When I first met Tom Stemberg, the founder of Staples, he wowed me.
So much so that I quit my job at Macy's to join a startup, without even knowing what the company was.
That’s how compelling his vision was.
At the time, I had a great job at Macy’s. I was among the few selected for their prestigious retail training program.
I actually left a promotion on the table because of Tom’s vision.
He had a clear mission: build a great company that helps American small businesses.
His early success was convincing, but it was his conviction in the idea of providing essential office supplies at unbeatable prices that sold me.
The whole conversation happened while we were standing in a parking lot. Tom talked about his plan to build a company that America needed, a company that would help small businesses thrive.
He was so persuasive that I immediately said, “I’m in!” without even checking with my wife (we had been married only three months at the time).
I still have the original business plan that Tom gave me. It came in a one-inch black binder, typed out using a Smith Corona typewriter.
He said if we were super successful, we might have 100 stores. He underestimated us. By the time I left, we had over 1,900 stores, among an industry-wide 4,500 stores.
When we celebrated our 25-year anniversary at our annual field leadership conference in 2011, I shared the business principles that Tom included with the offer letter he sent me when I first joined as a store manager in 1987. In it, he talked about Staples being the “purveyor” of office supplies to small businesses in America.
That document—which you can see below—was my Bible. It guided me as I rose to become the president over the course of my 28 years with Staples.
That day, at Staples’ quarter-century celebration, I displayed this letter on the jumbotron, in front of an audience that included 1500+ store managers.
It resonated deeply with those managers. The letter proved to them that I was once in their shoes, and had risen to the top of the company, driven by Tom’s vision.
That vision for Staples wasn’t just about a store or a company. It was about revolutionizing an industry.
His commitment to helping small businesses succeed was infectious and drove our mission forward.
Tom’s ability to articulate a compelling vision and inspire action is a testament to what great leadership looks like. To this day, his vision and business plan remain guiding lights for me.
They are reminders of the power of conviction and clear purpose that great leaders can provide.