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Leaders empower others to lead. Through coaching and training, leaders can help others emerge as leaders, too. Leadership Development has become a thriving sector in the professional world. Consulting firms and human resources departments in large organizations help individuals realize their leadership potential. At McDonough, we help students gain the knowledge, insights and experience about leadership so that they can help others in their own leadership development journey.


 

Tim Tokarczyk '04

1. Basic Information:

Name: Tim Tokarczyk
Title: Leadership Consultant
Organization: FMI Corporation
City: Denver State: CO Country: USA

2. Educational Record:

At Marietta College:
Graduation Year: 2004
Major(s): English, Political Science
Minor(s): Leadership Studies, History

Honors/Awards: Sigma Tau Delta, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha, Order of Omega, Gamma Sigma Alpha, Green Man of the Year, Kershner Scholar, Rotary Scholar

Degrees after Marietta College:
Area of Study: Business Administration
College/University: Ohio University
Graduation Year: 2006

3. Describe your organization and what you do in this organization (job responsibilities, recent projects, work environment).

FMI is the nation's largest provider of M anagement Consulting and Investment Banking to the worldwide construction industry. Founded in 1953, FMI delivers innovative, customized solutions to contractors; construction materials producers; manufacturers and suppliers of building materials and construction equipment; facility owners, managers, and developers; engineers and architects; surety companies; and industry trade associations.

At FMI, I split my time between working in the office and working with our clients. My office work includes researching the latest thinking on a wide variety of leadership topics at both the individual and the organizational level. I develop new content and curriculums for senior consultants to deliver to clients. My job here is to constantly push our thinking around leadership. The second half of my job involves delivering content to clients. This involves facilitation, training, and consulting. This is the most rewarding aspect of my job, because with direct contact with clients, I can impact their lives—not just their careers.

4. Briefly discuss how "leadership" plays a role in your professional field.

Leadership plays an all-encompassing role in my professional field. We work exclusively in the construction industry—an industry not historically adept at leadership. There is great opportunity here to actually change the way an entire industry looks at their people. Daily, we are changing the hearts and minds of individual leaders, helping them to realize that the great leaders are focused on their own people—on developing them into future leaders. Our group is solely focused on Leadership and Organizational Development, and all the implications that arise from creating culture shifts in organizations. We truly believe that at the heart of all successful enterprises lies strong leadership.

5. Briefly discuss how the McDonough Leadership Program prepared you for this professional field and leadership challenges.

The McDonough Leadership Program gave me a head start as I prepared for this role. In my initial interview, I was asked, “What is my personal philosophy of leadership?” Because of the McDonough Leadership Program, I was able to give a very detailed, clear explanation of my thoughts on leadership. I would not have been hired without that knowledge and background. My experience at Marietta also allowed me to quickly and easily grasp leadership concepts that take most people months to fully understand. Having an academic background in leadership thought has allowed me to achieve a great level of success in my work.

Perhaps even more important than being successful in my career, the McDonough Leadership Program prepared me to take on my own leadership roles. It has helped define my own thoughts on what it means to be a leader, as well as a human being. It helped me realize that once you become a leader, it stops being about you and starts being about others. It taught me the importance of leadership, as well as the lasting impact leaders leave on others. Whether I continue working in the leadership field or decide to work in a different field, the knowledge and experience I gained in the McDonough Leadership Program will allow me to be successful regardless of what I am doing. The skills and ability to critically think about leadership concepts is transferable to any field in any industry. I owe a great deal to the McDonough Leadership Program—it has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life.