“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” —Romans 5:12 I’ve found a new favorite book. It’s titled Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman. You may have to search for it, because it threatens too many conventional […]
Everyone Is King
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” —Lucille Ball In January of 1988 I drove from Bowdoin College to Bridgton Academy to interview for a teaching and coaching job. Upon arrival I found myself sitting on the less powerful side of a large oak desk. Bob Walker, the headmaster, sat opposite me. […]
Strength For Your Purpose Podcast
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Strength For Your Purpose Podcast host Dr. Phil Finemore about shared leadership and dispersed power. They discuss Kevin’s journey and how he came to his philosophy that power should be dispersed. Kevin shares the outcomes for the company and the employees who work for Hancock Lumber. Finally, they […]
Safe Space Podcast
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Safe Space host Franco Lombardo about successfully running a business without speaking. They discuss Kevin’s journey, from losing his voice to finding it again and the lessons he learned along the way. Kevin talks about the successes gained from listening, empowering voices, and sharing leadership throughout the organization. […]
Practice Accentuates Oneness
“If you want to be a champion you’ve got to feel like one, you’ve got to look like one, you’ve got to act like one.” —Red Auerbach John Kohtala was the best jump shooter I ever met. If he could get his right elbow above your left defensive hand, he was going to shoot, and it […]
Shared Leadership Culture at Hancock Lumber
Below are 12 articles and podcasts that describe the outcome and impact of shared leadership in the workplace. Take a look at the excerpts below and click through to learn more. Thank you for joining our mission of shared leadership, dispersed power, and respect for all voices! Work & Life with Stew Friedman In […]
Digital Equality
In this article featured in the March 2022 NRLA Lumber Co-Operator, Kevin Hancock writes about digital equality in the workplace. Kevin explores the two groups of employees that the digital age has produced in lumberyards: the group that uses laptops and computers regularly and those that do not. He continues to write about how Hancock […]
Reclaiming Your Voice with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Path11 Podcast host April Hannah about his newest book 48 Whispers and his journeys to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They discuss the loss of Kevin’s voice and how it led him on a quest to find his center, regain his voice, and help strengthen the […]
Voices Carry
Family Business Magazine captures Kevin’s journey and new leadership model in their March 2022 article, Voices Carry. Writer Margaret Sheen tells the story of Kevin losing his voice, the journey he went on to find his voice, and the lessons he learned along the way—and, ultimately, how those lessons translated into a new, modern leadership […]
How to Change Your Leadership Style for the Better
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with The PR Maven Podcast host Nancy Marshall about shared leadership. They begin by speaking about the importance of continuing to change, even if your business is over 150 years old. He shares how his personal journey led to a change in leadership style for Hancock Lumber and what […]
Architects of Shared Leadership
As part of Hancock Lumber’s HBS Dealer’s national ‘ProDealer of the Year’ recognition, HBSDealer magazine featured the company on the cover of their March 2022 edition. Ken Clark’s “Architects of Shared Leadership” cover story shares their leadership teams’ voices and highlights Hancock Lumber’s success as an employee-centric, shared leadership business—and, how Kevin Hancock’s vision to […]
The Profit and Power of Being an Employee CENTRIC Companies
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Enlightenment of Change podcast host Connie Whitman. They speak together about his book The Seventh Power, One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. They speak about the power of shared leadership and what the benefits are to both the employees and the company. Kevin speaks from experience […]
Planet Earth Needs a Flag
“It is hard to follow one great vision in this world of darkness and of many changing shadows. Among them men get lost.” —Black Elk In my last post I wrote about what the sandpiper knows, the tiny bird that moves predictably with the unpredictable. No two waves are ever the same, yet the sandpiper […]
Kevin Hancock: A CEO Discovers His True Voice
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Work and Life Podcast host Stew Friedman about the changes his leadership style and life underwent after losing his voice. Kevin shares how important changing way he approached leadership became and how strengthening the voices of others to help them find their true, authentic self became his life […]
What the Sandpiper Knows
“We Indians think of the Earth and the whole universe as a never-ending circle, and in this circle, man is just another animal. The buffalo and the coyote are our brothers, the birds, our cousins. Even the tiniest ant, even a louse, even the smallest flower you can find, they are all relatives.” —Jenny Leading […]
Employee-Centric Versus Capital-Centric Organizations, with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Human Capital Innovations Podcast host Dr. John Westover about shared leadership and employee-centric organizations. They discuss the differences, benefits, and drawbacks of capital-centric organizations and how the shift to shared leadership has impacted Hancock Lumber. “We have been at it for over a decade, so we have very […]
