Meet Casey.
Who Am I?
I was raised by a single mother in Southern Missouri. I watched
as my mom fought to carve out a life for us. I suppose she was the
first leader in my life. She had a vision; and refused to move away from it no matter the challenge life presented.
My youth was stained with poverty, an absent father, insecurity and bad decisions. I always felt however, that I could do better. I felt that I was not living up to my potential. I eventually joined the U.S. Air Force. I needed direction and purpose, and the military certainly provided it.
My very first supervisor wrote on a feedback form that I was "a leader among his peers." I had never been called a leader before. In all honesty, I'm not sure I understood what the word meant. But at that very moment, my lifelong examination of leadership began.
I would eventually obtain a graduate degree in the study of leadership. Along the way, I read and studied the various leadership philosophies that existed. I found that some worked, and some didn't. I found that some people responded to one form of leadership, while others responded to different approaches. I learned that leadership is much less about philosophies and tactics, and much more about conversations and relationships.
Leadership changes lives. Once we understand that, it is our responsibility to become the very best leader that we can be.