Brett Martin: Leadership Greater Topeka

TK: What is the most important characteristic that every leader should possess? Why? 

Listening. The ability to listen, and by extension, admitting mistakes or building on successes, as well course correction are crucial skills for any leader. In listening, we better understand ourselves, our neighbors, and our world. These are key to any effective exercise of leadership.

TK: Who is your hero(s)? Why? 

My mother. She climbed and clawed her way out of poverty and was a woman of remarkable resilience and grit. Her epitaph sums it up: Here lies a woman of enduring grace and a quiet dignity, a beloved mother and loyal friend. 

TK: What motivates or inspires you? 

I am inspired by those who quietly and unassumingly go about their daily lives serving others and making their own corner of the universe a little brighter.