| James was not a likely candidate to be the owner | | | | to find another associate that was equal or better |
| of any business. He was often bullied by | | | | than they - and he, in turn, would hire them. By |
| coworkers and regularly had customers stolen | | | | 1924 James had opened his 500th store and |
| from him. | | | | people across the United States wondered when |
| His father was a Baptist minister and James | | | | James Cash Penny would open a store in their |
| believed in the golden rule - do unto others and | | | | town. |
| ye would have them do unto you. | | | | J.C. Penney was not rich, did not possess a college |
| It was James' father that instilled the courage to | | | | education and he was a genuinely nice guy, but he |
| make a go of it when others did not live by the | | | | knew how to inspire his 'associates'. He did not |
| same rule of order. His father's confidence would | | | | attempt to belittle them because they had not |
| sustain him when life was not fair. | | | | achieved the same success he had because he |
| James moved to Denver, Colorado in 1897 for | | | | understood that the business he was building was |
| health reasons and found work at the Golden Rule | | | | only as good as those he counted as co-laborers. |
| stores. He found the work agreeable and the | | | | The foundation of his business set a course in |
| company prospering. | | | | team building that has continued long after his |
| Thomas Callahan and Guy Johnson would | | | | death in 1971. James Cash Penney was 95 years |
| eventually ask James to join as a partner in their | | | | old. |
| store chain and he agreed. By 1902 James | | | | Team building may include listening to your staff |
| opened his own store in Wyoming. He made sure | | | | and asking for their expertise in decision-making. |
| that his store was run on a cash only basis when | | | | You may be the team leader, but if you do not |
| others were agreeing to barter or credit. | | | | take their concerns to heart the concept of |
| However, James worked to ensure the product | | | | 'team' will not be believed. |
| he sold were high quality and at a fair price. | | | | The environment of business may seem |
| Residents liked his approach. It wasn't long before | | | | significantly altered from a one-room store in |
| James changed the name of his stores. | | | | Wyoming where J.C. Penney set out to build his |
| James was a consummate team builder. He never | | | | fortune, yet the team building environment he |
| referred to those he hired as employees. To him | | | | started in the early 1900's is worth emulating |
| they were associates and he made it there job | | | | more than 100 years later. |