Shared Leadership with Kevin Hancock
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks with Deliberate Directions host Allison Dunn about shared leadership and dispersed power. They discuss what prompted his leadership philosophy to change and how the company has benefitted from these changes. He discusses Hancock Lumber’s participation in the Best Places to Work in Maine surveys, as well as the outcome […]
The 7th Power – Shared Leadership with Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Leadership Re-Imagined host Dr. Jane Lovas about his leadership philosophy and The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. They discuss how his leadership style changed from top-down to shared and dispersed power. He shares his story about how his leadership style so drastically changed […]
Finding My Voice in the Land of Crazy Horse with Author Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Lucid Cafe host Wendy Halley about his books, Not For Sale, The Seventh Power, and 48 Whispers. They speak about the challenges that losing Kevin’s voice presented and how he was able to overcome and feel that his new condition was a gift. Kevin shares about his journey to Pine Ridge […]
#43 | JENNY AND ME
“Everyone is beautiful.” — Ariana Grande Jenny Edwards cleans and cares for the Hancock Lumber home office in Casco at night, after finishing her day job. I work an odd collection of hours, which brings me into the office at night once or twice a week. This is how Jenny and I met and then […]
#40 | THE WATERMELON BUS
“Everything you can imagine is real.” —Pablo Picasso We were driving through rural, agricultural Florida just north of Lake Okeechobee when I saw it. “What is that?” I said, removing my sunglasses for a second look. Several vehicles ahead, on a four-way section of downtown road, was an old yellow school bus with the […]
Interviews with Bob Greenberg, Part 3
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks about how he became a champion for shared leadership and dispersed power. When Kevin lost the power of his voice, he turned to others for their ideas so he could speak less. He also speaks about how he found the Lakota tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and […]
Interviews with Bob Greenberg, Part 1
In this interview, Kevin Hancock speaks about how he found the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and how the moments he spent there helped him and inspired him to write 48 Whispers. He shares that the thoughts and pictures that he takes while there have helped him find inner peace, a way of leading without overusing […]
#38 | PROTECTORS OF THE REALM
“Liberty means responsibility. That’s why most men dread it.” —George Bernard Shaw It was six a.m. when I left Route 44 and passed through the veritable ghost town of Scenic, South Dakota, onto Bombing Range Road. I was on my way to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to have breakfast with my friend Rosie […]
Kevin Hancock featured on The Backpack Show with Chris Brogan
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks with Kerry O’Shea Gorgone. Kerry talks with Kevin about his experience of the partial loss of his own voice, while initially considered to be a hindrance, was eventually seen as a gift – an invitation and a calling to lead differently, and to lift up others’ voices. They also […]
#37 | MISSION CLARITY
“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” —Buddha Earlier this year I shared the following short message with everyone at Hancock Lumber: Hello! I was doing some work with another company in another industry yesterday. The subject of their “mission statement” was on the agenda. […]
#36 | TENT CITY
“The problem with homelessness is not houselessness.” —Matt Haig Eugene, Oregon, is a city like no other. Nestled on the western edge of the Cascade Mountains, it’s surrounded by a valley of agricultural bounty. Sheep graze at the edge of the airport runway. The rivers flow and the flowers grow across a Disneyesque kingdom-like […]
We Believe in Shared Leadership
In this article, Kevin Hancock is interviewed about his progressive view on shared leadership. He shares how the lumber industry is often misunderstood and seen as outdated, but he says this is inaccurate. Everything from the technology inside the sawmills to the culture fostered at the company is modern and innovative. Kevin explains more about […]
#33 | BECOMING EMPLOYEE-CENTRIC
“Everyone talks about building a relationship with your customer. I think you build one with your employees first.” —Angela Ahrendts The first mission of a modern company should be to advance and enhance the lives of the people who work there. All other corporate value creation is derived from this central priority. Companies that do […]
#32 | NOMADS
“I am a wild, wandering nomad, I belong everywhere and nowhere all at the same time, and in that gap between worlds, I am free.” —Ritta Klint I’m fascinated by the nomadic past of the Sioux tribes on the northern plains. Before the reservation era, the Sioux moved freely across a vast territory stretching from […]
#30 | THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS
“The collective unconscious contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind’s evolution born anew in the brain structure of every individual.” —Carl Jung Speaking mostly in Lakota, Medicine Man begins to talk, then chant, then pray, then sing. Others, circled in darkness, echo in response. The heat within the hut quickly intensifies and the sweat comes […]
#29 | THE PROBLEM WITH IT ALL . . .
