Author: KMF Infotech

You have years of Senior Executive leadership experience. Who are the people who have had a profound influence on you and your leadership style?

Wow, there are so many! Of course my family has had a big influence on me throughout my entire life. The people that really awoke my interest in leadership were the leaders I experienced at Prince Corporation in the 90s (of which there are too many to name).

 

The leaders I experienced at Prince worked hard to apply the simple, but often difficult, principles that are at the core of great leadership. This led to a lot of uncomfortable moments in the short term (for the leaders and their followers) and it also led to an amazing culture in the long term which was at the core of Prince’s great success.

 

Since those days, I’ve also gained a lot of insights from my experiences on non-profit boards,  and from colleagues at Courageous Leadership, the Reformed Church in America, and my current team and our impressive customers.

 

 Talk to us about company culture. What are some values that you and your team live by?

I believe that intentionally shaping culture is the most important thing an organizational leader does. We all know Steven Covey’s famous quote about “culture eating strategy for breakfast”, and I also like Lou Gerstner’s insight that, after leading a turnaround of IBM in the 90s, he shared, “I came to see, in my time at IBM, that culture isn’t just one aspect of the game—it is the game.”

 

Ultimately, we have shaped our culture by our decisions of whom to bring on our team and then through our collective behaviors. I’m a big fan of the expression, “I can’t hear what you’re saying because your actions speak too loud.”

 

We intentionally focus on six values and then work to shape and measure our behaviors against them. Truly being authentic and then providing a safe environment for our customers are two that stick out right away. We also focus on our collective commitment to our mission and to each other. We focus on working hard to provide real value to our customers.

 

And finally, we focus on being innovative and playful while challenging ourselves to model every leadership practice that we teach.

 

We know you are someone who gives back to the community in many meaningful ways. Tell us about an initiative that is near to your heart.

I am a longtime investor in our local Boys and Girls Club and over the past 25 years, I’ve considered myself to be a psychological owner of it. Whenever I meet the kids that we help, they always steal my heart. Whenever I talk to Club alumni and ask what the Club meant to them, they consistently share how important it was to them. (Several have said that the Club saved their lives.)

 

When I think about the impact on our community, I can’t help but see the difference it makes, not only in the quality of our neighborhoods but also financially. When a young person’s trajectory is changed from a dangerous direction to one of becoming a productive member of our society, the impact is significant. I feel good about many things I’ve done in my life (and some not-so-good things), but nothing feels better than my long-term commitment to this great cause that invests in young people and our community.

 

Your company focuses on leadership development. How did you get involved in this work?

When I left my engineering work at GM in Lansing to become an engineer at Prince I was instantly aware of how different the culture was. WOW! Not only did I become intrigued by it, I quickly wanted to understand and promote it.

 

As I continued to experience how organizational leadership worked, I found myself wanting to understand it better and do the difficult work of changing myself to be a better leader. I still have a long way to go…

 

At the same time, someone helped me rediscover the teacher inside of me (I taught tennis as I pursued my engineering degree) and I decided to make the vocational change from engineer to designer/deliverer of effective leader development initiatives.

 

What is a book that you’ve read or a resource that you use to help you continually grow as a leader?  

I am a follower of Jesus so the book that I read the most to grow as a leader is the Bible. I have structured my life so that it will orbit around the teachings within this amazing book.

 

Of course, in the work I do, there are many other books that have captured my attention; too many to mention here. In general I’ve gravitated to the books of Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, Steven Covey, Marcus Buckingham, John Maxwell, Chip and Dan Heath, Brene’ Brown, and many more. If I was forced to pick one book from the past that had a big impact on me, it would probably be First Break All the Rules written back in the 90s.

 

Can you share why it is a priority for you to invest in economic development?

When you take an honest look at the things that have the biggest impact on people’s lives, it’s hard not to see that the economic health of an area is at the top of the list.

 

We have been very blessed by those in the past that did so much to invest in the economic health of West Michigan. I’m sure I could name a dozen or two of these people and I’m sure that just scratches the surface of who has paid it forward for us.

 

We at Leading by DESIGN feel privileged to also make investments in West Michigan’s future by supporting Lakeshore Advantage and the great work they are doing on behalf of our economic development. We are so fortunate to have them in our corner of the world! 

