Jenny Stevens is the co-owner and CFO of Lord & Stevens, a North Dakota-based company whose easy-to-use sales and marketing products are used by thousands of independently owned printing firms.

5 Minutes: Executive Interview

During a time when many companies that serve the printing industry are struggling, your company continues to grow. What sets it apart from other companies?

We don’t think we’re better than anybody, and we really care about printers. Right now, we have many printer-friends who are facing difficulty. When we keep our focus where it should be — helping printers — our needs take care of themselves. Another factor is our culture. Good companies create a successful culture by defining their expectations. We’re known for having a lot of fun but people know what’s expected of them. Third, we build trust through humility; we admit our mistakes, take responsibility, and are humble enough to say, “I screwed up.” The adage I’ve used since the beginning is, “We reserve the right to get smarter.”

What is your most helpful leadership strategy?

Personal organization. I have come to understand that our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control. I’ve learned a lot about stress-free productivity from David Allen’s book entitled Getting Things Done. It’s a great read.

Your company has a history of giving. Why is this so important to you?

As a company, our principles are based on our own personal values. In 1994, before I even started with the company, I began tithing in my personal life. It was scary to give up that 10%, but based upon the teachings from a personal coach, my husband (Mike) and I decided to give 10 percent of our gross income (before we pay any taxes) to a cause greater than us. We have found that giving helps us to not be so self-absorbed. Our corporate giving has nothing to do with driving sales; it’s about doing the right thing and giving back for all the blessings we’ve been given. I believe that generosity is an essential element of success.

You manage a lot of things simultaneously. What are some of your favorite ‘personal’ management secrets?

Less is more. I live a very busy, but a very uncluttered life. Our family doesn’t watch TV. We don’t read the newspaper. Our garage is virtually empty and closets have leftover space in them. We don’t save things. If it’s not being used, it’s gone. I apply the same principles to business. We try to simplify everything. Sometimes staying small can be a good thing, it can help you get from idea to reality quickly. The leaner you are, the faster–and better–things get done.

What are some unique productivity boosters that you use for co-workers?

Sometimes little things mean a lot. Everyone at our company gets an Aeron chair when they come to work for us. We have Pizza Fridays on the last Friday of the month. We provide a $25.00 gasoline bonus each month when coworkers give us a receipt for a gas purchase. And every month we try to find a unique little gift to give our coworkers. One month we bought everybody a really high-quality water bottle from the Swiss company, Sigg. Everybody went to the website and chose their own unique look and design. It was a lot of fun, and now instead of a lot of used plastic water bottles around our office, we have these way-cool designer water bottles.

If you could give advice to the person who’s really struggling to reach their dreams, what would you say?

Be patient along the journey, but learn to do hard things. The successful people I’ve known aren’t always the most ‘talented’ people — but they are always the most determined. They have a stick-to-it-iveness that others don’t. They’ve learned to do the hard things that others always seem to avoid.