[00:00:03] Ellington Brown: Welcome to SpeakUP! International with Rita Burke and Elton Brown! Before we start our conversation with Kevin Wayne Johnson, Mr. Johnson has a new book adding to the series titled, Leadership With A Servant's Heart. Mr. Johnson hopes his enlightening series with the main title being Leadership With A Servant's Heart will create better leaders and make our families and the world a better place. Mr. Johnson, you are welcome to give your executive summary of your collection of thoughts in your exciting series. Mr. Johnson, the virtual floor is yours!

[00:00:49] Kevin Wayne Johnson: The book is really based upon my 34 years of service with the federal government and now seven years leading a leadership development and executive coaching firm. The book is really intended to help both aspiring leaders as well as current leaders throughout the marketplace to understand the importance of leading people from the heart, in addition to leading people with the mind.

So where the subject matter expertise and the acumen meets and aligns with how we value care for respect, honor. Have some compassion for people, then we are well on our way to being really good leaders to help to make the world a much better place. So that's a very brief executive summary of what the series of books are all about.

[00:01:45] Rita Burke: It sounds to me as if it's the kind of book that will inspire readers and inform and educate, so thank you so much for that. On SpeakUP! International, we have the good fortune of speaking with community builders. Today is no exception. We will be having our conversation with, as Elton said earlier Kevin Wayne Johnson, who currently is in Maryland.

He has taken up the task of developing individual and organizational operating excellence as his life's mission Kevin coaches.

In order to coax audiences to live out their gifts an awakened their patients. In addition, Kevin delivers training on the element of dynamic relationships. There's so much more I can tell you about Kevin Wayne Johnson, but most of that will come out through the interview. Welcome to SpeakUP! International. Mr. Kevin Wayne Johnson! 

[00:03:02] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Thank you. Thank you so much for the invitation! It's a joy to be here!

[00:03:08] Ellington Brown: I wanna start right in with your early life, what inspired you, your journey into leadership development and coaching? 

[00:03:17] Kevin Wayne Johnson: I'm glad you asked that! And you mentioned the word early life. So that really is my story. It starts from the time I was three and a half years old. I have one brother, no sisters.

The both of us are sons of a US Marine junior officer and a mother who pursued a career with the federal government. My younger brother was born when I was one and a half years old and he was born with a mis mental disability. The doctors later revealed that he just did not get enough oxygen to his brain in my mother's womb.

And so the neurological challenges followed him all of his life and as sons of a US Marine when we were children, dad was away a lot fighting in America's wars, vietnam twice, okinawa, Japan once. And so I found myself at home, pre-K before kindergarten, helping to raise, take care of nurture finding time to respect, fight for advocate, for and love.

My younger brother, because of his neurological challenges, he couldn't necessarily fend for himself. So it started at a very early age where I learned that leadership has everything to do with not just what we know, but also how we care. And taking care of people goes a real long way. So fast forward in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

I go through the Richmond Public Schools. I matriculate to Virginia Commonwealth University. And then after I graduated I meet this young lady and we fall in love after we dated and we get married. And from our union, we have three sons found out. Many years later that the youngest son at the age of two, because he never spoke.

He never talked. We knew something wasn't quite right. We had him evaluated and sure enough, at the age of two, he was diagnosed with autism. So here I go again, right? I could I have two choices. Get upset. Why me? I don't deserve this. I'm a good guy. Or step into my role as a father and do the same thing I did for my younger brother.

And needless to say, I chose the latter. And from those experiences, I just took it into the marketplace as a frontline and as a mid-level and a senior level leader. And I used it as a moment to teach others, but equally important it just touches my heart. When I see other people who are disrespected because of their differences, I always step in and do something or say something.

So that's my leadership style. And I learned over many decades through a entire career and now leading my own firm, that because we're dealing with people. And people have issues and concerns and situations that they're dealing with. It matters how they're treated. It matters that they received some unconditional love, some care a leader that will listen.

