Rich Haddad is the former COO of SYM Financial Advisors and the current President and CEO at K21, overseeing all aspects of the foundation’s operations. With his expertise in financial reporting, he ensures the prudent management of the foundation’s funds and maintains healthy investment relationships. Apart from his professional duties, Rich is actively engaged with local community leaders and organizations to identify the best opportunities for grant-making and community participation that align with K21’s mission. He graduated from Grace College with a Business and Accounting degree and also holds a Master of Science degree in Non-Profit Management. Rich lives in Warsaw, Indiana with his wife, Kathy, and together they enjoy living near the lake, various water sports, golf, and running. Rich is the proud father of two children and a doting grandfather to two grandchildren.
Today, Rich joins me to explain how to be a mentor and a leader in your community. He shares his career journey and tells us what he’s been up to since leaving SYM in 2000. We discuss the value of self-discovery and how Rich learned to reflect on his own life to become a better employee, boss, leader, and father. He outlines how to be an effective mentor and why he’s chosen to focus on other people to find fulfillment. Rich emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and addressing conflicts head-on. We also discuss some of the most pressing problems Rich sees in his community and how he can help to solve these issues through the K12 Health Foundation.
“I don’t have to be at a church or some sort of ministry to make a difference in people’s lives—I can do that anywhere” – Rich Haddad
This week on Executive Decisions:
- What Rich has been up to since his time at SYM Financial
- How Rich’s love of community helped him in his career
- How self-discovery guided Rich throughout his career
- Rich’s recipe for success
- How getting married and having kids helped Rich learn how to make better decisions
- Why relationship building is a priority for Rich
- Why focusing on others is more fulfilling than focusing on your own needs
- What it takes to be a mentor
- How Rich helps people find the right work roles to capitalize on their strengths
- The difference between analytical decision-making and emotional intelligence and why they’re both needed when dealing with people
- The value of conflict resolution
- The challenges kids face in their community today
- How K12 Health Foundation allocates resources to support the community
- The people Rich thinks can make the most difference
Our Favorite Quotes:
- “I think sometimes when priorities shift, or when priorities aren’t aligned with the family or professional health or whatever, then all of a sudden, you know, we come up empty.” – Sarah Delahanty
- “The key to leadership and opportunities and success is really understanding how you’re skilled and created.” – Rich Haddad
- “A global pandemic surely made a crossroads where people’s mental and physical health and so many things kind of crossed over in many, many ways, which brought to light some significant gaps we have never addressed.” – Sarah Delahanty
Connect with Rich Haddad:
About SYM Financial and Executive Decisions Podcast
Executive Decisions is a show for business leaders. In each episode, host and financial advisor Sarah Delahanty sits down with executives and local experts who serve them. Together, they tackle some of the harder questions that business leaders face today. From inspiring creativity in the workplace, to managing company politics, to making the best choices with executive compensation, taxes, and lifestyle — our show delivers stories and lessons learned across many industries and lifetimes.
Email Sarah at sdelahanty@sym.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation.
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Disclosure: Certain links above are to third-party sites and are not affiliated with SYM Financial Corporation (“SYM”). SYM is an independent investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about SYM including our investment strategies, fees and objectives can be found in our ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.
