The Real Values Behind Leadership

Humans are the only creatures on the planet who have a gap between stimulus and response. Your leadership isn’t found in job titles or policies, but rather how you use the “gift of the gap”: how you overcome emotions in order choose to handle a rude customer, respond to an empty shift, and balance policy with empathy and humanity. 

In other words, it’s not a poster on the breakroom wall—it’s embedded in the barcode of everything you do. 

This full-day experience—designed specifically for store-level leaders—is an engaging, funny, and deeply practical exploration of what leadership really looks like on the floor. Through stories, laughter, structured reflection, and high-energy collaboration and competition, you will identify the values that will actually shape your decisions—and leave with a leadership tool you can use immediately to ensure you’re not distracted from that commitment. 

We’ll explore why real leadership often feels invisible, why good people sometimes make bad choices under pressure, and how to build a personal “leadership test” that helps you lead with clarity and consistency—even on days when everything’s going sideways. 

By the end of this session, you will be able to: 

• Identify the core personal leadership values that already drive your leadership (and define them in real-life terms) 
• Engage in a deeper, collective examination of the organizational values you use to guide decision-making in the workplace 
• Recognize the simple, often invisible actions that define true leadership in a retail environment 
• Build a simple daily accountability tool to turn values into habits (even in chaotic or exhausting shifts) 
• Learn and share strategies with peers for managing people, pressure, and performance with integrity 
• Better understand the professional and financial support offered by CGA in building your skills and career 

Featured Speaker

Drew Dudley

Somewhere around the middle of his undergraduate education, Drew realized engaging with the world was a lot more fun than writing papers about it. While still a student he became heavily involved in Canada’s largest post-secondary charitable initiative in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, eventually serving as the National Chair of the organization. As he moved into his career, he took on the challenge of creating and building the Leadership Development Program at the University of Toronto, which became the largest and most dynamic in the country.

It was those leadership students who changed the course of Drew’s professional life: they secretly organized a campaign to put him onstage at TEDxToronto 2010, where he delivered a talk that would go on to generate more than 8 million views around the web. A high-achieving lifestyle took its toll however: undiagnosed bipolar disorder set the foundation for binge eating and drinking, and Drew grew to over 300 pounds while struggling with the emotional challenges of a career that kept him on the road 250 days a year.

Drew credits the Day One process with saving his life—he began applying the process to improving his mental and physical health. Recognizing how many people were struggling silently with similar battles, Drew began infusing these experiences into his keynotes, hoping to remind people that their scars in no way stand in the way of their leadership.

In 2018, Drew shared both his story and the Day One process in his first book This is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters. Today, Drew continues to travel the world sharing the Day One process with organizations of all kinds—aiming to redefine leadership for as many people as possible.

To kick off summer, the CGA Independent Operators Committee hosted the inaugural Independent Grocers Bocce Ball Tournament on Tuesday, June 3.

Nearly 100 independent operators and suppliers met in San Rafael for a laid back day of networking, connection, and fun on the bocce court. Attendees enjoyed tasty bites and refreshments provided by our generous event sponsors.

Check out event photos below.

A Bold New Identity

The California Grocers Association is excited to unveil a new identity for its signature annual convention.  With renewed energy, a new venue, and a refocused program, this event will emphasize connection and be a difference-maker for retailers and brands doing business in the nation’s largest grocery marketplace. Introducing Gather California, our new brand celebrates the CGA conference’s unique role in bringing together California’s grocery industry to build new relationships and learn about emerging trends.

Click the link below to learn more and register.

Embrace the California Way

Our refocused education program will unlock the emerging trends that are driving California’s dynamic grocery industry—the very trends that set the pace for the rest of the country. With our new, refreshed model, Gather California will emphasize opportunities for connection and relationship-building throughout the conference. CGA will maintain the productive, pre-scheduled meeting format we are known for, but add inviting spaces and events that are conducive to building lasting connections.

Mark Your Calendar

The Westin Rancho Mirage Resort & Spa will be the new host hotel of Gather California. Attendees will enjoy being together in one location with upgraded accommodations and access to all property amenities, including the luxurious spa, restaurant, pools, gym, and championship golf facilities.

Save the date for Gather California on September 21-23, 2025 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Resort.