And so that, that's my journey, that's how I got started, and it hasn't ended in this season of life. I'm more of a coach and a mentor and a facilitator a speaker and a trainer. And I'm sharing the same principles and strategies with leaders who are in their current positions as I practiced throughout my career.

And so that's why I smile, that's why I'm fulfilled. And that's why I love what I do. 'cause I lived it, I experienced it. And so to be able to get people to see the light. And to have a revelation and an illumination around maybe I should try something different. Maybe I should be a better listener, more empathetic, more compassionate and see how people respond in a very favorable way, a very positive way.

Now they've become high producers and high performers because they know that their leader gives a care that they show it up today. So that's how I got started. 

[00:07:22] Ellington Brown: So Leadership with a Servant's Heart. What does that mean to you personally? 

[00:07:27] Kevin Wayne Johnson: It means ha having the knowledge, but equally important, having the will to align what's in our mind.

So in our mind is our intelligence, our acumen, and our subject matter expertise. Align that with what's in the heart. What comes from the heart is the respect, the value, the care the concern, the empathy, and the compassion and leadership with a servant's heart is really a way of reminding leaders to let the mind align with the heart when you're leading people.

It makes a difference. So if you wanna have a great organization, if you wanna have a team that has wonderful chemistry and comradery, you'll find very quickly as a leader through those relationships by leading from the heart. It matters to people. 'cause when it's all said and done the pink elephant in the room when it comes to leadership, when it comes to an organization, when it comes to the marketplace, people really want to know is if that leader's gonna take care of them, is that leader gonna provide opportunities for them?

Give them resources and information so that they can be the best that they can be in their current role, but also develop and equip them for the next level of responsibility. That's really what people are looking for in their leader. They don't always say it, but that's really what they're hoping for.

And so when we show up with that mindset, it just makes the entire organization that much better. 

[00:09:08] Rita Burke: I like that concept. I like that idea, and I'm certain that it's much more effective when one leads by the heart because as you said, respect comes into play. Care comes into play. Empathy and compassion, they all come into play and that's powerful.

Reminds me of a book I was introduced to recently called A Different Kind of Leadership, but that may come up again later as we have this conversation. In your bio, you talk a little bit about. John Maxwell team, talk to us about your involvement with that team, please. 

[00:09:53] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Yes I got involved with that team back in March of 2016.

I became a certified trainer, coach, mentor and speaker through the organization. This was prior to my actual retirement from the federal government after my 34 year career, just getting prepared for what I wanted to do next. I looked at a lot of different organizations in terms of credentialing and becoming certified.

As a differentiator in the marketplace for the work I knew I wanted to do next. And I looked across the board at a number of different programs, and this one really resonated with me. Maxwell, when he was a young man in his twenties he pastored a local church in the state of Indiana at that time, one of the fastest growing churches in America.

He's always been very committed very open unashamed of his faith. Regardless of what audience he may be in front of and all of the meetings and all of the live training sessions where men and women across the globe come to Orlando twice a year for the training and a certification we always include prayer at the beginning of meetings, and we always conclude with prayer at the end of our meetings.

And as a matter of fact, we actually have a 90 minute worship service. In the middle of the training on Tuesday mornings at eight o'clock. I was just very impressed with that. And while there are a number of other leadership trainers, authors who have sold millions of books, et cetera I was not able to find another program similar to that.

Not to mention he serves as a senior mentor. I get to hear from him at least once a month, maybe even more. And his team, his dynamic senior leadership team, I was just with them last month in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. They did a road show, only 75 of us were allowed to participate. I was very fortunate and blessed to be a part of that.

And so it's just a wonderful opportunity to be connected with men and women around the globe who are certified in this space and really give a care about producing and developing and equipping the next generation of leaders. So that's how we got connected and one of my best investments.

[00:12:17] Rita Burke: You, you went to business school? You studied business. It sounds to me as if you're like an onion. You peel one layer and there's another layer. You peel one layer and there's another layer. So talk to us about your decision to go into business as a young person? 

