What does it take to grow a business from 3 million to over 350 million dollars without losing sight of your purpose, people, or principles? In this Leadership With Heart Podcast episode, I reconnect with Ron Alvesteffer, President and CEO of Service Express, who returns with even more perspective, humility, and wisdom than when we first spoke years ago.
Ron shares what it means to lead a fast-growing organization in today’s business world without focusing only on numbers or scale. At the core of his message is a deep belief that culture starts with people and that sustainable growth is built on the foundation of hiring, empowering, and retaining the right talent. He opens up about how his leadership philosophy has evolved since he was first featured in my book The Art of Caring Leadership, and how his commitment to continuous learning, coaching, and intentionality keeps him energized in the face of new challenges.
In our conversation, Ron discusses embracing the journey, not just the milestones. He reflects on lessons learned through failure, why running toward problems is often where the most significant breakthroughs happen, and how he continues to sharpen his self-leadership skills even as his role expands. We also explore how to hold people accountable with care, avoid the burnout trap of being “busy,” and what it means to be a leader who builds other leaders.
Whether you’re a CEO, team manager, or someone simply trying to figure out your next move, there’s something in this episode for you. Ron’s story is a reminder that growth—real, meaningful growth—isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about showing up, doing the work, staying humble, and staying hungry.
What challenges have shaped your leadership the most? And how do you make space to keep growing when the pace doesn’t slow? Let me know what resonated with you and share your thoughts after listening.
During Ron Alvesteffer’s 25+ years of leadership at Service Express, he’s expanded the company’s international footprint through eleven acquisitions in the US, UK and Canada, and turned a US team of 15 into a global team of over 1,000. Ron has helped grow the
company’s revenue from $3 million to over $350 million. Through the company’s remarkable growth, Ron has remained committed to his people and has created a unique, performance-driven culture.
Service Express is the leader in global data center and infrastructure solutions, dedicated to delivering the best-in-class experiences for customers worldwide. This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement. Service Express’ people-powered philosophy is dedicated to cultivating a culture of growth that empowers its people to achieve their personal, professional and financial goals, which
Ron attributes it to outstanding individual and company success.
As the chief advocate for Service Express’ culture, Ron was voted one of Comparably’s Best CEOs in 2021 based on employee ratings. His dedication to his people has guided the company’s award-winning culture, earning Service Express many awards, including:
- Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation (15 years)
- Inc.’s 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies (14 years)
- Great Place to Work Certified (8 years)
- Among other national and regional awards
Ron is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact
Mentions
Connect with Heather on LinkedIn
Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the podcast on Spotify
Connect with Heather
WHEN YOU’RE READY, HERE’S HOW WE CAN HELP:
Engage your people with work culture consulting: https://employeefanatix.com/
Hire Heather to speak to your group: https://www.heatheryounger.com
Access free Art of Caring Leadership resources: https://heatheryounger.com/kit/
Let’s connect on social
About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
Visit heatheryounger.com or https://www.cmispeakers.com/heather-r-younger for more details.
