C-Suite: Mike Duley

FAST FACT: The Duley Group is on pace to exceed more than $100 million in sales volume this year.

If you had $1 million to give, what would you support? I’d donate 100 wishes to Make-A-Wish Mid-South. Each wish is valued at $10,000, which goes a long way in giving kids with critical illnesses a reason to smile and a joy-filled experience.

What has been your toughest leadership challenge during the pandemic? Remaining positive in telling our people that everything’s going to be OK and that we’re set up for future success. Furthermore, I’ve been challenged to make sure that I actually believe this myself and that I’m doing everything I can to ensure the future success of everyone within my organization.

What keeps you up at night or worries you the most? We have 40-plus people across our organizations. I’m always concerned about making sure we’re making the right decisions for them and their families for generations to come. Sometimes as a CEO, one can get so forward thinking and aggressive in one’s decision making. I have to balance that aggressiveness with innovative thinking and conservative decision-making because I know, at the end of the day, my decisions can impact peoples’ livelihoods in a profound way. That weighs on me.

If you weren’t in your current profession, what would you be doing? I would be the team leader of a Fortune 500 company that works directly with the largest retailer in the world: Walmart.

What is the most important thing about being a leader? Helping people break through ceilings and discover their true potential for success.

What’s the first app you launch on your phone each day? Email/Calendar. At 5 a.m. every morning, my assistant outlines my day/calendar in an email. I get a good overview of what to expect for the day and can mentally and physically prepare for those tasks.

What is the best business advice you have ever received? You can be anywhere you want to be within five years. Gary Keller showed me that the only limitations that you have in reaching your short- and long-term goals are the limitations you place on yourself and your mindset. By shifting the way you think, being purposeful and intentional with every moment you’re given, and clearly defining your goals, you can accomplish more than you can truly imagine.

Has it been a good thing or bad thing in terms of how the pandemic has altered your business’ strategy? The effects of the pandemic in terms of business has been an amazing thing in that it has forced us to refocus, rethink and reinvest in our clients, our team members and our community. For instance, we’ve given more to charities this year than we have during the entire time we’ve been an organization. In many ways, it has breathed new life and vigor into our company by helping us be laser-focused on our goals and ensuring that we are doing things the right way.

Describe your morning routine. After I check my email/calendar, I shower, get ready and help my wife get our two beautiful daughters up and ready for their day. As we’re getting breakfast ready for the girls, I will respond to any important emails or needs so that when we sit down to have breakfast together, I can focus on my family. We have a roughly one-hour commute and during that time, I chat with my girls about what’s going on in their world.