Author: lakeshore_dev

Matthew Haworth has been part of the family business since 1983. Starting out in manufacturing, and joining the company full-time in 1991, Haworth has held a variety of roles over the years in marketing, manufacturing, planning, and purchasing, including leading the company’s largest single business unit as Director of Product Line Marketing and Management for office furniture workstations.

In 2004, Haworth joined the governing board and participated in guiding the global strategy and evaluating performance of the management team, eventually becoming Chairman in 2009. As Chairman, he oversaw the company’s acquisition of brands that support global business and individual priorities, including Haworth Commercial Interiors, Haworth residential brands, and Bluescape.

“I believe we can affect the quality of the day wherever we are—while living, learning, healing, working, and traveling,” said Haworth. “We can enrich lives by unleashing and amplifying human potential.”

Haworth holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University and has completed several executive programs, including the board governance program at Harvard University. Haworth is also involved in several boards, including the Grand Valley University Foundation and Business Leaders for Michigan.

What led you down your professional path—from childhood interests to choices in educational focus and beginning your career? What were the key turning points for you?
I think the spark I got visiting the manufacturing with my dad. The manufacturing members were friendly and treated me well. I found my affinity for the business there.

Also, there was a really cool cart that I got to ride. As an 8-year-old, that cart was spectacular.

What have you learned in your leadership role and what advice would you give to others in a new leadership role?

It’s important to play off your strengths – we are all different and have been given different talents. Figure out what yours are and use them. And, maybe more important, find people that you trust, with different strengths, learn from them and depend on them.

One of my talents is a natural enthusiasm. I think it’s important to show passion. As a leader you are often so busy and running a tight schedule. Make sure you are taking the time to engage in projects and discussion that creates excitement. It’s good for you and can be a force multiplier for teams.

Who are the people who have had a profound influence on you and your leadership style?

My Dad. He has a steady, thoughtful approach and wisdom. It’s part of that strength balance I talked about. I aspire to incorporate some of his approach.

Also, I was privileged to know and spend time with my great-grandfather. Haworth is often referred to as a three-generation family business, but I like to tell the story that it’s technically four. My great-grandfather loaned his life savings to my grandfather to start the business. I appreciate his risk-taking and support of innovation.

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

Together, our members and leaders established a healthy, vibrant culture with a set of written values for the benefit of all stakeholders. My dad and our members established the original Values in 1975 as an underpinning of who we are. This was in anticipation of our growth, and they were right. These were important when we had to on-board so many new people during that growth.

Haworth’s Values are a written manifestation of our stated priorities and principles – authentically what we aspire to. As we strive towards these Values, and live them in reality, this creates our culture.

We also recognize that the Values alone don’t guarantee success; having them gives us the best chance at success. The world continues to experience so much change and I notice that we are more appreciative of our Values than ever before. It’s proven to be a great foundation for Haworth.

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

Leading Change by John P. Kotter. It’s refreshingly basic about project management but on steroids. This book is applicable for both launching a product and leading change at a corporate level. One of my favorite lessons from it is to be intentional about short-term wins during change as it can help gain credibility and provide needed energy for driving this change.

I also like Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.

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

It’s important to work together on economic stability and strategic planning. A good example of this is something as simple as site selection – helping businesses interested in the area maximize their investment while considering local resources planning, too.

I also think it’s important for regions to be economically welcoming and ready for new business. It’s especially important to bring diversity of business to an area, which we can do without government subsidy. Holland is regaining some of that industry diversity – we are creating and making a wider range of products and offering more services. I think that will help us grow.

Robyn Afrik serves as the first Director for the Ottawa County Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where she assesses implicit bias in current policies and decision-making processes with a goal to operationalize DE&I throughout the organization. Prior to this, Robyn served as D&I Manager for Corporate Meijer, pioneering their early D&I efforts organization-wide. Over the last decade, Robyn has become most notably known as a national speaker, consultant, professor, author, and business owner on issues related to inclusive leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Recently, Robyn helped establish the Women of Color (WOC) Give fund, changing the narrative for women of color in traditional philanthropy spaces from recipients to empowerment. She earned her MS in Management, Strategy and Leadership from Michigan State University, her Bachelor of Science Management from Cornerstone University, and continues to serve on boards and committees that support aspects of economic development.

 

Robyn makes her home in Holland with her husband and three adult children. Together, they share a passion for philanthropy, travel, and education; all while navigating the nuances of living a global identity in a local context. 
 

Who are the people who have had a profound influence on me and my leadership style? 
The kind of people who have had a profound influence on me and my leadership style are: 

• Self-aware, highly emotional intelligent and culturally competent leaders that demonstrate a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset
• Leaders who choose to elevate curiosity with an open mind over competency alone.
• Leaders who understand the difference between maturity vs trajectory 
• Individuals that tend to hold a bias toward action
• Leaders that seek to be held accountable to and submit under inclusive leadership
• I have also seen the difference between leaders who are unafraid to challenge self and status quo vs those who spend their life protecting and believing they are the status quo. 

