Honoring Tom Smith, Former CEO of Food Lion, Episode 187
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In this episode of the Wow Factor, we have a special guest, Tom Smith, the former CEO of Food Lion. This episode is a tribute to Tom, who passed away recently. It’s taken from a private recording that we did for Tom and his family back in April, 2023.
Tom shares his journey from growing up in a rural setting to becoming the CEO of Food Lion. He talks about the importance of setting goals, working hard, and saving money. He also discusses his leadership style, the importance of listening, and his belief in doing for others.
"Look at everything as an opportunity to learn. Everything has something else you can learn." - Tom Smith
"I believe very much in working with the employees, getting their thoughts, their ideas before any decision was made." - Tom Smith
"I always felt that the results were a result of us rather than me." - Tom Smith
This Week On The Wow Factor:
Tom's early life and the importance of setting goals and working hard.
His journey from bagging groceries at Food Town (later renamed Food Lion) to becoming the CEO.
The growth of Food Lion from 200 stores to 1200 stores under his leadership.
Tom's leadership style and the importance of listening and making decisions together with employees.
His belief in doing for others, inspired by the teachings of Jesus.
Tom's generous acts, including donating to various projects that positively impact people.
His advice on dealing with challenges and the importance of communication.
Tom Smith’s Word of Wisdom:
Determine what you want to do and who you want to be. Then, reverse engineer those goals and figure out how to get to where you want to go. It starts by accomplishing one thing at a time.
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