Is a Leader Born or Made?
Good question ... and one I still debate with friends and colleagues. Born or made, it is critical that a leader surround themselves with experienced and talented people. My opinion is based on more than 40 years of experience from the basketball court to the boardroom. I stand firm that leaders need an executive coach to guide you through the highs and lows of leading organizations, and one who will tell you what you need to hear ... not what you want to hear.
The expectations of leader fell on my shoulders early, as my father and basketball coach expected me to lead our team. Experiencing infinite expectations with limited capacity was already preparing me to lead. And believe me, I was most certainly told what I needed to hear, not what I wanted (and pretty loudly). I applied that experience in my role as assistant coach at the college of Charleston, and winning the 1982 NCAA NAIA National Championship was sweet victory.
That day I truly became a leader when I saw the rewards of leading a high performing team to victory. College basketball had proven the incubator that galvanized my talent for bringing out the best in others.
Ken Playing Against The University of Texas
I went from building one kind of team to another, creating record breaking sales teams at telecommunications firms across the country.
In my career, such successes generated opportunity and responsibility.
After leading thousands of employees in telecommunications, energy, and financials, my next challenge was turning managers into executives capable of leading all aspects of their organizations and employees as a leader, change agent and catalyst for growth and founder and President of Strategic Integration Services.
As a Chair for Vistage International I do just that. With the world’s largest executive peer advisory group as a platform, I help over 60 CEO's lead their organizations to the next level. I've developed a reputation for my unyielding pursuit of improvement through executive coaching, organizational development, and strategic planning across multiple industries.
Such work has made a significant impact to over 500 companies.
Needless to say I'm still striving to improve, which means helping you with strategic, human capital, and cultural issues as a Business and Leadership Consultant, Executive Coach, and Learning Facilitator.
I look forward to growing your business together.
- Ken