---
title: "Growing with Purpose Podcast: \"Can a Leader Care Too Much?\" with Elizabeth Glasbrenner"
description: On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Elizabeth Glasbrenner, Co-Founder, President/CEO at Smiley Technologies.
---

[Insight for Business Leaders Building Great Values-Driven Companies ](https://blog.smallgiants.org)

# [Growing with Purpose Podcast: "Can a Leader Care Too Much?" with Elizabeth Glasbrenner](https://blog.smallgiants.org/growing-with-purpose-elizabeth-glasbrenner)

 Written by [Elizabeth Glasbrenner](https://blog.smallgiants.org/author/elizabeth-glasbrenner) | September 18, 2020

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On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Elizabeth Glasbrenner, co-founder and President/CEO of [Smiley Technologies, Inc.](https://www.sibanking.com)

Smiley Technologies, Inc. (STI), is a group of entrepreneurial, service-centric software developers and support staff in Central Arkansas, with business practices and traditions that recall those who ushered in the first big wave of bank technology innovation a half century ago. Smiley Technologies is also a [2020 Forbes Small Giant: Best Small Companies in America](https://blog.smallgiants.org/forbes-small-giants-2020).

Although Elizabeth co-founded the business with her brother seventeen years ago, she never envisioned herself as CEO. A self-described bleeding heart, she worked in non-profits and gravitated to positions where she could be in service to others and help them succeed. When she had the opportunity to become CEO of Smiley, she was reluctant — she thought she cared far too much to become CEO. But she took a leap of faith and accepted the role, drawing inspiration from her father's example of purpose-driven leadership that she witnessed growing up. Today, Elizabeth is a compassionate servant leader leading a successful and profitable business. 

In this episode, hear how Elizabeth challenged her own beliefs about leadership to realize she was built to become a CEO. Plus, hear Paul and Elizabeth discuss what the role of a leader really is: to help create success for other people.

Tune in to Elizabeth's story below.

 

**Show Notes: **

**[1:58]** A Family-Inspired Business  
**[9:15] **Helping Others Succeed Makes Me Happy  
**[14:48] **How Bleeding Hearts Can Manage People  
**[21:51] **I Learn from Everyone, Everyday  
**[28:28]** Balancing Family Life and Leadership  
**[29:25]** Don't Be Afraid of Judgment from Others

**Book that Influenced Elizabeth's Leadership:  
**[***No Man's Land: Where Growing Companies Fail* by Doug Tatum**](https://www.amazon.com/No-Mans-Land-Growing-Companies/dp/1591842492)

 

[View full post](https://blog.smallgiants.org/growing-with-purpose-elizabeth-glasbrenner)

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