Explore every episode of the podcast Leadership is Everything

Leadership is about more than building successful organizations. It's about creating environments where people thrive, customers become advocates, and purpose drives performance.

In this episode of Leadership Is Everything, host BJ Green sits down with David Salyers, former Vice President of Marketing at Chick-fil-A and co-author of Remarkable!. Over nearly four decades, David helped transform Chick-fil-A from a struggling regional business into one of the most admired brands in the United States.

David shares lessons from working alongside Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, the power of purpose-driven leadership, and why the most successful businesses focus on creating value rather than extracting it. He also explores the role culture plays in organizational success, how leaders build environments that attract exceptional talent, and why truly remarkable brands are willing to make trade-offs their competitors won't.

Whether you're leading a company, a team, or your own entrepreneurial venture, this conversation offers practical insights on building organizations that endure and leaders who leave a lasting impact.

• Why the best leaders view business as a way to create value, not simply generate wealth
• How a clear purpose can guide organizations through challenging seasons
• Why culture can become a powerful competitive advantage when intentionally developed
• How Chick-fil-A's operator model helped create a superior team member and customer experience
• The importance of making long-term decisions that competitors may be unwilling to make
• Why great leaders focus on developing other leaders rather than creating followers
• How coaching, not controlling, helps people reach their full potential

Hosted by BJ Green, Leadership is Everything, a SouthState Bank podcast, explores the habits, disciplines, and real-world experiences of leaders who are building high-performing organizations and teams.

Whether you're leading a company, a department, a project, or a community, these conversations are designed to help you become a more effective leader.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow Leadership Is Everything for monthly discussions with leaders who are building exceptional organizations, developing great teams, and creating lasting impact in their communities and industries.

The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of the participants involved and do not necessarily represent those of SouthState Bank and its employees.

SouthState Bank, N.A. - Member FDIC

Leadership isn't just a title. It's a responsibility.

BJ Green, Atlanta Group President at SouthState Bank and a lifelong student of leadership, created Leadership is Everything to uncover the habits, mindsets, and lessons of leaders who build organizations, develop teams, and carry the weight of difficult decisions.

Each month, he'll have candid conversations with accomplished leaders from across the Atlanta market and beyond to explore what leadership looks like in practice, not just in theory.

In the debut episode of Leadership is Everything, BJ sits down with John Corbett, CEO of SouthState Bank, to discuss the principles that transformed a small de novo institution into one of the Southeast's leading regional banks. John shares the philosophy that has guided his leadership journey: thinking big but acting small. He explains how that mindset has shaped SouthState's culture, fueled sustainable growth, and helped the organization maintain an entrepreneurial spirit even as it expanded significantly in size and scale.

• Why great leaders balance ambitious vision with disciplined execution
• How "Think Big, Act Small" became a foundational principle at SouthState Bank
• The leadership habits required to scale an organization without losing its culture
• Why maintaining a community-bank mindset can be a competitive advantage
• Lessons learned from leading through growth, change, and uncertainty

John shares how this philosophy isn't just a slogan. It's a leadership framework that influences decision-making, employee engagement, customer relationships, and organizational culture throughout SouthState Bank.

Hosted by BJ Green, Leadership is Everything, a SouthState Bank podcast, explores the habits, disciplines, and real-world experiences of leaders who are building high-performing organizations and teams.

Whether you're leading a company, a department, a project, or a community, these conversations are designed to help you become a more effective leader.

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe and follow Leadership is Everything for monthly discussions with leaders who are making an impact across the Atlanta business community and beyond.

The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of the participants involved and do not necessarily represent those of SouthState Bank and its employees.

SouthState Bank, N.A. - Member FDIC