This Search Is a Matter of Impact

Finding the Leader Who Shifts the Future

By Brandon Calhoun

Aligning Today’s Executive with Tomorrow’s Vision

It was a Wednesday morning at the end of summer in Anchorage, Alaska. My battalion commander walked into my office, and I rose from my desk to greet him:

“Spartan Steel, sir.”

“Captain Calhoun, congratulations, you’ll be taking command of Bravo Battery this Friday. You’ll need to move quickly because, as you know, our entire brigade deploys to Iraq next week.”

Eighteen months earlier, I’d been passed up for command. I felt the pressure of missing that opportunity and recognized I had to adapt. I was new to the Airborne unit—a “5-jump chump”—and needed to be jumpmaster qualified. That meant 13 jumps. Our own unit’s training plan wasn’t enough, so I monitored every other unit’s schedules, showing up at their manifest calls, hoping there was a vacant spot. By doing this relentlessly, I earned a seat at Jumpmaster School and achieved the qualification I needed.

Over the previous five years, I had absorbed best practices, reflected on my own leadership style, and internally examined the kind of commander I aimed to become when my moment arrived. Here it was. With only days before deploying to combat, the stakes felt extraordinarily high. My mission wasn’t merely to ensure we had the right gear—it was about preparing each soldier to face uncertainty with both confidence and clarity.

That experience taught me that selecting leaders is never just about filling a seat. It’s about finding someone who can steer the team away from potential failures while also inspiring a focused trajectory toward ambitious outcomes. In a rapidly shifting business environment, the same principle holds true: you want executives who can excel today and innovate for tomorrow.

Manage the Present, Lead the Future

Leadership isn’t just about maintaining the status quo; it’s about cultivating an environment where the team is equipped to handle near-term demands and still pursue growth opportunities on the horizon.

Effective leaders align everyone around the core mission and keep them grounded in day-to-day realities, while also pointing them toward bigger possibilities just over the horizon.

“The key is not to make quick decisions, but to make timely decisions.”
– General Colin Powell

When the future is uncertain, a great executive sees both the pitfalls to avoid and the goals to achieve. Whether you’re closing a leadership gap or guiding your organization through a high-stakes pivot, real leadership brings both immediate tactical focus and far-reaching strategic vision.

Culture and Strategy: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Leadership thrives when culture and strategy move in sync.

In times of growth or transition, leaders must recognize internal values and motivations while also seeking external feedback from board members, customers, and stakeholders. They ensure that everyday operations support the broader strategy and that team members are both challenged and empowered.

“Good leaders develop more than good employees, they develop more good leaders.”
– Harvey Mackay

Like a lighthouse guiding a ship away from the rocks and toward the open sea, leaders who unify culture and strategy give organizations the adaptability they need to flourish, even when challenges arise.

Look Beyond the Résumé

Finding these dynamic executives requires more than standard interviews and qualifications checkboxes.

Ask how they’ve tackled urgent obstacles in past roles, as well as how they’ve championed growth and innovation. By exploring their proven impact in both stable and volatile circumstances, you learn if they can handle the immediate pressures while fostering long-term opportunities.

“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard.”
– Peter Drucker

Leaders who can flex between structured procedures and open-ended possibilities are well-suited for a complex world. They keep the team grounded in achievable steps, yet remain open to new paths when the market or internal conditions shift.

Four Tips for Hiring Great Leaders

1. Get Crystal Clear on the Assignment Beyond the Job Description
   Define the objectives your executive must deliver in the next 12–18 months. Make sure everyone agrees on what you’re moving toward and what you must steer away from.
2. Create a Compelling Employer Brand and Role Description
   Highlight how this role ties into your larger vision. Emphasize the must-hit results and the culture you want to protect or evolve.
3. Assess Their Track Record of Impact
   Look for evidence of real accomplishments. Have they driven results under high-pressure timelines? Have they steered teams away from critical risks while also positioning them for new growth?
4. Use Behavioral Interviews and Real-World Scenarios
   Ask for concrete examples of how they’ve navigated transitions, aligned stakeholders, and balanced day-to-day tasks with strategic initiatives.

Leaders Who Build, Not Just Manage

Leadership is an evolving practice. The right executive embodies the values of the organization while ensuring timely execution of goals.

They don’t just manage resources; they spark motivation, fortify culture, and open doors for innovations that align with your strategic direction.

Create the Future You Want—One Leader at a Time

When I prepared my unit for deployment, every decision mattered at both a granular and a mission-wide level. Similarly, in business, leadership is about forging a team that can handle present challenges yet remain focused on the big-picture goals that define tomorrow’s success.

“Leaders who develop a culture of trust and teamwork elevate the performance of everyone involved.”
– Unknown

This is your chance to shape the future—by choosing leaders who safeguard your organization from unforeseen pitfalls and uplift it toward bold new achievements. Let’s connect and discuss how to make this vision a reality.

Let’s connect and discuss how to make this vision a reality.

Click here to schedule a confidential 30-minute conversation.

Authentically,

Brandon