 

About Leading by DESIGN

Our team at Leading by DESIGN believes that each person has a unique design and we work to help them discover it, develop it, and then lead from it. Our mission is to help West Michigan be the hotbed of the best leaders in the country… what Nashville is to country music, we should be to leadership. We do this through executive coaching and also through our yearlong LEAD 24/7 program.

Bonchul Koo is the president of LG Energy Solution Michigan, Inc. He started his tenure at LG Energy Solution, Michigan, Inc. in September 2019. He has been dedicating his professional life to the advancement of the Lithium-ion battery business as an engineer and a leader since he joined LG Chem in 2005. (LG Energy Solution was part of LG Chem until it was completely spun off from it in December 2020). He received his bachelor’s degree in Automation Engineering from Inha University, South Korea, and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is married with one son, who moved back to Korea after living in Michigan for two years.

 

 

You have years of Senior Executive leadership experience. Who are the people who have had a profound influence on you and your leadership style?

There are so many great people I have encountered in my life, who helped shape and build my character, philosophy, work ethic, and leadership style. But only a handful of people made the most profound impact on how I communicate with my team members and employees. I met Joon Ho Kim, the former Vice President of LG Chem when I worked as Sr. Manager at LG Chem, South Korea. I was lucky to have a chance to talk to him about an issue I was struggling with. I was impressed by his humility and sincerity when he was advising me on my issue. I later observed that his demeanor was exactly the same whomever he talked to, regardless of their ranking or position. He was willing to listen to what people had to say and try to resolve any issues collaboratively whether small or big. I am indebted to him for my patience and my listening skills when communicating with my employees.

Talk to us about company culture. What are some values that you and your team live by? 

When it comes to company culture and core values, we have the “LG Way.” This is the foundation for every LG member’s thoughts and actions to observe and implement. The “LG Way” is composed of the company’s vision, behavioral mode, and management principle. First, our vision is to become the market leader in business performance and management practices. Second, our behavioral model is predetermined by “Jeong-Do Management.”; it expresses our company’s ethical management and code of conduct for members’ capability development and fair competition. Lastly, our management principles stress customer-value creation and people-oriented management.

Talk to us about your employee benefits program? What are some unique programs your company provides to your employees?

Our company has recently revamped our employee welfare program. We want our company to be the best place to work in Michigan and beyond. This year, we are working on multiple initiatives to create a great work culture where the employee can truly enjoy their work and feel that they are cared for. The new initiatives include offering subsidies for employees’ children, elderly care, setting up a 2-day dental clinic for simple treatments, and the “Joyful Activities Program,” which is in the planning stage currently. I look forward to seeing our company’s work culture change to be more positive, and more joyful.

You recently celebrated a transformational expansion. Talk to us about why you chose our area as a place to continue growing.

LG Energy Solution is at the forefront of green business, promoting sustainability, electrification, and innovation. We have already become a contributor to the State of Michigan’s “championship economy.” Michigan was a natural choice to our commitment of building an impactful global business because of its rich pool of talent, being close to the geographic epicenter of the automotive industry and its strong support.

What is a book that you’ve read or an influencer that you watch that has made you a better leader?

The Essential Drucker by Peter Drucker teaches the basics of management to innovation and marketing. Drucker stresses the importance of managing people, which determines the success of a business. He talks about recognizing imperfection but pursuing perfection, which is a perspective I apply when directing new initiatives and managing people. The core concept of this attitude acknowledges that we are not perfect. If we expect things to be perfect, we will always be disappointed rather than get a sense of satisfaction or achievement. On the contrary, if we accept the nature of our imperfection, we will experience satisfaction more quickly and be more motivated while making improvements. This way of thinking will help us cope with challenging tasks and situations. Instead of being frustrated, we would be able to accept the current situation and move forward to resolving problems.

Can you share why it is a priority for you to invest in economic development?

As we are expanding and partnering with a number of large automotive companies with an ESG vision, we are in a critical position. Investing in economic development is essential to building a successful company, furthermore, a successful global economy. Our investment would enable us to maximize what we can offer the community and the people around us.

About LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution Michigan is a subsidiary of LG Energy Solution, headquartered in South Korea. We manufacture large lithium-ion battery cells and packs for electric vehicles (EVs) and other energy storage applications. Our Michigan locations manufacture and research electric vehicle battery technologies for some of the most recognizable car brands in the country.

