The mark of a great leader is the one who can build trust among the people they serve. Today’s guest is one of these leaders - Walter Rakowich the author of Transfluence: How to Lead with Transformative Influence in Today’s Climates of Change. He is a leadership speaker and former executive who seeks to transform organizational cultures by encouraging a transparent leadership approach that is honest, humble, and heartfelt. Walter believes this practice ultimately leads to higher trust, commitment, and performance, as well as improved workplaces and communities. Walter also serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.
I’m really looking forward to you hearing this episode as Walter reveals how to lead in a crisis.
Things you will learn in this episode:
[00:01 - 06:23] Opening Segment
I introduce today’s guest, Walter Rakowich
Transfluence
Former executive of Prologis
Announcement: travischappell.com/makemypodcast
Walt gives some background on his early life
Grew up in Pittsburgh
Middle-class family life
Love and support from family
Trying to put other people first
School life and career
Graduated in accounting
Left accounting to go to Harvard B.S.
Finding what makes leaders successful
Thoughts on expectations
[06:24 - 13:24] The Art of People Brilliance
Walt talks about his time in real estate
Example of a great boss
Big influence
People brilliant
The secret of success
Put others first
Focus on those around you
Activities with the boss
Various trips to connect with the staff
Walt’s insights on characteristics of a good leader
Walt’s story in Prologis
Humility - Honesty - Humor
It’s important to have humanness
It takes courage and confidence
Making it about other people
[13:25 - 26:53] Leading in a Crisis
Who you know or what you know?
Who you know especially in the short term
You know more people than you think
You also can’t bluff yourself through
The ‘what’ creates longevity
The one connection that led to more
Walt shares examples through his jobs
Walt shares his work and impact at Prologis
The CEO was brilliant, but difficult to work for
Watching on the sidelines
Asked to take over when the company was almost bankrupt
Adversity leads to perseverance
4 years to turn the company around
Lessons learned in the process
How to decide where to go next within a crisis
Difficult decisions upfront
Transparency first
Providing fairness
Brutal honesty
[26:54 - 31:28] Closing Segment
Walt talks about his book
Transformational Influence
Links below
The RaNdoM RoUnd
Where to find Walt - links below
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Final words
Tweetable Quotes:
“If you really, truly want to succeed in life - put others first and begin to focus on the people around you.” - Walter Rakowich
“Humility, honesty, and humanness - I call it my 3-H core… Humility is how you see yourself, I think humanness or heart, is how you see other people, and honesty is really the transaction that connects the two.” - Walter Rakowich
Resources Mentioned:
Transfluence
You can connect with Walt on LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit https://waltrakowich.com to learn even more.
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