From Foster Care to Founders: Leadership Lessons with Heart – Featuring Kenny Lange

 

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode, I sat down with Kenny, a leadership and scaling coach whose life story is as inspiring as his professional insights. What started as a personal journey rooted in his adoption experience—and sparked by his 7-year-old son's curiosity—has grown into a mission of love and impact. Kenny and his wife have fostered 18 children and adopted two, creating a home rooted in compassion, resilience, and intentional support. Even during a temporary pause due to his wife’s health, their commitment to fostering remains unwavering. Kenny draws powerful parallels between parenting and leadership, underscoring how creating emotionally safe spaces at home aligns deeply with creating thriving cultures in business.

The Power of Frontline Innovation

We explored the importance of amplifying voices from every level of an organization, not just the C-suite. I emphasized how game-changing ideas often come from those closest to the work. By encouraging team-wide input and running trial initiatives, organizations can unlock innovation and prevent talent loss to entrepreneurship. Kenny echoed this, highlighting the importance of shared decision-making in keeping a company culture agile and engaging.

Turnover, Claims, and Culture

Employee turnover is costly—not just in productivity but also in well-being. Kenny and I discussed the direct connection between poor leadership and rising mental health claims, which have surged by 72% over the last two years. The culprit? Often, it’s a lack of training and support for people managers. We unpacked the real-world impact of poor management and how it contributes to disengagement, burnout, and leave-of-absence claims. The fix? Equip leaders early. Invest in training. Create human-centered workplaces.

Frameworks Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

Kenny shared his perspective on adapting leadership frameworks to fit the unique DNA of each organization. Drawing a culinary analogy, he explained that understanding your ingredients—your people, culture, and constraints—is essential before applying a recipe. We agreed: effective leadership requires flexibility, not rigidity. Kenny cautioned against “framework addiction,” a trap where leaders over-rely on cookie-cutter solutions, and instead promoted a problem-first mindset that focuses on results, not just tools.

Lead to Scale: A Blueprint for Growth

Kenny walked us through his Lead to Scale leadership model—a framework that begins with leading oneself, expands to developing teams, and culminates in scaling entire organizations. At its core are three pillars: awareness, alignment, and accountability. He shared how this model helped a client grow revenue and expand geographically, proving that these principles transcend industries and stages of growth. Notably, Kenny highlighted the 10-year leadership development gap, where many managers are promoted long before receiving any formal leadership training.

Leadership Is a Journey, Not a Title

We closed our conversation reflecting on the long game of leadership: growth, mentorship, and the need for constant self-awareness. We acknowledged the sobering truth that many businesses fail not because of a lack of vision, but because of poor planning and an underdeveloped leadership infrastructure. Kenny also gave us a sneak peek into his podcast, How Leaders Think, which is nearing its 100th episode—a testament to his dedication to empowering leaders at every level.

🎧 Listen in if you’re ready to: ✔️ Lead from the inside out ✔️ Build emotionally intelligent organizations ✔️ Prevent burnout through intentional leadership ✔️ Foster innovation from every level of your team

website:  https://kennylange.com