“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom.” —Mahatma Gandhi The potential blessing of this essay series is that I am writing from experience. The potential problem with this essay series is that I am writing from experience. * * * When I decided to write this yearlong series about shared […]
Q&A: Company Culture, Productivity, and Retention: How Does Your Company Measure Up?
The Softwood Forest Products Buyer is reaching out to company leaders across the industry to solicit their input on key issues that impact overall business success. In this publication, Kevin Hancock shares his insights. “Some organizations collect leadership power into the bureaucratic center, where a few people can make the majority of the decisions for […]
#28 | SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP
“Strange what being slowed down could do to a person.” —Nicholas Sparks Even though the gymnasium was filled with whistles, shouting, and squeaking sneakers, I can still hear the coach’s wisdom nearly forty years later. I was at SWISH basketball camp at the University of Southern Maine, a junior in high school preparing for […]
#27 | THE DIVERSE POTENTIAL OF SHARED LEADERSHIP
“Do not wait for the green light. You are the green light.” —Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana Shortly after participating in the Leadership Learning Exchange for Equity sponsored by the Maine Community Foundation, I received a poignant question from one of my favorite global citizens within our company: What are we doing to bring more underrepresented groups […]
#26 | “TRUST IS THE COIN OF THE REALM”
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” —Ernest Hemingway On December 13, 2020, former secretary of state George Shultz turned one hundred years old. On that day he published an essay musing over what he had learned across a century of living, and a career that included […]
#25 | UNSUBSCRIBE
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” —Dalai Lama Several months ago I was sitting with the vice chair of our board of directors, Jim Buchanan, at the Hancock Lumber home office in Casco. Across the street logging trucks were arriving, the sawmill was churning, and the smell of sawdust was […]
#24 | HALFTIME
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” —Martin Luther King This is essay #24, the halfway mark of my 2021 writing project. Two dozen essays have been shared and two dozen are yet to be created. Thank you for engaging and participating. […]
#23 | SOFTENING OUR EDGES
“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.” —John Green I have trepidations about taking on this topic but even more about letting it go, so I’m diving in. Does civility in human dialogue and interaction matter? If it does matter, what causes it to disintegrate? How might it be elevated? […]
#22 | THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
In 1938 the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was, in fact, “the Greatest Show on Earth.” Their annual tour opened in the spring of that year with a twenty-three-day sojurn at Madison Square Garden. The circus was so popular that it performed twice daily in New York (forty-six shows in all) before caravanning […]
Citrix Northeast Conference Keynote 2021
In this video, Kevin Hancock is the keynote speaker at the Citrix Northeast Conference. Kevin speaks the shared leadership model, dispersed power, and respecting all voices. Kevin’s ideas on these topics have an immeasurable change on workplace happiness, employee engagement, and the work/life balance. “Work should enhance life – otherwise, what’s the point?” – Kevin […]
The Breakfast Club Guest: Kevin Hancock
In this radio podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with The Breakfast Club host Mark about his career, his newest book, 48 Whispers, and his mission to empower and strengthen the voices of those around him. During Kevin’s life journey, he has adapted Hancock Lumber to create balance for the employees and ensure that their voices are heard […]
Success Made to Last
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with host Rick Tocquigny about shared leadership. Kevin describes how losing the full use of his speaking voice led him to Pine Ridge, where he discovered an entire community that did not feel heard. The two events convinced Kevin that each human is here on earth in a personal […]
#19 | INDIGENOUS WISDOM
“It is hard to follow one great vision in this world of darkness and of many changing shadows. Among those shadows men get lost.” —Black Elk I have dedicated the essays that I write this year to Black Elk, but I have not yet told you why. The answer is that I see deep truth […]
Happy Hour Podcast: Guest Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin speaks to host Joel Fleischman about Kevin’s story of finding the power of shared leadership. Kevin explains how he struggled with losing his voice and the journey he started to gain inner acceptance and balance, as well as ways he could continue to lead his family’s company. He also speaks with […]
#16 | THE FUTURE TRAVELS THROUGH THE PAST
