Episode: 43 Bob Fieck, CHRO, Wausau Supply Company and Tony Misura Grit Is a Choice and Execution and Servant Leadership in the Building Products industry

Episode 43 | Bob Fieck, CHRO, Wausau Supply Company Grit Is a Choice: Execution and Servant Leadership in the Building Products Industry Bob Fieck has spent 30 years stepping into situations most people would step away from -- broken operations, underfunded startups, businesses in the red, and organizations navigating major cultural change. Today, as CHRO of Wausau Supply Company, he brings that same mindset to one of the LBM industry's most dynamic and fast-growing organizations. In this episode, Bob and Tony cover the career arc that shaped him -- from a safety role at a paper converting operation in Oshkosh to labor relations, executive recruiting, and ultimately CHRO across some of the most complex organizations in manufacturing and distribution. Along the way, Bob developed a three-part leadership framework centered on execution, grit, and servant leadership -- and he breaks down exactly what each one means in practice. Topics covered in this episode: Why his mentor pushed him into HR when he wanted nothing to do with it Managing a two-month strike while sleeping at the plant Being hired before the company existed -- and building an HR function from a hotel conference room The 90-day execution model that transformed an underperforming business unit What Angela Duckworth's research on grit reveals about who actually succeeds How Wausau Supply is building an employer-of-choice culture across multiple brands and distribution centers Why his grandson's Pop Warner football schedule is the real reason he came back to Wisconsin