[00:12:39] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Yeah, so the initial decision was, at least in my mind at the time, based on what I knew, it would make me a much more well-rounded person.

And here's what I mean by that, because in business school you get exposed to economics, you get exposed to accounting, you get exposed to financial management. You get exposed to how to run a firm, so there's some entrepreneurial components that are built into the curriculum. You get an opportunity to do presentations in front of people.

So if you are initially afraid of public speaking, which by the way is pretty natural, and as a young person, quite frankly, I was, it gives you an opportunity to practice and overcome that fear. So that as you move into the marketplace or the workplace you're much more prepared and much more advanced to give presentations in front of a group of people that you may or may not know.

So I was able to overcome that fear, and I could go on and on. But just based on the content and the curriculum that was available through the School of Business, I felt. Would make me a much more rounded person. I learned a little bit about marketing. I learned a little bit about theory. I learned a little bit about banking.

All of that was part of the curriculum, such that I can make an informed decision in terms of what to do next once I earned that degree. And so one year after graduating. I ended up selecting a position to go into the federal government. Had no idea I would stay for 34 years, but in part I stayed 34 years because I had great supervisors, great sponsors, great champions who saw something in me that, I couldn't see myself. They saw some potential and they invested in me, and I looked up three and a half decades went by, and so what I'm doing, I'm thanking them as I go forward. I'm thanking them for all that they deposited into me, and I spend 99% of my waking hours now. Pouring into others and depositing into them.

So more so than engineering, more so than information technology more so than pre-med, the arts, I could go on and on. I just felt that business would give me a much more well-rounded opportunity to know a little bit about everything, and it paid off.

[00:15:12] Ellington Brown: You talk about being well rounded. I know that you've worked in a variety of sectors, government, corporations, churches, academia. What leadership challenge do you find are common across these sectors? 

[00:15:32] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Oh, there's one common denominator. Regardless of where you might land in the marketplace, when it comes to leadership, the most challenging, difficult, pressing, and gets on your last nerve challenge is people.

Because people are wherever you go and you're dealing with personalities, personal agendas I want to do it this way. Why? Why do we have to change? You're dealing with all of those different dynamics no matter where you might land in the marketplace. So I, I say that with a smile because sometimes people think.

That the answer would be different. Kevin what's the most challenging aspect of leadership? Tell me something challenging, and I say it is one word. It's people. So that's what you have to overcome and that's why I believe. This is why we teach and we instruct and we coach and we mentor leaders to be very aware that it does take a combination of your acumen as well as your desire to just be very respectful and care and value people that you're leading and where those two meet is gonna make you to be the best leader that you can be. So that, that's my answer and I'm sticking to it! 

[00:16:58] Rita Burke: Sounds like a sound enough answer so you stick to it. I like that. I am reflecting as you speak, as we ask the questions on the notion of aligning the mind with the heart as you lead, as you teach. I want you to help us understand maybe the inspiration for any one of the books that you've written.

[00:17:29] Kevin Wayne Johnson: He, again, going back to the earlier question around why the school of business? And then my response makes me more well-rounded in my humble opinion. Oh, and by the way, I also married a woman. Who went to the school of business as well, so she's a, she's an ex, she's an HR expert. I learned a little bit about hr, but not as much as she knows.

But this journey is all encompassing. I'm all in, and there's many antennas to leadership. So there's the part of leadership as a business owner that I train, and then there's a part to leadership where you coach and there's a part to leadership where you mentor. I'm, I've been very fortunate and I'm blessed to also be a speaker, so when I speak I'm speaking on the topic.

But then here comes that fifth antenna and that is the writing. So whether it's a blog or a white paper or an article, and it just so happens that. I'm an author who writes books and when I write my books, it's on the same topic. And what's beautiful about it is that books you can become so creative when it comes to writing a book because that one book.

