Core Values and Leadership Principles

Leadership Principles

Embodying Our Leadership Principles: The Standards We Uphold

TraceLink's 10 Leadership Principles, deeply ingrained in our core values, are the cornerstone of our company culture and our steadfast commitment to achieving our mission. These principles not only define our identity and our approach to success but also shape the way we interact with one another.

At TraceLink, we champion the belief that leadership extends beyond titles and hierarchical levels. It's the conduct and behavior that truly distinguish our leaders, empowering talent across all tiers of the organization to lead and inspire.

People Are Intrinsic to Our Business

Foster a culture of trust and open communication.

Leaders mean what they say and say what they mean. Trust is a two-way street and isn’t the responsibility of just one person. Leaders disagree in a respectful way and don’t belittle or try to embarrass others. At the end of the day, they fully commit to the decision of the team and support it 100%.

Work as one team.

Leaders know the best solutions aren’t attributed to one person’s ideas. They seek different opinions, ask people to pressure test ideas, and encourage others to share their thoughts. Leaders debate openly and respectfully and don’t make it personal. Leaders roll up their sleeves and leave title and level at the door because no task is beneath them.

Integrity is Everything

Do the right thing, even when it isn't easy.

Leaders focus on what’s right for TraceLink and our customers, even when it’s hard. Even if it means standing alone or being the lone voice in the room. They don’t look to make things more difficult or complicated, but they also don’t take the easy road only to check something off their task list or to pass problems on to someone else.

Hold others accountable to high standards and insist on integrity.

Leaders understand that integrity is the foundation of trust. They make decisions in the best interest of TraceLink, not themselves. Leaders don’t settle or sacrifice integrity for results. They hire and advance people who raise the bar and drive their teams to deliver high-quality products, services, processes, and solutions.

Leadership to Drive Industry-Wide Transformation

Empower and enable others to work as one team.

Leaders have extremely high standards. They do their homework. They listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others with respect. They empower and build up others. They recognize exceptional talent and actively support their movement throughout the organization. Coaching and development should be practiced daily. Leaders work on behalf of their people, and their success is dependent upon the success of those who depend upon them.

Establish purpose before action.

Leaders spend less time putting out fires and more time preventing them. They ask questions and do their research to ensure a solid understanding before they start to build an action plan. Leaders don’t make rash decisions in the heat of the moment. They consider the impact on customers and other teams. Leaders don’t require consensus; they expect collaboration.

Innovation Allows Us to Build Tomorrow's Solutions Today

Be curious, think big, learn from everything, and step outside your comfort zone.

Leaders are committed to professional growth and are never done learning. They challenge the status quo. Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re curious about the business challenges we solve for our customers, and why this matters. They step outside their comfort zone to explore new solutions and ways of operating to improve.

Encourage innovation and calculated risk-taking.

Leaders are always looking for ways to improve things and innovate. Innovative thinking isn’t limited to one team. Leaders aren’t afraid to take risks, and rely on research, data, and experience to make the best decisions. They know that speed matters but moving too fast is an unnecessary risk. Leaders seek opinions to help test their theories; they iterate and refine solutions based on feedback from others. They hate to fail but when it happens, they learn from the experience. Leaders don’t like to make the same mistake twice.

Results Determine Our Success

Show grit and resilience through extreme ownership and accountability.

Leaders relentlessly pursue their goals and don’t settle for “good enough”. Leaders are quick to identify problems and their potential solutions, and focus the time and effort of the team on the best solution. They never say “that's not my job”. Leaders have thick skin and determination. When they stumble, they get up, dust themselves off, and get right back on track.

Know the customer.

Leaders know we only succeed when our customers succeed. They always start with the customer and work backwards. Leaders make the time to understand the customers, their business challenges, and how we can impact their results and success. They don’t take any customer for granted, regardless of size or status. Leaders also remember their internal customers. They know that by serving them, they’re contributing to the success of customers who rely on TraceLink’s products and services.