Quentin J. Williams
General Manager
Cintas Corporation
Born: Louisville, KY
High School:
Trinity High School
College & Degree(s):
Northern Kentucky Univ.
BA, Criminal Justice, Area of Concertation in Social Work.
Indian Wesleyan
MBA-Emphasis in Applied Management
Urban League Young Professionals
As general manager, you set the tone for over 125 employees at Cintas. What are some of the ways you keep your team engaged and motivated?
First and foremost I believe you lead with a vision, a vison that accentuates the core values you would like your employees to operate by. As leaders we must exude passion, when we are truly passionate and inspired, the people around us… they naturally feel the same. Last but not least, I believe we all need a purpose, so as a leader we must make sure everyone upstands there purpose and we lead with a purpose.
What is the most difficult part of being the boss?
There are times that you encounter people that you believe in more than they believe in themselves. When I hired you I saw the potential and I believe my job/purpose is to serve you the best way I can to help you develop and reach the goals you have set for yourself. When that person does not fight for those same goals, it leads me to be consistently trying to figure out how to get them to see what I see. Sometimes people can be their own worse enemy.
Tell us about your role as Vice President of the University City Chamber of Commerce.
My role in the chamber allows me to support and contribute to the business community within University City. The heartbeat of University City and other municipalities in my opinion are the small business owners. These are folks that have worked their whole lives to fulfill a dream of doing what they truly love. They work day and night to provide for their families and employees’ families. From shops to restaurants, these businesses also provide comfort to the customers that enjoy their product. I mentioned earlier that I am supporting the business community, but hopefully I am helping dreams stay alive.
You also support a number of initiatives with University City High School. Why is it particularly important to you to be engaged in the U-City community?
I have always been a strong believer that as a leader we must be where our people are. We employ and work alongside employees/partners they have strong roots in University City. So why not invest my time in a community I call home for 10-12 hours a day? You mentioned University City High School, from what I have seen the administrators and teachers care deeply about helping these students gain the knowledge they need to be who and what they want to be. I can’t be everything to everybody but I can be somebody to someone. These students are our future leaders, so I am thankful to be able to pass along what I have learned so far in this journey we call life.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy every aspect of being a father and a husband, so my free time is spent with them…from attending their sporting events, doing homework, watching movies, and volunteering where we can. I also like spending time with our friends, where laughter is prevalent and dominoes and spades games are being played.
