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American Infrastructure Funds CEO Bob Hellman talks the value of a mission

January 1, 2019 / 5 minute watch

Bob Hellman says there’s no such thing as overcommunicating — especially when it comes to your company’s mission. Why? “People don’t care what you do, they care why you do it.”

Bob Hellman, managing director and CEO of American Infrastructure Funds, recently visited our Detroit office, and I had the pleasure of sitting down with him. Bob’s been in the private capital business for more than 30 years and has had a pretty incredible career, helping to build more than 70 companies.

In the videos above, Bob shares his insights on the keys to leadership, the importance of integrity, and the value of a strong mission. I found Bob to be an all-around fascinating guy. (How many people do you know that were actually on the field for “The Play” from the 1982 Cal vs. Stanford game?)

I hope you enjoy his perspective and learn as much from him as I did.

Leadership personality profile:

Your leadership approach in one word: Strategic
The leadership quality you most admire in others: Making decisive commitments quickly around which a team rallies and executes
Your best piece of business advice: Have a vision and mission for where you are going with your team or business, and communicate that constantly.

What you look for when you hire: A strong history of commitment and an unlimited desire to learn and do more

To be an effective leader, you cannot… lose sight of the larger picture — the mission of your business (how you want your company/division/team to make a difference).

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