I recently went one-on-one with Keva Walton, CEO of the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Keva: Great question. How did I get here? I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to evolve into my career path.  Great sponsors, mentors, and coaches have challenged me to be and seek more.  So, when opportunities present themselves, I have been positioned to pursue those opportunities. With Mecklenburg County ABC Board I became the CEO of this seventy-five-year-old social enterprise during the height of COVID-19. We faced policy changes, staffing, and business challenges all while trying to create a forward-looking culture. As with everyone during the pandemic, it was a heavy lift with pressure from various angles. We remained hopeful, aware of constantly changing circumstances, and stayed the course. The result is a more nimble, resilient organization.

Adam: In your experience, what are the keys to succeeding in a leadership role in a nonprofit or governmental organization? 

Keva: Success in nonprofit or governmental leadership hinges on several key factors:

Why: Like any other organization, private or otherwise, I think it is essential to first be “crystal” about your “why” - why do we do what we do? It may be called your mission, purpose, or business objective. For Meck County ABC Board, it is lawfully selling spirituous liquor as a transparent social enterprise leveraging innovation, employee empowerment, and advancement of our community.

People: Investing in your people financially and developmentally.

Relationships, Accountability, and Transparency: In our quasi-governmental space, and from my past experiences, building relationships across the community with community members, government officials, donors, and other partners, is the currency that fuels progress. Those relationships require transparency and accountability: Building trust through transparent operations and holding self and the organization accountable is crucial for maintaining credibility and support.

Adaptability and Resilience: The pandemic heightened the critical nature of being adaptable and strengthening resilience skills. All sectors are faced with unexpected challenges. Effective leaders have to quickly adapt and pivot strategies to overcome obstacles while keeping the mission on track. 

All of these are essential for successful leadership in any sector.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? 

Keva:: Vision, empathy, adaptability, resilience, and effective communication skills. At the end of the day, [you want] qualities that inspire, coach, and move people to translate a vision into positive, impactful action that answers your organization's “why”?

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Keva: Continuous learning, seeking feedback from trusted sources, practicing self-reflection, and actively embracing change and challenges.

Practice the big four: follow up, follow through, over-communicate, listen.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? 

Keva: Certainly, all of the items we have discussed. Additionally:

• Set clear goals and expectations.

• Empower and develop team members.

• Work at fostering a collaborative culture (to gain ownership/buy-in).

• Build conflict management skills for yourself and among your team.

• Recognize/ reward achievements.

Adam: What are your best tips applicable to emerging leaders? 

Keva: Practice the big four and:

• Build meaningful relationships (internal and external to your organization).

• Keep learning.

• Understand and develop your EQ skills (emotional intelligence).

• Seek and incorporate counsel from mentors, coaches, and trusted advisors.

Adam: What are your best tips applicable to senior leaders? 

Keva:  In addition to what we previously spoke about:

• Equip your team to lead without you!  Always focusing on succession planning.

• Be open to learning, even those younger than you (reverse mentoring).

• Be the strategic visionary and equip for execution, with ongoing tweaking and refinement,

• Lead by example, manage change effectively, and cultivate a strong leadership team. 

• Prioritize the overall health of the organization, including its culture, processes, and systems, to ensure long-term success.
  

Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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