“No future without forgiveness.” —Bishop Desmond Tutu It’s not just those in positions of leadership or privilege who must become more self-aware. In the last two essays I have discussed how it’s important for me as a white, Christian, male CEO to reconcile my inherent privilege in Western society. This is done not to engender […]
#15 | WHITE SPACE
“One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.” —Franklin Thomas Everyone I was looking at was white. […]
#14 | RESURRECTING MARY
“Jesus’s inner circle of disciples includes both men and women on an equal footing. There is no distinction made between a male group of disciples and a female group of camp followers.” —Cynthia Bourgeault In AD 313 the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and with a single edict elevated a banned set of spiritual […]
#13 | OH . . . THE STORIES WE’VE TOLD
“La Storia di questi avvenimenti fu scritta dai vincitori.” (“The history of these events was written by the winners.”) –Italian proverb Are you aware that your view of the world is based on a carefully cultivated set of stories that you have been repeatedly told since childhood? You’ve likely been fed these stories for so […]
#12 | SUNSETTING MY IPHONE
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night I bet they would live a lot differently.” —Bill Watterson It was cold by Southwest Florida standards. As a result, nobody was around. Cool, cushioning sand encased my bare feet as I meandered without intention or destination. […]
#11 | A SELF-ABSORBED AMERICA
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” —John Muir Last week I wrote about the importance of CEOs broadening their roles and seeing the highest calling of free enterprise as the advancement of humanity. This week I […]
#10 | THE CEO ROLE
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “Every writer I know has trouble writing.” —Joseph Heller I often have to write for a while before it becomes clear to me what I am writing about. This is contrary to what I was taught in middle-school English class. “You must know the end of the essay […]
#9 | HENRY, MAMIE, EDDIE, AND BUTCH
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “Your choices and efforts, be they small or grand, define who you are.” —Richelle Goodrich Henry and Mamie Wilson migrated north from South Carolina to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1921. “I believe he was about the first black man they ever hired at US Steel,” his son Tim would […]
#8 | THE GOOSE AND THE APPLE
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” —Wayne Dyer The Charles River Esplanade is a meandering urban green space separating Boston’s Back Bay neighborhoods from the Charles River. Filled with hardwood trees, playing fields, and exercise paths, the Esplanade traverses more than three […]
#7 | THE FUTURE-BASED SELF
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.” —Buddha Despite an incalculable myriad of differences in backgrounds, experiences, and opportunities, every living human shares one common truth: We must all move into the future from the spot we presently occupy. […]
Keep it Local Maine: Episode 29
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Keep It Local Maine hosts Kimberly and Todd Regoulinsky about his shared leadership philosophy and creating an employee-centric business model for Hancock Lumber. He shares the journey that brought him to this understanding and how important he feels investing in your employees is for the business and for […]
#6 | CIRCLES AND SQUARES
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. The sky is round, and I have heard that the Earth is round like a ball, and […]
#5 | ORIGINS
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK “Bureaucracy and social harmony are inversely proportionate to each other.” —Leon Trotsky What are the origins of bureaucracy? How did “power” historically become centralized in command-and-control hierarchies? How did certain groups come to exert a defining influence over others? The answer, at its most fundamental level, is through […]
#3 | STAYING ON MISSION IN A CHAOTIC WORLD
2021 IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE SERIES BY KEVIN HANCOCK In the first decades of the twenty-first century, three exceptional yet unforeseen events altered humanity’s course. On the morning of September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda militants hijacked four airplanes. Within hours the twin towers of the World Trade Center would fall and a global war would commence. In 2008, […]
We Need More From Business and It Starts With Listening
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with People At Work host Bev Attfield about his journey to finding an employee-centric business model and developing a workplace culture where everybody leads and every voice is respected, valued, and heard. Kevin shares how devastating feeling unheard can be, both in the workplace and in the community, and […]
2021: JOIN ME ON AN IDEA-SHARING ADVENTURE
Hello! In the spring of this year I am publishing my next book! 48 WHISPERS from Pine Ridge and the Northern Plains is a hybrid of sorts. First, it’s a photography book featuring full-page photos that I have taken at Pine Ridge, the Black Hills, and across the plains. Second, it’s a personal and organizational […]
My New Year’s wish is that everybody on Earth would feel trusted, respected, valued, and heard!
