Brandon Gaide | LEADERSHIP WICHITA
What has been your biggest Aha! moment?
I realized quite recently just how rarely I've intentionally exercised leadership. I've often been in leadership positions, and assumed my actions in those positions equated to leadership. But my aha moment was discovering that people were responding to me because of my position, not my leadership.
What motivates you?
The opportunity to illuminate the lives of others with insight, goodness, and beauty. I love storing up ideas, relationships, stories, perspectives, metaphors, resources, etc., in order to share them with others. I think there's so much more to see in the world, and my passion is to see it and then show it to others.
What do you collect? Why?
I'm an avid woodworker, so I collect large slabs of hardwood wherever I can find them.
What is your most-used emoji?
Poop, because it's one of the ways I say “I love you” to my 11-year-old.
What led you to this career?
I came to strategy consulting after a 12-year career in the ministry. Thru seminary and subsequent work in the ministry, I learned how a larger story can help people make sense of their individual stories. This is exactly what strategy does. Strategy tells a compelling and overarching story, and invites people to participate in that story more locally. Beyond just improving performance, this also engenders a sense of purpose and belonging. It's hard not to get excited about trafficking in those kinds of outcomes.
What do you love most about your work?
For context, one aspect of my work is building peer communities for executives. These communities (called Roundtables) are cohorts that aim to build camaraderie, care, and wisdom. What I love most about my work is seeing what Roundtable participants send in the group texts. Messages range from asking for help finding a new employee to celebrating big wins to sending photos of their families to creepy cat gifs. I see these texts as symbols of trust and solidarity among a group of people who were once strangers. I feel so fortunate to be on those group texts.
What is your foundation?
I believe in a story, and that story is my foundation. The story involves a man who was once dead and then came to life again. I can't prove the story is true, which means there's risk in believing it. If it's false, then I suppose I'm a fool. But if it's true, it changes everything. If one person overcame death (which we assume is impossible), then it brings all other certainties under scrutiny. For instance, is it better to hate our enemies, or love them? Is it better to receive or to give? Is it better to hoard power, or use it to benefit others? I find that this story somehow turns the world right-side up.
What are you an expert in?
Claiming expertise is a dubious business. It's a bit like winning a school championship, only to discover there are 6,000 other championships happening at the same time around the country. There are always more expert experts. But I believe one of my strengths is asking incisive questions that expose the heart of things. This is particularly valuable in facilitating conversations with groups or individuals. I'm able to draw out the assumptions on which people's ideas are based, which serves to reveal hidden risks, opens channels for innovation, or points to areas ripe for personal growth.
