When you think about qualities found in most Chief Executive Officers, traits like “driven” and “intelligent” and “skilled” may come to mind. And while Pritpal Kalsi, Chief Executive Officer of SC&H, is all those things, there’s another trait that his team uses when they describe him: kind. In fact, Kalsi’s simple acts of kindness have become well-known at SC&H, a national consulting and financial services firm which offers finance, technology, accounting, and advisory services to clients across various industries and sectors. Kalsi’s kindness is also evidenced in his leadership style. He prefers personal, authentic interactions, such as a team lunch instead of a board meeting, or being present for team members by dropping in for a quick chat, rather than an email. In this way, he gets to know his team and how he can best serve them.
Kalsi’s efforts to build a company culture infused with kindness, trust and collaboration found alignment in the ethos of the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute.
“SC&H partnered with the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute for a myriad of reasons. One of our biggest goals is to provide folks with a platform for a lifetime of learning. This program allows us to create that environment for learning for our leaders at every level,” explains Kalsi. “Further, SC&H is an entrepreneurial organization. We have a lot of expertise, which is a function of our team’s intellectual curiosity. I wanted a leadership program that would encourage and probe that curiosity, to help leaders look ahead to the future and bring back actionable thinking that drives growth for decades to come. Finally, my hope is that participants in the Institute’s programs are not only able to use what they learn to benefit SC&H, but they can use what they learn to benefit the profession and community.”
To date, SC&H employees have participated in a variety of the Institute’s offerings, including Next Level Leaders, the Professional Leadership Program for Women, and custom leadership trainings for its executives.
“We’ve seen tremendous value through all of our partnership opportunities with the Institute,” shares Kalsi. “Participants appreciated that the trainings elevated the sense of responsibility that leaders have to be more than just a professional, but a human being. They appreciated how the Institute helped them learn ways to create a collaborative tone and a thankful environment for their teams. To me, it was abundantly clear that these leaders had done a lot of thoughtful discovery around what was unique to their role, their organization, and could come together with ideas on how to advance talent at large. I can tell you that the Institute’s programs are an investment that will pay dividends for many years to come.”