Hello and Happy New Year! Wishing you and your family a safe and fun holiday! Looking forward to 2021! Across 2020 I participated in nearly 100 “events” (podcasts, articles, talks, interviews) hoping to advance the concepts of EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT – SHARED LEADERSHIP – DISPERSED POWER – and RESPECT FOR ALL VOICES. My goal is to […]
Finding Center and Voice Through All the Noise
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Enlightenment of Change host Connie Whitman about his journey to finding a new business model and leadership style. Kevin firmly believes that developing people, listening to their ideas, and empowering them to make decisions is one of the most important things a workplace can do for their employees. […]
The Seventh Power
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to The Bregman Leadership Podcast host Peter Bregman about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership and the leadership style he adopted from his findings. Kevin has integrated an employee-centric culture into Hancock Lumber, highlighted by the importance of everybody partaking in […]
Kevin Hancock on What Matters Most Podcast
Kevin Hancock joins What Matters Most host Paul Samuel Dolman to speak about his shared leadership philosophy. They speak about how CEOs and other leaders might elegantly break down the planet’s entrenched, top-down governance model in favor of a new playbook for heightened human engagement, hallmarked by shared leadership, dispersed power, and respect for all voices. […]
Leaders of Lumber: Kevin Hancock
In this article, Kevin Hancock speaks about how important company culture and sharing leadership are at Hancock Lumber. Kevin explains how his journey to Pine Ridge opened his eyes to how narrow his leadership focus was. He was the largest voice in the room and after losing his voice, he could no longer be the […]
Five Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society
In this interview, Kevin Hancock reflects upon how traditional views of leadership have caused disruption, inequality, and misrepresentation throughout history. “Leaders of established organizations have often ‘over-reached.’ By this, I mean that those with the most power often abuse it and go too far.” He goes on to say that the quest for equality and diversity […]
Interview with Kevin Hancock, President & CEO of Hancock Lumber
In this video, Kevin speaks to The Inventions Show host Tack Lee about how he reinvented the way leadership is dispersed and shared at Hancock Lumber. Kevin and Tack discuss how he came to this leadership model in depth, as well as what it means for the employees, the customers, and the company. By dispersing […]
Strengthening Through Listening
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Create What You Speak host Sloane Freemont about the leadership style he implemented at Hancock Lumber where everyone leads and power is dispersed. By sharing the leadership responsibility with many instead of consolidating at the top of the organization, Kevin is helping strengthen the unique voices of his […]
The Power of Shared Leadership in Business
In this video series, Kevin Hancock speaks to Fire It Up With CJ host CJ Liu about his journey to a business culture where everybody leads, managing a business through the COVID pandemic, and his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. They discuss the sustainability of an […]
Be the Change That You Wish to See in the World
In this interview with Thrive Global, Kevin Hancock shares the story about how he came to visit Pine Ridge for the first time and the life lessons he learned along the way. Kevin’s shared leadership and voice empowerment ideas have helped him create a new employee-centric model for Hancock Lumber. Kevin realized there are a […]
Unstoppable: How Kevin Hancock of Hancock Lumber was Able to Thrive Despite Spasmodic Dysphonia
In this interview, Kevin Hancock talks about how he was able to find positivity and strength through his diagnosis of Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD). By changing his mindset and prospective, Kevin was able to see his diagnosis as a gift which allowed him to begin listening to the ideas of others. When he began listening, he […]
Leadership & Americas Oldest Private Company
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Success Stories host Scott D. Clary about the leadership style he has implemented at Hancock Lumber. He shares how he developed this shared leadership philosophy and the impact it has had on his employees and the business itself. He believes that every voice should be heard, trusted, and […]
The Day That Changed Everything
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to MaineBiz publisher Donna Brassard about how losing his voice changed everything in a day. He shares how he overcame this challenge and created a fruitful new leadership style from the lessons he learned. Kevin began sharing the leadership role with everyone at Hancock Lumber and found that great […]
The Seventh Power- Shared Leadership
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Financially Speaking host Mitch Slater about the effects of the COVID pandemic on Hancock Lumber and how he came to reinvent the way leadership is dispersed within the company. He shares the journey he undertook that led him to the realization that in nature, power is dispersed. By […]
A Lesson in Leadership From the CEO of One of America’s Oldest Companies
In this interview, Kevin Hancock is asked specifically about his leadership style and how it differs from others. They also speak about how important your authentic voice is and why it is important to listen without judgment. Kevin highlights the importance of hearing voices besides your own, especially as a leader. By engaging others, their […]
Managing Less, Not More
In this article, Kevin Hancock writes about the challenges of training managers and supervisors to manage and supervise less. After realizing that in nature power is dispersed, Kevin uses these experiences to change the operational strategy of Hancock Lumber. By encouraging every employee to lead, the managers and supervisors would not be managing and supervising […]
The 7th Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership After a Rare Voice Disorder
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with The Quiet Warrior Show host Tom Dutta about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. They begin by talking about Kevin’s trip to Pine Ridge. They also discuss the new leadership style implemented at Hancock Lumber, transforming the company culture into […]
