Episode 18 :: Bill Pulte :: a leadership deep dive with the founder of Pulte Homes

My guest this week on the Behind Your Back Podcast is Bill Pulte, the founder and namesake of national homebuilder Pulte Homes. Bill passed away earlier this month at the age of 85. In reconnecting with colleagues who worked with Bill and discussing how much impact he had on our lives, I recalled an interview I did with him 10 years ago. It was March of 2008. What would become The Great Recession was rapidly materializing/deteriorating in front of us. I was working as an Area Purchasing Manager for Pulte Homes, earning my MBA in the evenings. A requirement of the Leadership course I was taking was to research and write about a Fortune 500 CEO. I offered a suggestion to my group —a long shot, to be sure, considering the economic circumstances—if we selected Bill Pulte, there was a chance we could get him on the phone for a few minutes. I was wrong. Within 3 weeks of reaching out to Bill, he scheduled an hour to talk leadership with us. Prior to the call, I sent him a list of 21 potential leadership questions that we could focus on. He prepared an answer for every single one . . . and we started at the top. This episode is an inside look into the mind of a pioneer, innovator, and without a doubt—a leader. His generosity of spirit and humility—relatively rare among billionaires, I assume—are traits I aspire to. Enjoy my conversation with Bill Pulte.