It's All About the Shoes

And that is something Stollenwerk has done for almost a quarter of a century. Since he bought the company in 1980, his guiding principle has been a commitment to quality. In 1984, when the original shoe factory burned to the ground on a firehose-freezing Wisconsin morning, Stollenwerk reminded his employees that their greatest asset had been left unscathed. "We have lost a plant," he said, asking them to raise their hands above their heads. "We have not lost the skilled hands that make our shoes."

But ask him what he does to set that tone on an everyday basis -- how he communicates to his team the kind of quality he expects -- and Stollenwerk becomes frustrated, exasperated almost, that you can't see how simple it is. A commitment to quality is woven into his DNA, and he surrounds himself with people who have made the same inner vow. "It's my life. It's the way we live, it's the way I was raised," he says forcefully. "It's me. Consequently, I surround myself with people who have the same philosophy." That philosophy -- built around a willingness to sacrifice short-term gains for the long-term good of his organization -- is what defines Stollenwerk's quiet kind of courage.