Building Cultures of Success: Henry Stoever’s Leadership Philosophy

Henry Stoever is a C-level Senior Executive and strategic business leader with experience as both CEO and CMO. As Principal with the Brentwood Advisory Group, he empowers CEOs using his TCPS leadership style to drive growth-minded cultures and strategies. 

Henry Stoever holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and was recognized as one of the Top 50 CMOs on Twitter in 2017. Henry's journey is marked by a blend of strategic leadership and a passion for growth, both professionally and personally. His diverse interests outside of work, such as hiking and scuba diving, reflect his approach to maintaining balance and perspective. In this interview, Henry shares insights into his career path, leadership philosophy, and the strategies that have defined his success.

How did you get into the business of strategic consulting and leadership coaching?

I got into the business of strategic business consulting for 3 reasons:

1. I am passionate about strengthening the global competitive position of our nation and its economy and communities.

2. I am passionate about inspiring organizations, teams, and individuals to realize their fullest potential.

3. If, in the aggregate, all organizations, teams, and individuals realize their fullest potential, then leaders can help inspire a better world for all. 

   
   

Where did your passion for leadership and strategic planning come from?

My passion for leadership and strategic planning is rooted in 3 areas:

1. My great uncle Randy Cary, who graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, NY, asked me what I knew about leadership when I was in 10th grade. While I shared that at that time I did not know too much about leadership, Uncle Randy said, "No matter what you do in life, whether you work in business, government, education, or ministry, leadership is THE single most important attribute people can demonstrate.

   
   

2. I followed in Uncle Randy's footsteps, to a degree, and attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD – the premier leadership training institution in the world – and this experience provided the foundation of servant leadership that I have carried forward throughout my career.
   

3. Upon graduation from the US Naval Academy, I was commissioned as an officer in the US Marine Corps, and the diverse leadership challenges that I was confronted with as an Infantry Officer enabled me to develop the skills to inspire individuals and teams to accomplish more than they could have anticipated accomplishing on their own – humility, caring, empathy, etc. 
   

After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, I have utilized these skills to inspire teams and individuals while working for four public companies and three non-profit companies, and my teams and I have consistently delivered results ahead of stakeholders' expectations. 

What experiences can you share as a CEO and CMO in a professional service association?  

As the CEO of a non-profit professional service association, I learned the importance of developing a strong partnership with the board chair. The CEO/board chair partnership is critical to shaping organizational strategy, influencing board members' minds, and establishing operational priorities. To me, the priority is to establish alignment around organizational outcomes, including financial and non-financial objectives and priorities. 

Additionally, as the CMO of a non-profit professional service association, it is essential to follow the lead of the CEO. In this capacity, it is essential to help prioritize stakeholders, understand their deep motivations, and establish communication priorities that address their motivations through strategic segmentation, targeting, and positioning. 

What are some key accomplishments in your career of which you are most proud?

The most significant accomplishment in my life was bringing home all members of my infantry platoon of Marines, alive, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. My priorities during these military operations were to accomplish the mission and bring home all of my Marines, alive, so they could be reunited with their families and loved ones.

Second, and perhaps tied for first place, was raising our family. I am blessed to have a fabulous wife, Glenn, and 5 adult children who are college-educated, gainfully employed, self-sustainable, and happy!

Lastly, I was blessed with an amazing mother who recently passed at 86. She taught me the power of a positive, can-do, make-it-happen attitude. She always had a twinkle in her eye, and when you asked her how she was, she always replied, "I could not be better!"

My father died on the same day my brother was born, and my mother remained relentless in caring for all of her children and moving forward proudly. She was loved by all of her friends and extended family. Being able to mimic even a fraction of her spirit and drive is an accomplishment that contributes to my continued growth and success. 

How have you helped non-profits increase revenue while driving impact?

I use our TCPS model to help clients grow revenue and drive impact.

T = Teams 

I encourage all leaders to assess the mindsets of your team members, align their perspectives, and focus on strategic priorities by expanding stakeholder engagement. Culture is one of the most important outcomes of leadership, for as Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." 

I believe that culture empowers strategies, and that culture needs to start with "tone at the top" i.e. in the boardroom and with C-level executives, embraced by the "mood in the middle," and operationalized through the "banter at the bottom."

C = Customers 

Clients must deepen their understanding of customers' motivations. It’s Important to mention that, in the non-profit world, we use the terms members, constituents, and stakeholder instead of customer because non-profits are mission-focused and service oriented.

P = Products 

This is a simple word for a complex suite of value that an organization offers to its customers, members, stakeholders, and constituents. Products can be physical, digital, services, and can be offered as subscriptions or on a 1-time, on-demand basis.

S = Strategy 

As the teams become aligned and deepen their understanding of their customers/members/stakeholders' motivations, establishing a data-informed strategy is essential to efficiently and effectively deliver value.

Putting it all together: I use the TCPS model to help grow revenue and drive impact by expanding stakeholder engagement by building strong, diverse, and inclusive Teams that are passionate about deepening their understanding of Customers' motivations, develop unique and distinct Products and services that address prioritized motivations, and collaboratively deliver unique value through hard-hitting strategies and plans.