Becomes available in three versions. So you have your print version because people like a book in their hand. You have your audio book. Because we live in a world that's this loaded with technology, people like to download. And we're also in a world where people are extremely busy. So we have the audio book available so people can listen when they're on the train, on the bus, on the airplane, or driving their car.

And so one book becomes three different versions. And so when I think about leadership, I think about the totality of it all, and not just in terms of generating multiple streams of income on my end, but more importantly, all of these different avenues to reach people. Because people are going to be reached in different ways, whether it's virtual training or in-person training or hybrid.

Three different rate ways to reach people. When I'm coaching, it can be one-on-one or group, so that's two different ways to reach people. When I'm writing books, which is part of this journey, some people will go to the bookstore to buy it. Some people will just order it online and get a physical copy in the mail, but some people just like to download it and others just wanna listen to it.

And so it's available in all of those different means. So this one topic that I'm passionate about, the leadership gives me about 10 different venues or avenues to reach people depending on where they may be. And everybody is in a different spot. Even when I teach, I have to be mindful that when I'm teaching, some people are visual learners, so I have to make sure that if I'm using PowerPoint, they can't just be words, but I have to use graphics.

That people can relate to because of the visual learners out there in the audience. So this is an area, this is a vocation that I have selected. And then even when I'm having a conversation with those in the church, the faith-based community there's a certain way that they like to learn and that they receive the word as well.

And so you have to be mindful of the audience, which I am. And being able to reach them right where they are. And it takes time. It takes patience, it takes persistence, but equally important, you have to bring some zeal and some enthusiasm so that people know that you're excited about what it is that you're teaching, so that now they can catch fire and they can get excited as well.

So you can't show up boring. 

[00:21:41] Ellington Brown: No, I don't think anyone who wants to, that would be like a boring speaker. 

[00:21:46] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Oh man! Yeah! 

[00:21:47] Ellington Brown: And they're thrown in it and you're like, somebody, please give me some strychnine I can just put myself outta my, misery. I do get that.

You struck a question in my mind. You have all of these things that are going on outside and inside of your head. I'm sure that you're writing one book, and I'm sure you're probably formulating the next one that's going to that's coming out. So how do you maintain balance between your professional work and personal life, especially as a husband and father?

[00:22:18] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Yeah it's, honestly, it's not as difficult as you think. It's a matter of how you go about. Taking care of yourself, number one, and having the energy to get it done, but it's not. It's not so much a matter of a strict schedule that you have to keep and you have to adhere to.

On any given day, I might write for one hour at three o'clock in the afternoon. On another day, I might write for two hours. Starting at nine o'clock in the morning, there's no strict schedule that I have to adhere to and put undue pressure on myself and each and every day when I check the calendar in terms of what meetings are taking place or what needs to get done, always make sure that there's enough room in between where I can get a good meal.

I can take a chance to take a breath and excel and also get some leisure in there as well. So it's not that I wake up every day and say, listen from nine to 11 I have to write. That's too much pressure because life happens. But when I get around to it. And I get an opportunity. So for example we're having our opportunity to be together today to have a good discussion.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I have a full day of training with one of our major federal government agencies, so that, that day has been set aside and toward the latter part of the day as we wrap up. If nothing else is on the calendar because it's the summertime then I head on out to the outdoor pool and get some relaxation in.

So it's just a matter of recognizing and acknowledging that we all have things to do and we have a to-do list to get done, but at the same time, we can take our time and not overwhelm ourselves. 

[00:24:19] Rita Burke: So important. I too believe in the importance of me time taking time for self. On SpeakUP! International, we seek to inspire, to inform and to educate.

And we are speaking today with Mr. Kevin Wayne Johnson, who is a leadership coach and author. And so Kevin talked to us about a time when you had to say enough, either professionally or personally. 

[00:24:50] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Oh wow. I love, I always love this question, Rita. So I'm a big, I'm a firm believer in accountability, and I believe that accountability, excuse me, starts with you and I.

