Sam Thevanayagam: The First 10 Runs in Singles and the Science of Servant Leadership

In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Sam Thevanayagam, Founder and CEO of Parts Life, Inc., a defense industry leader who has revolutionized how we think about servant leadership in high-stakes environments. From his journey as an immigrant entrepreneur to building a family of companies serving critical F-35 program components, Sam shares profound insights on faith-driven leadership, systematic human development, and turning adversity into competitive advantage. Discover how cricket lessons from his father became a business philosophy that consistently outperforms traditional command-and-control management.

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Episode Breakdown

00:00  Introduction and the challenge of integrating faith with business leadership

05:18  Building people through companies versus building companies through people

12:36   The First 10 Runs in Singles: why patience beats aggression in competitive markets

18:52   Cricket wisdom applied to defense manufacturing and high-stakes decision making

25:44 Creating environments where people achieve their God-given potential

33:29  The bankruptcy acquisition that became an F-35 program success story

38:22  Servant leadership in practice: moving from head to heart to action

45:36  The infinite loop model of sustainable leadership impact

52:12  Faith as competitive strategy in secular business environments

58:30  Legacy wisdom: focus on little things and big things take care of themselves

About Sam Thevanayagam

Sam Thevanayagam is a Sri Lankan-born, American entrepreneur, author, and thought leader in defense and aviation sustainment. As Founder and CEO of Parts Life, Inc. (parent company of DeVal Lifecycle Support and LC Engineers, Inc.), he leads a family of companies specializing in obsolescence management and supply chain solutions for military assets across all five domains: land, sea, undersea, air, and space.

Sam brings 30 years of executive leadership experience, specializing in quality assurance, operations management, supplier development, and strategic sourcing. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Sam’s commitment to continuous learning spans certifications and continued education programs in areas such as servant leadership, product and inventory management, supply chain reengineering and AI’s implications on business strategy.

Sam is the author of "The First 10 Runs in Singles: Life Lessons from the Game of Cricket," translated across seven languages. His book examines strategies taught by his father and how cricket principles apply to business and life..

Connect with Sam Thevanayagam

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samthevanayagam

Website: https://www.samtnetwork.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamTNetwork/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samtnetwork/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv0xOLVIPw4P9Abp-6lwGIQ

About Simon Bowen

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

Connect with Simon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

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