About

I didn't start in leadership. I joined ADMO, Inc., a custom plastic injection molder in Elgin, Illinois, in 2012 as an Administrative Assistant. Two years later I became Director of Administration and Information Systems, a role I still hold today. Growing from the front desk into leadership at the same company has given me a clear view of what shapes an organization's culture, and it rarely comes down to what's written on the wall.

I've watched values make the difference in hiring decisions, difficult conversations, and whether customers and employees trust what a company says about itself. I've also seen what happens when there's a gap between stated values and daily experience. That's why I care about values-driven leadership: it's the practical work of being who you say you are, as a person and as an organization.

Outside of leadership development, I lead ADMO's exploration of practical AI tools, and I share what I've learned with other manufacturers at PracticalAIResources.com. Both efforts come from the same belief: people do their best work when they have clarity, good tools, and leaders they can trust.

This site began as a follow-up resource for a Values-Driven Leadership roundtable I led at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026. It has grown into a place to share the books, thinkers, and exercises that have shaped my own leadership.

Connect with me: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christygiardino/