#326: How to Lead When Busy, Scaling, or Failing with Matt Lesser

A familiar face on Lanci's other podcast series is here!

This discussion with Matt Lesser includes:

• Lessons from working with leaders on every continent
• What its like growing up in a household of entrepreneurs
• From creating business and private equity to finding passion as an entrepreneur
• Integrating pillars of leadership

Meet Matt: I grew up in a small, lake community in northeast Indiana. We moved there because my dad had an opportunity to buy into a wholesale oil distributorship.

Growing up in a town of 700, living with a family business, and attending a small, Christian school (my graduating class had 7) gave me a very narrow, sheltered view of life. After graduating after my Junior year, I jumped into Indiana University where I quickly realized how sheltered my life had been!

Thinking I would pursue a Master's, my career took an unexpected turn. Instead of resigning, which I attempted, my dad left...and turned the business over to me. Thinking I could do anything because I was 25, arrogant, and prideful, I was about to experience reality. Within months, the business failed, and I went through a dark, suicidal depression. Nearly a year later, a new business was born from the ashes, and nearly 12 years later that business was sold. 

I then spent 12 years in private equity. It was during my years running the family business and in private equity that I grew passionate about leadership--healthy, flourishing leadership. 

Over the last 25 years, I trained, facilitated, coached, and led leaders, leadership teams, and boards all over the world. I wanted each leader to become the best possible version of themselves so they would do the same for the team members and organizations they led. I picked up training and certifications in nearly 20 leadership, personality, and team-building assessments, and I also picked up an MBA along the way.

In 2021, I finally jumped "all in" into my own business, after being told by many whom I had worked with over the years that I needed to do this. Little did they know, I had actually felt a tug on my heart--a calling--to speak, train, and facilitate when I was a teenager.

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Music Credits:
Adventure by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden
Happy | https://soundcloud.com/morning-kuli

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Music Credits: Copyright Free Music from Adventure by MusicbyAden.