Book Review: The Seventh Power
This article is a complete review of Kevin Hancock’s newest book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. Written by Margo Kelly, this review highlights the way leadership lessons are intertwined in the narrative to create an engaging story. Margo shares how she felt Kevin’s writing stimulated her own thoughts and […]
6 Ways HR Needs to Evolve Post the COVID-19 Crisis
In this article, editor Puja Lalwani speaks to HR leaders, including Kevin Hancock, about how to evolve after the COVID crisis. In Kevin’s section of this article, they speak about the importance of communication. HR and leadership must communicate in crisis situations, but Kevin takes it one step further. “Leaders should prioritize authentic, safe, and […]
Finding Your Authentic Voice
Kevin Hancock joins the Leadership from the Core “Love in Action” podcast with Episode 53, Finding Your Authentic Voice. Host Marcel Schwantes chats with Kevin, who shares his inspirational story of finding purpose in the midst of adversity and re-scripting his definition of leadership as a result. They also discuss his new book, The Seventh […]
Kevin Hancock: The Seventh Power
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to The Better Show host Ian Mikutel about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. Kevin and Ian speak about how his new leadership style formed, why companies struggle to disperse power within the organization, and what individuals can do to empower […]
How to Make Shared Leadership a Reality
Article published in the April 2020 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review. Click to read complete article “Having found a piece of my own authentic voice, I wanted to help others do the same, and a lumber company in Maine became an unlikely platform where this could occur. The new goal: create a socially transformative […]
Business Community Building: We’re All in it Together
In the Workable article “Business Community Building: We’re All in it Together,” Kevin Hancock is interviewed among other business leaders about the importance of clarity in the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin speaks about the need of the company to follow the lead of the people connected to it. This unification of employees creates a deep connection. The article goes […]
Rhett Power with Kevin Hancock
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks with Power Lunch Live host Rhett Power about his book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. He shares the lessons he learned and how he implemented them into a new leadership style. By dispersing power and leadership throughout the company, Kevin found that employees became […]
Guy’s Guy Radio: Marc Cameron & Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Guy’s Guy Radio host Robert Manni about his newest book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. They discuss Kevin’s journey and how he came to find the philosophy that everybody should lead. At Hancock Lumber, Kevin works to create a safe and respectful […]
The Culture Hour: Shared Leadership
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks to Premier Rapport Culture Hour host Shelley Smith about his newest book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. He talks about how his leadership style transformed when he lost the use of his voice. By lifting up the voices of others, Kevin can […]
Leadership Power is Meant to be Shared and Dispersed
In this article, Kevin Hancock is interviewed about how important sharing leadership power is and why he believes it was meant to be dispersed and shared among the tribe. He cautions against consolidating power, saying that “across time, those who have the most power have often gone too far. Over-reaching ultimately however collapses back upon […]
Kevin Hancock of Hancock Lumber
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to The Grow Maine Show host Marty Grohman about his journey to finding the new employee-centric business model at Hancock Lumber. By dispersing the power of leadership to everyone in the company, Kevin found that employee engagement and job satisfaction are heightened to a new level. Employees are encouraged […]
7 Signs That Say You Have the Mindset of a Great Leader
Centralized power and decision-making control is out. Shared leadership is in. In this article, Kevin Hancock is interviewed about his story of finding the employee-centric company model. After listing the 7 signs of great leadership mindset, the article concludes with “dispersing power is not a difficult task, but creating a culture where every voice matters […]
Shared Leadership: Giving a Voice to Others
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Life As Leadership host Josh Friedeman about leadership and empowering the voices of others. He shares the journey he underwent to finding the employee-centric business model and how sharing the leadership responsibility among everyone at Hancock Lumber has created a flourishing culture and business. By giving others the […]
What is Shared Leadership and What Can It Bring Your Business
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks with Small Atlanta Business Show host Jim Fitzpatrick about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. They discuss his background and the journey to Pine Ridge. During his time there, Kevin came to the conclusion that in nature power is dispersed. He […]
An Excerpt From The Seventh Power
This article is an excerpt from Kevin Hancock’s newest book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. It begins with his trip to Kiev, where Kevin is pensive about how millions of humans were sacrificed so that the success of the center might be advanced. It brings about a reflection into […]
In Nature, Power Is Dispersed
In this article, Kevin Hancock writes about how he came to the understanding that in nature, power is dispersed. He discusses how this simple notion changed everything he based his company around and how he sees the world. By dispersing power, everyone can become a leader. Kevin also explains how he ended up taking his […]
Culture Makes The Difference
Article by Kevin Hancock, published in March 2020 on the Young Upstarts website. Young Upstarts is an online business resource for startup entrepreneurs, small business owners, idea people, and intrapreneurs seeking change within their organization. What differentiates companies? It’s generally not products, services, facilities, or equipment. Years ago, I would have said it was people […]
If Everyone’s Voice Was Heard, What Might Change?