What is something energizing you when it comes to the work that you do? 

• It’s truly energizing to know how the DE&I Office helps actualize the vision of the County by making it A Place Where You Belong .
• The state of belonging directly correlates to how (much more) someone will give, spend, volunteer, engage, work, live and invest.
• This impacts the vibrancy and health of a community and is strongly tied to economic outcomes.

Giving back to the community in many meaningful ways.  Project or effort that is near to your heart
Very excited about WOC Give, a philanthropy collective for women of diverse cultural backgrounds, leveraging resources to support each other and the causes that matter to them.  

Their mission is to create a shared space where they connect, reimagine and invest. 
While only in it’s third year of giving, the fund will have distributed over $100K back into the community and continues to grow its members annually.

One of the more impressive things I’ve seen, is how this fund attracts new donors associated with other foundations outside of the W. Michigan area.  In addition, women of color who moved away from this community, citing they did not have something like this and/or felt they didn’t belong, are now extending their financial resources to this fund, just from the power of representation seated in this space.  

Resource used to help continually grow as a leader
I have formal and informal mentors in my life, who hold me accountable in seeking 1-2 experiences min. that stretch and keep pressing me toward expressing my contributions through multiple disciplines and platforms.
Because of this, I have acquired unique opportunities that increase my capacity to lead beyond traditional job titles and mature from transactional activities to transformational impact.  

Why is it a priority to invest in economic development? 
Economic development has the capacity to unlock the full potential of the local economy by increasing entrepreneurship, ownership, wealth, income and vibrancy of a community. 
It is a fundamental necessity for a community to thrive, not just survive. 

Brandon Erhart is Regional Manager-West Shore, Health Plan Business for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. He is tasked with executing strategic priorities, engaging with community stakeholders, and oversight of lakeshore commercial sales. A West Michigan native, Brandon was born and raised in Grand Rapids, attended Grand Valley State University (B.A. Health Communication ’13, MBA ‘20), and currently lives in Byron Center with his wife.

Brandon is deeply committed to his community, and he has a passion for creating connection. He serves locally on the board for the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids and the Michigan Association of Health Underwriters, and volunteers with 616 Service, Grand Rapids Public Schools, and Young Life.

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

I have been extremely fortunate to have great leaders in my 10 years at Blue Cross, each of whom have had a direct impact on how I choose to lead. My personal leadership style is more like that of a coach; service oriented, educational, and developmental in nature. Through experiencing different types of leadership styles at our organization, I have been fortunate to observe what works well and what doesn’t, and adapt those qualities to fit my own. Blue Cross has invested time and resource into leadership development opportunities which have helped me refine these skills in the company of other community leaders.

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

Company culture is critical at a time when competition for top talent is at an all-time high. The most successful, and arguably most impactful, organizations have an infectious company culture that connects employees to the mission of the organization and encourages each employee to bring their whole self to work each day. As a non-profit mutual company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has a rich culture rooted in community that is embedded into the DNA of our organization.

At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we have defined cultural beliefs that we feel should shape how we engage with customers, community stakeholders, and each other. These values promote action, open dialogue, personal accountability, and an overall commitment to our nonprofit mission of building healthier communities across the state of Michigan.

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 think one of the great joys of my role at Blue Cross is the exposure to so many phenomenal organizations who are making great strides to address societal issues we experience today.

My passion for healthcare and health disparities is a significant reason why I joined Blue Cross Blue Shield more than 10 years ago. I grew up with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and was intimately connected to the healthcare system. My experience with the struggles of trying to navigate a highly complex and inefficient system helped shape my perspective on healthcare, and it highlighted the need for improvement and the lack of assistance so many patients struggle with when navigating their own healthcare journey. For me, if my personal experiences and understandings could help ease the burden for someone traveling a similar path then it was my obligation to do so.

I have been fortunate to give back to the CF foundation over the years by serving on various committees and helping to raise awareness for the disease. In West Michigan, organizations I believe support the mission of health include Friends and Families of Cystic Fibrosis, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Young Life, and 616 Service.

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

Two books I would recommend to any leader are Atomic Habits by James Clear and Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.

James Clear writes about habit formation and the value of being process oriented over being goal oriented. Being process oriented creates a space to make incremental improvements over time in order to create the best possible outcome. As a leader, this book has recalibrated how I approach problem solving and how I hope to develop my team.

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor of psychology at the University of Houston. Her books touch on the human element of leadership. When we dare to step into leadership, we cannot pretend to have all the right answers, but rather step boldly into curiosity and ask the right questions

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

Economic development has the potential to change lives. Economic development enhances the lived experience of people within a community by providing more opportunities for families to grow and prosper. I believe sustainable economic development solves problems by identifying local needs, like housing, industry specific demands, and workforce gaps, and matching available resources to help solve for them. Like healthcare, economic development transcends all other areas of development.

Investment in economic development is, ultimately, investment in all other areas within the community in one centralized location, the higher tide that raises all other ships.