The Leadership Playbook: Lessons from Fastenal’s Culture with Sam Aldinger

In a digital age dominated by platforms, AI, and process optimization, it’s easy to forget that people still power everything. That’s the powerful reminder at the heart of this conversation with Sam Aldinger, a 20-year Fastenal veteran and deeply respected leader in B2B.

This isn’t just a story about eCommerce. It’s about leadership, humility, and building cultures where people thrive.

“People buy from people.”

It’s a simple truth, but one that gets lost in a world obsessed with automation. Sam emphasizes that relationships drive B2B, not just transactions. Even the biggest contracts succeed or fail based on trust, consistency, and empathy, not just pricing or product catalogs​.

The BK Legacy: Lead by Example

Fastenal’s late founder, Bob “BK” Kierlin, built an $8B business on timeless values like humility, empowerment, and servant leadership. He talked to everyone, from secretaries to CEOs, as equals. He gave people opportunities and got out of their way.

Sam described his own journey: being “thrown into the deep end” with support, not control. That culture of letting people learn created high ownership and personal growth, a lesson many companies sorely need today​.

“The best leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about helping your people win, and then getting out of the way.” – Sam Aldinger

Real Culture Is Modeled, Not Marketed

You can’t fake values. As Sam and host Sarah Falcon discussed, real company culture isn’t crafted by writing slogans, it’s revealed in how leaders act. BK didn’t preach servant leadership; he practiced it. And people followed.

“You’re not successful because of what you did. You’re successful because someone gave you a shot.” – Sam Aldinger​

Tech Should Serve People, Not Replace Them

AI and automation are powerful tools, but they should free people to do what only people can do: build relationships, solve problems, and lead change.

Sam shares how he uses AI as a personal editor, freeing up brain space for deeper work. Likewise, in B2B eCommerce, removing order entry from sales teams isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about empowering sales to actually sell, consult, relate, and support buyers​.

It All Comes Down to Empathy

Fastenal’s cultural values, “suppress your ego,” “listen rather than speak,” “develop empathy”, are more than words. They’re a roadmap for transforming both internal teams and customer relationships.

In the B2B world, Sam reminds us that adoption, culture, and leadership are all human problems, not just technical ones. And you don’t fix human problems with more dashboards.

A Community Worth Building

This episode closes with a challenge: let’s make B2B eCommerce more than efficient, let’s make it human.

Let’s create a space where credit is shared, ego is suppressed, and everyone has a shot to contribute. Let’s build the kind of industry where people want to be.