The Winding Road to Excellence: Leadership Lessons Learned from Life's Potholes

The Winding Road to Excellence: Leadership Lessons Learned from Life’s Potholes Hardcover by G.T. “Toby” Stansell
In this readable and relatable collection of savvy business advice on developing a corporate culture where people genuinely want to perform at their best and keep the interests of the business top of mind, Toby Stansell develops a series of pithy, memorable “Mantras for Excellence.” The mantras he has developed take the form of “one-liners” that capture “learning experiences” in which he had willingly participated or grudgingly endured. From these memorable shorthand mantras, Stansell then develops the ideas and practical applications at their core. Recognizing that an authentic leader must start by being an authentic person, Stansell shares informative stories of how he came to form these mantras ― often by falling into the potholes life so often offers up ― and from them builds a framework that leaders can put to work in transforming their companies. A transformational leader elevates companies that are desirable to work for, cultivating a culture in which everyone―throughout the organization―is empowered to use their talents to live and work at their best.
As CEO of Cargo LLC and the former CEO and President of companies ranging from Finance to Apparel and High - Tech to Manufacturing, Stansell knows what it takes to lead in a manner that assists people in achieving their best. Stansell has proven an expert at learning how to transform his own life and those around him, taking what on the surface appear to be liabilities and shaping them into key assets. The book is based on the principle that if we look at everything life hands us, good and bad, as an opportunity, we can begin to build a positive, principle-based framework for successful leadership. Stansell writes, “We are extraordinarily honored to have others put their trust in us and place us in positions of leadership. We are wise to be humble, careful, and considerate as to how we apply the influence our positions offer us to positively impact and hopefully make better the lives of those around us.”
Stansell possesses an innate ability to develop and deploy innovative approaches to an organization’s most pressing challenges, and his leadership infuses an indelible culture within commercial, civic, and cultural entities that motivates, galvanizes, and unifies the organization’s personnel to fulfill its true purpose. Stansell’s primary objectives when leading an organization are to impart a sustainable positive and productive culture, identify and capitalize upon transformative opportunities, and optimize efficiencies and financial performance. A raconteur at heart, Stansell will keep readers laughing and repeating stories they encounter, even as they learn approaches that can transform their businesses.

G.T. “TOBY” STANSELL is the Chief Executive Officer of Cargo, LLC, a business strategy and marketing consultancy. Prior to joining Cargo, Toby served as a Principal with Cherry Bekaert’s Digital Advisory Service Line after leading Acumen I.T., LLC as President and Chief Operating Officer and as president of OOBE, Inc. He previously held senior sales and marketing positions at IBM, Jobscope Corporation, Right Source, Western Data Systems, and Factory Logic.

A graduate of Clemson University, Toby has taught leadership courses there and through the Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator. Among a long history of volunteer work with the Greenville Chamber, he has served on its Board of Directors, as the Strategic Cabinet’s vice chair of economic competitiveness, and as co-chair of the Accelerate! economic development initiative. Toby lives in Greenville, South Carolina.