Rebecca Braitling, Poyee Chiu, and Sue Covelli-Buntley of UpSpiral Leadership interview Ken Warman. Ken is the founder of The Leader’s Evolution, a leadership consulting firm with the mission to “Build and develop successful people, great leaders, and high-performing teams”. Ken helps his clients become more purpose-driven leaders through his coaching practice and improves their individual and organizational performance. Before founding The Leader’s Evolution, Ken led teams as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Consulting Practice for Prudential Financial. He is also a coach with UpSpiral Leadership.
[00:29] Introducing Ken Warman
[10:09] The Leader’s Evolution
[17:27] Finding Your Purpose
[20:22] What Ken Has Learned about Himself
[22:44] Ken’s Definition of Success
[27:54] The Challenges Ken Has Faced
[30:25] Lightning Round: A Series Of Brief Questions
[38:47] The Flip: Career growth is a series of positions
Adversity instigates change. For Ken, losing his job forced him to pivot. He used the time to reflect on what impact he wanted to have on the world around him and identify the qualities he believed would facilitate that change. The prospect of working with different types of people drove him to start his own company, rather than with a single company and certain kinds of leaders.
To Ken, leadership is an evolution that requires time and considerable effort. In his work, he tries to meet people where they are in their journeys and help them move forward. He aims to help his clients maximize their impact on the people around them and act as a catalyst in their leadership evolution.
It is a worthy endeavor to find your purpose. Finding his passion and helping others find it has been very rewarding for Ken. However, he maintains that finding one’s purpose is very challenging to do in isolation. To propel you forward in your journey, he stresses the importance of having a coach to challenge you and your beliefs. Attempting to find your purpose requires a commitment to the cause and the person you have chosen to help you.
Your purpose changes over the course of your life. The things that motivated him in his 20s are not the same things that inspire Ken now. His purpose and priorities have shifted, so he urges people to take a fresh look at what drives and motivates the person they are in this moment.
It is healthy and exciting to pivot. Ken encourages people to think differently about their career trajectories and what they could do. Many people experience a transformation within their lifetimes that shifts their frame of reference and their priorities, so it’s worth looking into how they can align their career trajectories with their new focus.
Through starting The Leader’s Evolution, Ken learned that he has at least some tolerance for risk, which is in part what allowed him to make such a drastic change at a late stage in his career. His definition of success has developed and changed alongside his career. He sees resilience and consistency as vital traits of success.
According to Ken, career growth is an excellent opportunity to learn, spread our wings, and try things we may struggle with. Greatness is about expanding our horizons, as well as growing and evolving. Ken is energized by people who are inspired when they do something new or do something differently.
For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the UpSpiral Leadership website, and remember to tune in on the next episode!