being the second Best Medium Company to Work For in America. What's uncommon is that this company is a call center focused on the hospital market. What's uncommon about Paul is that he was running the company successfully for 18 years before he read a business book! He will tell you that he's since become a voracious reader of business books, and they have made him a better leader. I can't help but wonder if running a company for so many years on "instinct" made the company what it is today? That is, he focused on creating a foundation built on uncompromising values rather than short-term profit.

Paul wrote a book called, "Why is Everyone Smiling?" and in it he shares his passion for creating a culture focused on creativity. Paul put his team first, and trusts they will take care of the customers, and profits will come. A call center is traditionally a high-turnover operation, and Paul has figured out how to create and build employee and customer loyalty while growing the company's bottom line.

Paul knew he was on to something, so he is leveraging his passion and talents as CEO of the Small Giants Community, "a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting companies that choose to be great instead of big."

Uncommon? Absolutely.  But why?