Breakfast Leadership Show

From Foster Care to Founders: Leadership Lessons with Heart – Featuring Kenny Lange

Sep 22, 2025
Join Kenny Lange, a dedicated leadership and scaling coach, foster and adoptive parent, and host of How Leaders Think, as he explores the transformational journey of fostering 18 children. Kenny connects the lessons of parenting to effective leadership, emphasizing the need for emotionally safe spaces in both home and organizations. He passionately advocates for amplifying frontline ideas to spur innovation and discusses the dire consequences of poor leadership, including rising mental health claims and turnover rates.
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ANECDOTE

Family Sparked A Foster Journey

  • Kenny and his wife became licensed foster parents within nine months after their son asked to foster or adopt a child.
  • They have fostered 18 children and adopted two, and continue to support fostering despite a temporary pause for health reasons.
INSIGHT

Parenting Informs Leadership

  • Kenny argues that good parenting and good leadership mirror each other and transfer lessons both ways.
  • He uses fostering experience to inform his leadership and organizational coaching approach.
ADVICE

Invite Ideas From Every Level

  • Invite ideas from everyone, not just the C-suite, and run trial initiatives to test them.
  • Open input prevents employees from hoarding ideas and reduces the chance they'll leave to start a competing business.
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