If we're going to have any credibility when it comes to holding others accountable, they have to see us holding ourselves accountable first. My last position with the federal government was with I was a chief of staff with the Department of Defense. At one of our major directorates, and in that role, as you probably know, I'm responsible for all things staff, human resources, information technology, training, staffing, annual performance appraisals, property security facilities.

I could go on and on. My boss, who was a civilian, was operating within. Mostly a military organization, enlisted, junior officers, flag officers, and general officers. And I and I'm the deputy of the organization. One day at the staff meeting, I noticed that. My deputy, my boss, did not give the opportunity for one of the lieutenant colonels to give an update on the project that he was working on.

This is at the staff meeting. Typically, we would go around the table and everyone would have about two to three minutes to give an update on important projects that they're working on for whatever the reason was. Everyone had a chance to speak except for this one person as he spoke. My boss interrupted him.

He didn't get a chance to finish, and I saw how that impacted him looking at his body language. So I didn't say anything. I just I noticed it didn't say anything, but I kept it in the back of my mind. The following week, the same thing. Wednesday morning, 10 o'clock we get together for our staff meeting.

The deputy kicks the meeting off, sets the tone, and then we go around the room starting with me. I would give an update and by the time it got to this lieutenant colonel again for the second week in a row, my boss, as he's giving his update, interrupts him again and he doesn't get a chance to finish.

Now I'm angry. Because it just happened last week and I'm looking at not only the person that was impacted in their body language, but everybody else in the room and nobody would say anything. But I'm the chief of staff. I have a responsibility to say something. So I take my boss into his room, into his office, and I closed the door and him and I have a conversation and I just basically just start off.

Do you recognize what you did? Put him on the spot. Is he gonna be honest with me or is he gonna act like he doesn't know? And he tried to act like he didn't know, but when it comes to accountability, and this is managing up, I had to let him know exactly what happened for two weeks in a row. This is not good!

This will dismantle any team chemistry. It's not good for the organization. And equally important that Lieutenant Colonel really does deserve your respect. You've got to give everyone the opportunity to complete their update on the projects they're working on. Oh. I'm sorry.

I didn't realize I had done that. Okay. The proof is in the pudding. Let's see what happens at the next staff meeting next week. So sure enough, here comes week three, and again, we go around the table, it gets to the lieutenant colonel. And guess what happens this time? Because of what happens the last couple of weeks and because of the number of people that are in the room watching.

And seeing what's going on when it gets to the lieutenant Colonel and it's time for his update, he says "pass" because he's not interested. And being demoralized and disillusioned, and frustrated, and embarrassed for a third time in a row. He doesn't know that I had the conversation with the boss. I didn't reveal others to him.

But that's an example of what happens to people when they're not treated with respect. They ultimately clam up. They go into their shell, and they're no longer that creative, innovative, energetic person that they are. Because of how they're treated. And that was a, that was something tough for me. I chose to handle it in private and not bring it up in public.

The good news is over time the deputy did get better, but the bad news is that we ended up losing that lieutenant colonel from the organization 'cause he wasn't gonna hang around and be treated that way. And quite frankly, I don't blame 'em. So that's the example that always comes to mind when people ask me that.

If you see something. You've got to do something or say something. You can't just let it go. 'cause it wasn't just impacting that one person, but everybody in the room was being impacted. I saw their body language. Some people were blushing. They were hanging their head. They were like, oh wow. How could he do this to the, this person who was well loved and well respected in the organization.

But I found out later that he just had a personal beef with him and was just trying to embarrass him publicly. That's all.

[00:30:38] Ellington Brown: So what's next for the Johnson Leadership Group and how do you envision expanding your global impact in the years to come? 

[00:30:47] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Yeah. Wonderful. Thank you Elton. I tell everybody, we're in year seven with the Johnson Leadership Group. We are just beginning to scratch the surface and we're just beginning to scale internationally.

