Meet Tom Williams, a purpose-driven leader who believes the strongest organizations are built through clear strategy, engaged people, and leadership that puts people first.
As the former Chairman and CEO of Parker Hannifin, Tom led more than 60,000 employees while guiding one of the world’s largest manufacturers through a period of growth and transformation. Throughout his tenure, he focused on creating a culture centered around safety, employee ownership, financial strength, and purpose—proving that investing in people drives lasting business performance.
Tom’s leadership journey spans decades of executive experience, where he developed a reputation for combining strategic thinking with a people-first approach. From defining the strategic themes that shaped his time as CEO to creating a company-wide purpose that united employees around a common mission, Tom shares practical lessons on building organizations that perform at the highest level.
Leading an organization of Parker Hannifin’s size required more than setting financial goals. Tom explains why engaging employees, measuring culture, empowering ownership, and consistently communicating priorities helped create an environment where people felt connected to both their work and the company’s long-term success.
In this episode of What’s Up at Work?, Tom joins host Sam Clyde Schroeder to discuss defining your leadership legacy, creating cultures built on trust and accountability, and why leaders should focus on developing great people before anything else.
He also shares insights on the power of strategic focus, the relationship between employee engagement and business results, building organizational purpose, making difficult leadership decisions, and the lessons he learned from leading one of Northeast Ohio’s most successful companies.
Tune in to hear Tom’s perspective on leadership, organizational culture, employee engagement, strategic decision-making, purpose-driven business, and why great leaders measure their success by the success of the people around them.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
- 00:00 – Introduction & Defining Your Leadership Era
- 03:00 – Strategy, Talent & Setting Organizational Priorities
- 05:30 – Why Safety Became Parker Hannifin’s First Strategic Theme
- 08:00 – Creating Employee Ownership Through Engagement
- 11:00 – Connecting Employee Engagement to Business Performance
- 12:30 – Building a Top Quartile Organization
- 16:15 – Financial Leadership & Strategic Capital Allocation
- 19:15 – Why Purpose Matters as Much as Performance
- 23:30 – Advice for the Next Generation of Leaders
- 25:00 – Leadership Lessons & Moving Faster on Decisions
- 26:00 – HR Hot Seat & Rapid Fire Questions
Episode Links
