The View from the Top: Jordan Papé (Bus’01)

Leadership is more than just a core set of skills. More than ever, it demands adaptability as ways of work change and challenges become more complex. Leeds alumni share the leadership lessons that have helped them motivate, inspire and problem-solve. Read other leaders' stories here.

Jordan Papé (Bus’01), CEO of Papé

When Jordan Papé was poised to take the helm of his family’s fourth-generation capital equipment solutions company as chief executive officer, his older brother and partner sat him down for a tough conversation. His brother used the analogy of a ream of paper to express how tiny actions, each one flimsy like a single sheet of paper, can have a significant collective impact­—similar to the “thud” of a ream of paper dropped on a desk. He used grace to have a difficult conversation, and that stuck with the new CEO.

And that’s how Papé leads today—by surrounding himself with people smarter than himself, with wildly different perspectives and with the grace and humility to move toward progress through failures and challenges. Papé remembers Leeds professors who inspired him because they stood up for their convictions and weren’t afraid to offer different perspectives. He also credits his time in a CU fraternity for teaching him life balance and a respect for serving others.

“It’s about trying to work with and volunteer for people who solve problems differently than you,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to serve in places where you have a fundamental disagreement with folks.”

Today, while he spends his time helping make sure that the family is on the same page about business direction and the future, he trusts others to manage the day-to-day so he can also focus his business leadership on the state of Oregon. Along with his role as CEO, Papé currently chairs the Oregon chamber of commerce, is the chair of the Oregon chapter of the Young Presidents Organization, and is on the executive committee of the state roundtable for Oregon.

“You have to trust your team, and when somebody does something that’s different than what you would do or how you would do it, and it doesn’t go well, you have to have the grace to allow that person to learn without feeling threatened,” Papé said. “We all want to limit mistakes, but it’s far more valuable to encourage your team to make real-time decisions if you want them to reach their full potential.”