We're going to be doing some work in some other nations outside of Kenya and outside of Rwanda. Where we have already done some work, but we're gonna be doing some more some more work in some other countries as well. As we go forward. We're looking to continue to expand here in the USA as well, working with more organizations, working with more individuals.

But we're just going to keep our foot to the pedal 'cause we believe that better leaders help to make the world a much better place. And as we continue to grow and to expand. We'll make sure that we stay in touch with you all and give you some updates on exactly what's happening. 

[00:31:37] Rita Burke: That would be delightful! We certainly would want to know what you're doing and how you're doing, and I'll let you know that your story about accountability and seeing it and doing something about it is absolutely powerful and resonates with me as well. I had a similar situation, but I'm not gonna share that story right now. So I want you to talk to our audience, share with us.

The best piece of advice that you would say you have ever been given? Best piece of advice. 

[00:32:11] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Oh, it come from my dad. From the time I was a little boy all the way up until actually after I graduated from college. Dad would always tell me, be prepared. He would just use those two words, Kevin, be prepared.

And quite frankly, honestly, I never really understood what he meant. I didn't really know what he was talking about. I didn't ask him to unpack it. We didn't sit down on the couch and actually have a conversation about it, but I received it. I let him know that I hear you. Thank you so much, dad, appreciate it.

I found out much later that what he was saying was, Kevin, it always is better to be prepared and not have an opportunity than it is to have an opportunity and not be prepared. And the reason that it hit me was because I've done both. I've stepped into opportunities where I was not prepared and I fell flat on my face and it was a learning lesson.

I got up, dusted myself off and kept moving, but it didn't have to be that painful. Had I taken the time to be prepared, I also stepped into other opportunities where I was thoroughly prepared and I was able to hit a home run. So that's what dad was talking about when he said, be prepared because opportunities do come, but if you're not prepared, it may not be a very good experience, but if you are prepared, more than likely it will be.

So that, that's it right there.

[00:33:45] Ellington Brown: Wow! You don't have any other questions, Rita?

[00:33:48] Rita Burke: I certainly do. If you had the opportunity to address a graduating class of business students, talk to us about three gems that you would want to leave them with. 

[00:34:05] Kevin Wayne Johnson: That's interesting 'cause I, I am a visiting professor at my alma mater Virginia Commonwealth University.

So I do have a chance to engage with them. So number one, I tell them all the time that we you and I are created to be relational. And that means that it's very key and very important that we be involved with good, wholesome, healthy relationships. So now is the time to establish new relationships and start to build your network.

Secondly, beyond that is I want them to know that, and this is a true statement, your network ultimately is going to determine your net worth. Because you get things done by being able to call someone, send an email or a text, someone that's in your network a trusted ally that, has a high degree of character and integrity and is an honest person.

Not a perfect person, but an honest person. So that's the second. Bit of advice that I give. And then the third bit of advice that I always give people, especially the business students or the students in general, is always give it your best, but recognize that you're gonna fall short of perfection because no one's perfect.

Give your best. Do your best, try your best, but don't expect perfection because no one's perfect. There's no perfect organization. There's no perfect church. There's no perfect team. There's no perfect person, and you're not perfect either but do your best and give your best, and you'll be able to live with that those are the three. The three tips and the three nuggets that I pass on. 

[00:36:00] Ellington Brown: Okay. So one of the things, and I guess I should remember is it's not what, it's not what I know, but who I know. 

[00:36:08] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Yeah. And see, because what's interesting about human behavior is it's the relationship first. But it goes back to Rita's question around being prepared.

You, you wanna be prepared for the opportunity, but more times than not, the opportunity comes because of who you know and who knows you. I tell people all the time, you, you know how things get done in this world, not just in this country, but in this world. You know how things get done three ways based upon who you know, who knows you.