Kevin Hancock appears on the b Cause podcast with host Erin Hatzikostas. In this podcast, Kevin and Erin speak about his shared leadership philosophy, visiting the Pine Ridge Native American Reserve, spiritual enlightenment, and his new book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. The b Cause podcast works to […]
Leadership and Lumber: An Interview With Kevin Hancock
In this interview, Kevin Hancock speaks about different themes in his newest book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. He speaks about what the Seventh Power is, how he came to learn about it, and how he incorporates his lessons into his daily life. He also shares the best advice […]
A Butt-Kicking Project to Overcome the Drain of Talkative Leadership
This article highlights the downfalls that talkative leaders often use to justify their conversation monopoly and the negative impacts it can have on culture and engagement. It also gives an exercise that leaders can partake in to find out how often they take over entire conversations. Kevin Hancock’s story is shared through a video interview […]
Culture Makes the Difference: Great People are Everywhere, Great Cultures Aren’t
Written by Kevin Hancock, “Culture Makes the Difference” explores the differences between companies and what are the key differentials between them. “Culture makes the difference. An organization’s culture either creates an environment where great people can flourish, or an environment where people are frustrated, held back, or stymied. What makes one corporate culture different from […]
Advocating For Shared Leadership
In this interview, Kevin Hancock speaks with host Helene Stelian about the importance of sharing leadership and finding your authentic voice. Kevin’s goal is to find his own authentic voice and create a company that fosters the culture that allows others to do the same. By creating an employee-centric company, Kevin hopes to achieve this […]
How Saying Less Can Empower Others to Say More
In this article, Kevin Hancock writes about how journey to finding that by saying less, he is empowering others to speak more. By sharing the leadership responsibility with many, instead of consolidating in one place, Kevin has seen tremendous growth in those around him and the business he runs, Hancock Lumber. Once employees became engaged […]
The Age of Localism
In this article, Kevin Hancock speaks about shared leadership, employee engagement, and employee-centric company structures. “Humans will always benefit from banding together to create value and solve problems. But institutions will need to alter the ways they engage with the world. Take corporations, for example, where employees have historically existed to serve the company. This […]
True Profitability and Productivity Come From Striving for a Bigger Social Goal
This article is an excerpt from Kevin Hancock’s new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. “At Hancock Lumber, we grow trees, but that is not our core objective. We make lumber, but that is not our primary purpose. We manage logistics, but that is not our most important task. […]
How Losing His Voice Taught a Maine CEO to Give Workers More Say
In this article by the Bangor Daily News, Kevin Hancock shares how his journey to Pine Ridge changed the way he thinks about power, leadership, and the human spirit. By rethinking the way he led Hancock Lumber, Kevin was able to give a voice to his employees. He found that they had the answers and […]
5 Clear Signs You’re Not An Authentic Leader
In the article, Kevin Hancock’s core belief that leaders should listen more than speak is highlighted as an important indicator of being an authentic leader. Authentic leaders are naturally those who disperse and share leadership with those around them. Author Erin Hatzikostas says that when you share leadership and listen to others, “you’ll be amazed […]
Spasmodic Dysphonia, Leading Differently, & Strengthening Voices
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to The Impactor’s Podcast host Avery Konda about being a social impactor. Kevin’s leadership style fosters personal growth and shares the burden of leadership among everyone to ensure voices are heard. Kevin believes that employees should have more than an economic gain from being at their place of work. […]
CEO Kevin Hancock Lost His Voice, But Gained a New, Wildly Successful Management Style
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with Monday Morning Radio host Dean Rotbart about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey Into the Business of Shared Leadership. Kevin and Dean discuss the employee-centric model that Hancock Lumber has adopted and how Kevin came to the realization that this was the path he wanted the […]
The Business of Shared Leadership – A CEO’s Quest to Disperse Power
