In honor of Women’s History Month, we are continuing to highlight the powerful women who are speaking at the 2024 Exit Planning Summit next month.
Mary Pat Knight, CEO of Leaders Inspired, will headline one of our Power Sessions on April 30. Her talk, “Ditch the Drama – Elevating Humanized Leaders,” is sure to be a fan favorite! She will also be featured in the Author Showcase on April 29 where she’ll share her #1 international bestseller, The Humanized Leader.
Through Leaders Inspired, Mary Pat has trained and developed executives at BP, the U.S. Marines, MasterCard, Northwestern Mutual, and Brinker International, among others. She focuses on four key areas of leadership:
- Emotional leadership
- Communication leadership
- Performance leadership
- Genius leadership
Additionally, Mary Pat is a speaker, coach and consultant with a specialty in emotional intelligence and how it creates healthy teams, inspires leaders, and transforms cultures. To help leaders, Mary Pat draws on her 30-year career in marketing, operations, strategic planning, human resources, employee development, executive coaching, and theater.
What made you eager to speak at the 2024 Exit Planning Summit?
“I’ve been a fan of EPI for a while. I’ve followed EPI and have enjoyed watching Scott Snider grow as a leader. From what I have observed, he’s the embodiment of the humanized leader. I am excited to speak to the EPI community because, in a sense, they do what I do. Financial planners, accountants, lawyers and the like are all in front of clients daily—clients who are going through big stuff as they consider the next steps for their business, whether that’s selling, creating an ESOP, or building family wealth. In these roles, they have to have emotional and psychological intelligence as they coach clients and provide wise and clear direction. During my talk, I’ll share what works, the pitfalls I’ve experienced, and how they can promote a positive emotional response that resonates with clients.”
What can Summit attendees expect to learn from you?
“Attendees will hear about what I call the ‘drama triangle’. When you have a client who is operating in fear or another strong emotional reaction, that can affect decision-making. It’s important to be able to spot that and coach the client back to leadership so they don’t get stuck and muddy decisions. As I like to say, ‘Drama derails decision-making.’”
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit?
“I can’t wait to hear the other speakers! I’m looking forward to learning from the EPI community, especially how I can best serve and support them in the future. I’m also excited to participate in the Author Showcase and talk with others about my book, The Humanized Leader—as well as the newest one I’m working on that will be released by the end of the year. It’s called, From Boss to Coach.”
Who are your role models in business?
“Some of my role models I know; others I don’t. My role models include Jack Canfield, he is such a transformational leader. I also like Brené Brown—her teaching is so impeccable. I like Tony Robbins, Marci Shimoff, who is the author of Happy for No Reason, and Gary Vaynerchuk and how he promotes kindness.”
Do you consider yourself a role model?
“Yes, and it’s a big responsibility. I think I first realized that I was one—and the weight of that role—when I was speaking at a conference for Female Integrator Mastermind. What I was saying resonated with the women there, and I was giving them things to take action on. It struck me about the importance of being a positive role model—and a humanized leader.”
Why are you so passionate about humanized leadership?
“I think it has the power to be a real differentiator. It can get to the heart of interactions, allowing you to be authentic and of good service. I was discouraged by how politics—with all its finger-pointing and degradation of people—was breeding divisiveness and rancor in the world. It was obvious to me that we needed different kinds of leaders—ones who respected humanity and saw value in our differences.”
Register for the Exit Planning Summit
Exit Planning Institute is pleased to announce a one-day Women in Exit Planning Symposium. The Women in Exit Planning Symposium will bring together women advisors, business owners, and those who work on women business owners’ advisory teams. This event will foster collaboration between all different advisor specialties together in the exit planning community. It will feature a panel of female exit planners who will share best practices, discuss challenges women face in the exit planning profession, and how to build value in your business. Additionally, the symposium offers a chance for exit planning professionals to network with other professionals across the advisory community.
Bundle your Exit Planning Summit registration with the Women in Exit Planning Symposium for three days filled with incredible exit planning and business development content.
Register here!