And who likes who. That's how things get done. And so you might get an opportunity because of someone that you know, but when you step into it, it still pays to be prepared to be able to flourish and thrive in that opportunity. But yeah, absolutely Elton, a whole lot of what I've been able to achieve in my 65 years on this planet has a lot to do with people who know me and people that I know.

But I also recognize and value the homework and the due diligence and the preparation that I need to do so that when the opportunity presents itself, I can step into it and not disappoint.

[00:37:29] Rita Burke: Is there anything that we have not asked you? Mr. Kevin Wayne Johnson, that you would like to share with our listeners today? 

[00:37:40] Kevin Wayne Johnson: The only thing that you didn't ask is, and it's only because I didn't prompt you to do is how, what can I do and what can I say to get people to know what's better?

And I, and it's a story. S-T-O-R-Y, and I'm gonna leave this with you. 'cause I always tell people that when you're introducing yourself for the very first time to a person or to an audience, you don't talk about accomplishments and you don't talk about achievements. You just talk about who you are.

So the story analogy that I use a lot is the S is snack. What's your favorite snack? Kevin's favorite snack is a warm brownie with walnuts. And then what's the T? The T is where's your favorite place to travel? If you could travel anywhere on the planet, where's your favorite place?

For me, it's Turks and Caicos. And then the O in story is occupation. I talked a little bit about that. I talked about my government career and then what I do now. And then the A in story is restaurant. What's your favorite restaurant? Because everyone loves fine cuisine. What's the favorite restaurant that you like to go to?

If someone were to say, let's go here, and for me it's Fogo Thehow. And then last but not least, the why in story. And that has to do with it. It's yelled Y-E-L-L-E-D. When's the last time you yelled? Either out of elation or out of frustration. And the last time that I yelled was just the other day when somebody gave me a five star review.

I was like, yes. So sometimes you yell because you're angry about something or frustrated and sometimes you yell because you're just happy and you're related. But that's the only thing that you didn't ask but you didn't know to ask. 'cause I didn't say anything about it, but I leave that as something for leaders to think about in terms of us getting to know our people that we're leading and then them getting to know a little bit about us.

The leader that's leading them. 'cause it's all about relationships. It really is. And leaders that get it are well on their way to having a team that performs at a high level and leaders that don't get it. It's gonna always be a stagnant approach to trying to get things done. People will follow you because they have to, but ultimately you really want people to follow you because they want to.

[00:40:08] Ellington Brown: I wanna thank you so much. Mr. Johnson, who is the founder and CEO of the Johnson Leadership Group, bestselling author, a leadership coach with the John Maxwell team with over three decades of experience in federal government and a mission to cultivate the next generation of leaders. Kevin shared his vision on servant leadership, personal growth, and building dynamic purpose driven teams. Thank you so much for today Mr. Johnson. And when you write that next book, please let us know. We'd love to talk to you about it. 

[00:40:55] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Outstanding. I certainly will. Thank you both again for the opportunity to be with you. Appreciate it!

[00:41:02] Ellington Brown: Rita, you have anything you wanna add? 

[00:41:04] Rita Burke: Certainly, yes. It certainly was a delight. I really appreciate the fact that you talked about, heart leadership as opposed to mind leadership, and I think it's really coincidental that it was only yesterday that I heard a person talking about her book on what she calls a different kind of leadership.

And inherent in that different kind of leadership is kindness. That different kind of leadership is grounded in kindness. Something as simple and as basic and as fundamental as that. We still have to be writing that in books for leaders. I find that fascinating. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

[00:41:49] Kevin Wayne Johnson: Absolutely. You're welcome. Thank you!

[00:41:54] Ellington Brown: Thank you for tuning in to SpeakUP! International. If you wish to contact our guest, Kevin Wayne Johnson, please be prepared to submit your name, your email address, and the reason why you wish to contact Mr. Johnson at http://www.thejohnsonleadershipgroup.com/. Mr. Johnson has other social media accounts you can use to contact him that will be listed in the description section on Spotify and other social media platforms. 

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