He has been called an iconic leader, a positive disruptor, and a passionate people person who has inspired probably tens, if not, hundreds of thousands directly and indirectly across the globe to put more heart, more connectivity, and more appreciation into their work, their relationships, and their lives.

Steve Browne, SHRM-SCP, is vice president of HR for LaRosa’s Inc., Cincinnati’s hometown pizzeria restaurant chain with more than 1,100 team members. He serves on the Board of the nearly 300,00 member Society of Human Resource Management, and for about 18 years has been running the local HR Roundtable – growing its monthly meeting attendance from roughly a handful to more than 140 people. Thousands follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter; and many more are touched by his insight through his talks, interviews, and now his book titled HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion.

He is one of those rare gifts who makes anyone in his presence feel valued. He is as genuinely impressed with the life experiences of a pizza delivery driver as a CEO. He is as eager to hear about your interest in cats as your interest in reading, sports, volunteerism or leadership. From Steve’s perspective, everyone is important for their own unique qualities and everyone deserves the opportunity to be heard, respected and to contribute. He is driven by his desire to connect with others. It energizes him. It gives his life purpose.

“I have learned incredible things about people by being interested. I want to be excited about them,” he told me.

I had known of Steve long before we first met in person when I attended one of his HR Roundtable get togethers – which, by the way, is not just for human resources professionals any longer. When Steve took over its leadership, that was one of the many changes put in place. He wanted it to be a different kind of networking event, a very personable one, where connections are made on a deeper level than simply an exchange of business cards and where the discussions leave attendees uplifted for their day. If you go, expect to be welcomed by Steve out front as he greets guests on their way in. It is one small gesture that has a big impact. “It matters that you are there,” he told me.

And, in his human resources role, it matters to him that organizational cultures change to provide more flexibility, to be asking the question, “How can we help each employee succeed?” instead of, “How can we make each employee conform for us?”

On Becoming The Double Exclamation Point Enthusiast!!

Steve grew up in a small town of 2500 people, he likens to Mayberry, a blue collar neighborhood where everyone knows each other. “Personally,” he said, “I was always taught to be others focused. I was the guy who hung out with every kind of person in high school and college.”

His parents were a huge influence. His mother was a teacher for years and always active in their community. Steve remembers her coming home and telling them about the lives of every student she ever had. And to this day, those students – now adults – still reach out to her. His father died when Steve was four and his mother remarried during his teenage years. His stepfather just celebrated his 35^th year as a village councilman while Steve’s mother, at 79, was named Citizen of the Year.

With that kind of upbringing, it is no wonder Steve grew up to be someone who flourishes most when in the presence of others, usually doing things to bring value to their life. Sure, he was really good at math and science but this high school valedictorian was failing in college when he was majoring in engineering. That’s when his wise mother stepped in and suggested he find another major, something that would allow him to surround himself with people. He switched his major to ‘interpersonal communication’ because pretty much that meant it would prepare him for anything from being a pastor to a social worker to human resources.

And the rest is history.

I asked Steve a few more questions to get to know him.

Lisa: Outside of your parents, tell me about someone else who as has inspired you.
Steve: This is a hard question because I get energized by everyone I meet. There are many people in my life like that, people who life others up naturally. You just want to be with them. I have seen that done in a quiet or robust way. Fred Eck, my bud, calls me every week just to see how I am doing. That is inspiring. If he misses a week, I call him to see if he is ok. We met through Ohio SHRM and he has been a mentor to me for about 20 years.

Lisa:  What is something which people outside your inner circle may be surprised to learn about you?
Steve:  Actually, I am the most open book person you will ever meet. I will tell you everything about my life the day we meet. I write poetry and now I do that every week. I have books of poems that I have written. All the stuff in my head has to come out. I also have four lava lamps. It is a nightmare. Let me be weird. It is ok.

Lisa: You talk about a life and human resources lesson from your daughter’s sport. Please tell us about that.
Steve: My daughter was an average basketball player on her team. The coach needed to make room for other players, and so asked if my daughter would like to be team manager instead. She (the coach) called me to talk about it first and I said I thought it was a brilliant idea. She wanted to do the best for my daughter and created a role that didn’t exist so that my daughter could continue to be a valued member of the team. Organizationally, if we thought of employees that way, how amazing would that be? If we asked, ‘how can I find a way to make this fit for her better? I am one of those odd people who sees human resources in everything.

Lisa: When you awake each morning, to what are you most looking forward?
Steve: I am naïve enough to not worry about the day ahead. I’d rather take it as it comes. It is not that I don’t care, but I don’t know what the future is, so I don’t let it bother me. Each day is new and it will be challenging with ups and downs. That is exciting. I dread the days that are dull. If I come across someone disinterested, I don’t get it. I am blessed beyond measure. There are so many amazing people all around me.

I was listening to an interview Steve did recently with Jennifer McClure on her podcast, Impact Makers.

“I get geeked when I see other people,” he told her. “It doesn’t matter if they are employees or strangers I pass on the street. Something as simple as saying ‘hello’ or smiling may be just what someone needs to shatter the darkness he or she is dealing with. There are not great efforts or initiatives needed. You have the ability to be the light. The decision is yours.”

Yes, Steve, the decision is ours! Thanks for being our role model!