Episode 3 of Season 6 begins with the Living Leadership Interview segment. This week I had the joy to discuss leadership philosophy, the skills great leaders utilize, and the importance of lifelong learning with Trinity alumnus Kyle Porter.
Kyle is the Director of Player Performance with the Colorado Rapids who play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Western Division. Before joining the Rapids in 2022, he worked as the irector of Soccer Performance at FC Arizona, and owned and operated Porter Athletic Performance in which he worked with over six soccer academies and clubs.
While at Trinity, Kyle was a two-year captain (2011 & 2012), won four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championships, and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament four times with three Sweet Sixteen appearances, and one Elite Eight appearance in 2008.
He details how his Trinity experience as a Finance and Marketing major shaped his professional trajectory and the importance of his men's soccer teammates and Coach Paul McGinlay in helping him develop his leadership philosophy and approach to relationship building.
During our conversation, Kyle spoke in great detail about why great leaders look first to develop relationships, paraphrasing the Teddy Roosevelt quote, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." We also discussed individual and organizational trust, the importance of staying in observation mode as long as you can, and that great leaders practice empathy and compassion. Kyle also highlights the value of genuine curiosity, that the "only guarantee is that there are no guarantees," and how collaboration can lead to a positive team culture.
The episode concludes with my lecture on chapter 3 of the 10th edition of Peter G. Northouse's "Leadership: Theory and Practice." During the segment, I highlight the evolution of skills-based approaches to studying leadership and detail Mumford et al.'s Skills Model of Leadership.
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