Lancaster Executive Leadership Speaker Series

Navigating the unknown.

This semester, on October 25, The Raymond A. Lancaster Executive Leadership Speaker Series returned to Ohio University for its third consecutive year. 

The Dean of the College of Business, Jackie Rees Ulmer, opened the event with a statement that encapsulates the importance of this event: "The Lancaster Executive Leadership Series brings in noted leadership speakers and executives to inform and guide our students on their professional, personal, and academic journey."

The event had a lineup of esteemed speakers, including Tim Reynolds, the former Executive Director of the Walter Center, and Greg Moran, who is the Raymond A. Lancaster Executive Fellow. The keynote speaker for the event was Matthew R. Kutz, Ph.D., a renowned professor and author who spoke about "Navigating the Unknown."

Tim Reynolds, the former Executive Director of the Walter Center, recollected a story written by Steven Covey Jr. He used an analogy to describe students and young professionals as the flowers that spontaneously sprouted in Death Valley, CA, in 2005. Reynolds emphasized the importance of experiential education and learning from leaders and role models. "We come to understand the significance of exposure through firsthand experience and observation," he added.

Greg Moran, Raymond A. Lancaster Executive Fellow, addressed the groups of students directly, emphasizing that the students already significantly influence those around them. He also mentioned, "The role of myself and other executive mentors is to help students realize their potential as a leader and how to put that leadership to work in a meaningful way."

After Moran finished his speech, he was recognized with the Legacy Leadership Award. This award was created a few years ago by Tim and Tammy Reynolds. Dr. Jen Traxler clarified that the award has only been given to a select few individuals who have significantly impacted the College of Business and the Walter Center.

Taylor Reigle received the prestigious Walter Center Student of the Year award during the event. She has devoted three years to working with the Walter Center office team, is a member of the Wandell Fellows program, serves as a College of Business Student Ambassador, and holds the position of President of the Fixed Income Group. Taylor's hard work and dedication have significantly impacted the Walter Center and the College of Business. You can find out more about Taylor's journey and her plans after graduation on page 18.

The esteemed keynote speaker Dr. Matthew R. Kutz  took the stage and was welcomed by the audience filled with students and faculty.  As a clinical professor at Florida International University, Kutz has written books about leadership development and contextual intelligence. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Medical Sciences and a visiting research fellow at Gold Coast University Hospital and Griffith University of Medicine in Brisbane, Australia. 

Kutz spoke about his personal experiences and how they tied into his future career, but also how different situations he has gone through first-hand have changed some of his viewpoints.

During a segment, Kutz reminisced about his younger days and the lessons he learned while living with his family. As an adolescent, he once got into a conflict with his mother, leading to rising tensions. His father punished him and warned him, "You will never talk to my wife like that again."

"I only ever saw my mom in one way, but suddenly she became a multi-dimensional person with experiences, ideas, and backgrounds that I had never even considered before," recalls Kutz. He emphasized the importance of understanding that every person has a unique background that shapes who they are, and contextual intelligence is about understanding them beyond your interactions with them.

 Kutz took this life lesson and many others with him as he continued to learn and adapt to the ever-changing world. With this lesson in mind, he spoke on the issue of uncertainty and how young professionals can adapt to unfamiliar environments.

You think you know how your experiences influence what you are doing,” Kutz says, “and it all becomes significantly less relevant.” He explained how it is possible to perform tasks with hindsight, insight, and foresight while surrounded by the four traits of VUCA, volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. He emphasized the importance of not turning away from adversity and challenging situations.

We want to thank all who attended the event, including the keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew R. Kutz, for delivering an exceptional presentation. The topics discussed during his speech are also covered in his book Contextual Intelligence: How Thinking in 3D Can Help Resolve Complexity, Uncertainty, and Ambiguity, which was gifted to the first 100 attendees.

 We sincerely thank Betsy Lancaster for joining us and the entire Lancaster family for their generous donations to the Walter Center. These donations have allowed students to benefit significantly from this remarkable speaker series.