Hi, I’m Doug Thorpe. Just like you, I am on a journey. Every day I work hard to make a difference in the lives of people I get to engage. My journey has been blessed by some incredible mentors, bosses, and stakeholders who taught me so much about this life. I am now making those experiences available to you. It’s my way to give back.

My passion is being a coach and mentor to busy executives and business owners wanting to take life to the next level.

As I look back, I have always been in the middle of some kind of management and leadership situation.

Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, my life centered on the military. After High School ROTC, I went to Texas A&M University on an Army scholarship, joining the nationally famous Corps of Cadets where leadership training became an even bigger part of my life.

In my senior year, I led a student organization with a multi-million dollar budget responsible for large scale entertainment events. We hosted concerts and productions like Chicago, The Eagles, Elton John, Sonny & Cher, Olivia Newton-John.

I managed 38 shows in 52 weeks. The experiences and challenges of putting these shows together were invaluable to my growing understanding of management and leadership.

Upon graduation, I was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Six years and an MBA later, I was a Captain and left the service for civilian life.

Texas Commerce Bank in Houston was my first civilian job. Little did I know that this bank was to be one of the most successful institutions of its kind. The bank produced huge profits and weathered some of the toughest financial times (the oil and real estate busts of the ’80s).

We eventually merged with JP Morgan Chase, but not before growing from $14 billion to $27 billion during my time there. No, I don’t claim credit for all that success, but the point is, I was managing business units through periods of extreme growth and occasional hardship. The leadership laboratory we had was unparalleled.

In 1998, I left banking and started my own consulting business. It grew into a series of different start-ups, thus fueling my entrepreneurial spirit. For ten years I was involved either with private investors or other companies building various service companies.

At every turn, managers were asking me about ways to improve their effectiveness and reach, thus my evolution into becoming a leadership consultant and coach.

On the heels of the 2007 national financial crisis, I saw a need in my community. I founded a non-denominational, faith-based career transition organization called Jobs Ministry Southwest. During the next few years, over 4,500 clients attended training, joined work groups, and participated in job search and career coaching programs sponsored and hosted by the organization. Over 200,000 man-hours of training were delivered.

Today, in addition to writing and speaking, I provide executive coaching and business advisory services. My clients are companies and business leaders seeking fresh ideas for the development of high-performance leaders, C-suite one-on-one, and team development. My firm is called HeadwayExec, LLC.

By way of this blog, I hope to provide you with fresh ideas for leadership thought, inspiration to reach higher goals, and create deeper personal fulfillment.

Here’s What I Believe:

Servant leadership provides the best results.
Everyone has unique gifts that need some encouragement to blossom into amazing talent.
Growth cannot exist without change. Change is hard for most people.
Our journey on this earth will be revealed in chapters. Each chapter has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
We are made to laugh; fun laughs with close friends and loved ones.
As adults, we learn best when mimicking success patterns of others.
There is someone whose life is waiting to be drastically changed by your existence. They won’t be found if you are sitting still.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

Go to the home page and begin reading my articles. If you like them, sign up for my weekly newsletter.

If you see a topic that inspires you, use that as your starting point for us to connect.

Feel free to schedule a complimentary introductory call.

Pretty simple, right?

Thanks for reading this page.

Now, let’s get to work. Here’s to your great succes!

Doug Thorpe