At LG Energy Solution, we know that what we make impacts our employees, communities, and the planet. We do our best to improve continually and to care for our employees through benefits and pay, to care for the community through partnerships and commerce as we grow, to care for our environment in the way we operate our landfill-free facilities and continue to create sustainable solutions for energy storage.

Mark Custer is a second-generation co-owner and CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) of Custer, Inc. (interior solutions and workplace design), CS Erickson (electrical and integrated technology), Century Flooring (flooring and professional cleaning), and owner with his wife Kellie of Worklab, Inc. (coworking). Mark spends most of his time helping each business hit its revenue targets with strategic planning, consulting, and business development help. Mark is often out in the community either serving on boards, helping capital campaigns, or connecting with peers within business organizations.

 

Mark lived in Colorado while working at a Steelcase Dealership prior to moving back home in 2004 and beginning in the family business.  He’s actively involved in Family Business Alliance, Vistage, Economic Club, Talent 2025, Forest Hills Schools, Kent County Literacy Council, Van Andel Institute & several other community organizations.

 

He is committed to building a culture of diversity, inclusion & equality for all the Custer-owned businesses. He loves to work with and mentor young leaders and encourages entrepreneurship within all businesses. His vision is to successfully transition the companies to the next generation—whenever they are ready to take it on!

 

You have years of Senior Executive leadership experience. Who are the people who have had a profound influence on you and your leadership style?

Throughout my career, I have had so many people influence me along the way at the exact right times.  It started in college with my major in Hospitality Business at Michigan State University.  They taught me how to serve people and that the customer was the most important part of each day. Early in my career, my dad had a huge influence on how I lead people by teaching me how to treat people fairly and how people hate surprises.  I have had various mentors, coaches, and peer groups throughout my career who have helped with strategies and perspectives.  There is so much value in a coach/mentor or peer group as they can help hold you accountable to change and to try new approaches to leadership.

 

Talk to us about company culture. What are some values that you and your team live by?
We are really big on setting core values in our companies and living by them.  Each company comes up with their own core values and use these to maintain culture.  If we can hire and fire using these core values, it helps to build the culture by having the right people in the company.  Being a family business, it is also important to treat everyone like they are our extended family.  We like to try to stay positive, be better every day, put family first, take the extra step, and build trust as some examples of our core values.

 

We know you are someone who gives back to the community in many meaningful ways. Tell us about an initiative that is near to your heart.
Our parents taught us how important it is to give back to the communities that we live and work in.  My dad always gave back 10-15% of our profits to important organizations that my parents felt close to.  My brothers and I have continued to make sure that all our companies not only give back a portion of our profits, but also be involved with local organizations to help with volunteering, getting on campaign boards, or helping with projects for these organizations by donating products and services.  We have tried to help so many different non-profits, but one that is close to my heart right now is an organization that helps with mental health awareness – Be Nice in Grand Rapids is one we are very close with.

 

What is a book that you’ve read or an influencer that you watch that has made you a better leader?
There are so many different books that I have read that fall into the business strategic class.  Any Jim Collins books have always helped, especially ‘Good to Great’.  I really like Tim Ferris’ books also to help you think differently about how you work – ‘4-Hour Work Week’ is one that is really good.  For work/life spiritual balance I really like ‘Conversations with God’ by Neil Walsch.

 

Can you share why it is a priority for you to invest in economic development?
We support Economic Development Organizations because they each serve such an important part in helping to grow and retain talent and jobs in each of the regions they serve.  They are the “glue” of the business community and can help bring companies together to help make each region in W. MI more attractive to new companies looking to relocate and to employees looking to work and live in our area.

About the Custer Family of Companies

CS Erikson is a partner for insights and design-build services that powerfully connect customers to the world beyond their walls. From electrical engineering and data integration to collaborative and integrated technology, CSE creatively offers solutions of tomorrow that seamlessly interact with your space and meet organization needs today.

 

Century is a trusted resource in creating, caring, and restoring the appearance of space. We strive to enrich the lives of our clients and community through our full-service approach – ultimately helping people do what they do better! Services include design, installation, and maintenance of flooring, tile, and countertops for commercial and residential projects.

 

Established in 1981, Custer Inc. serves territories across West Michigan and Northern Indiana as a premier dealership of Steelcase furniture. Custer designs and builds environments that maximize productivity and a sense of purpose, drawing on extensive research and established expertise. Full-service capabilities including workplace strategy, change management, design, furniture specification, and installation to deliver spaces that support a better way of working.