In this TEDx Talk, Kevin Hancock speaks about employee engagement and how this is affected by leadership style. In workplaces where employees do not feel heard, understood, or able to lead, they often become disengaged with the work they are performing. It leads to job dissatisfaction and eventually, employee turnover. When employees are able to […]
Finding Your Voice
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks about his leadership style at Hancock Lumber and how it evolved. He believes that everyone should feel safe and comfortable sharing their authentic voice. When people are heard, they transform into leaders who can share their ideas and empower the voices of others. “Leadership teams have the responsibility to […]
Kevin Hancock Appears on Tell Me More Podcast
Kevin Hancock joins Renee Changnon on the Tell Me More podcast to share his story about how his speech disorder set him on a path to develop new management skills and a company culture that encourages all employees to be leaders. In the Tell Me More podcast, Renee Changnon, NRHA’s Retail Outreach Coordinator, talks to […]
Do More Good Conference 2019
In this video, Kevin Hancock speaks at the Do More Good Conference about his life story. From losing his voice to his spiritual quest to Pine Ridge, Kevin shares with the audience how he grew both internally and as a leader. He also delves into how he saw changes in Hancock Lumber and what he […]
The Seventh Power and the Age of Shared Leadership
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks about his new book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership with Enterprise Radio’s host Eric Dye. They discuss his journey to Pine Ridge and how it led to a new way of leadership. Kevin is an advocate of strengthening voices of all individuals—within a […]
Embracing the Age of Shared Leadership
Kevin Hancock presented the keynote speech at the LBM Strategies Conference in 2018. The keynote highlights the importance of the Shared Leadership philosophy on employee engagement, job satisfaction, and culture. The LBM Strategies Conference brings together LBM pros to address and share practical, tactical solutions to today’s toughest business challenges. LBM Strategies is produced by […]
Straining My Vocal Chords and Strengthening the Voices of Others
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks on Awakin Call about his books Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse and The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. He speaks about his journey to Pine Ridge as well as the healing process and lessons he learned there. He […]
Kevin Hancock at the ChIME Event
In this video, Kevin Hancock is the keynote speaker at the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine to discuss spirituality and business. He shares his thoughts on improving the workplace culture and environment to enhance the value of the lives of employees. His philosophy that everyone can help lead the company and be comfortable sharing their thoughts […]
Americans Should Set Example for New Leader
In this article published by the Portland Press Herald, Kevin Hancock writes about how Americans can and should set examples for the newly elected President. As Kevin’s leadership style evolved into one of employee leadership, he mentions instances where he has become concerned with the lack of communication coming from the leaders in government. However, […]
Not For Sale
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks to Bright Side host Tekneshia about his book Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse and the journey he took that brought him to Pine Ridge. Through his own healing quest, Kevin was able to identify groups of other people who felt their voices had been […]
Not For Sale: Guest Kevin Hancock
In this podcast, Kevin Hancock speaks with The Common Sense Psychic host Phyllis King about his new book Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse. The book depicts his journey to Pine Ridge to visit the Indian Reservation and the lessons he learned along the way. One of the largest realizations on […]
Native American Callings Panel Discussion Guest
In this video, Kevin Hancock joins a panel at Kansas State University Staley School of Leadership Studies as a discussion guest on Native American Callings. Kevin shares his story about losing his voice and traveling to Pine Ridge. He speaks about how the leadership styles on the reservation, coupled with the events of losing his […]
Guest Presenter: Kevin Hancock
In this video, Kevin Hancock stars as the guest presenter on Skidompha Library’s “Chats with Champions” series. Kevin discusses his book Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse and the journey the book showcases. This healing quest brings Kevin to South Dakota, where he meets the Lakota tribe living on the Pine […]
Strengthening the Voices of Others
In this article, Kevin Hancock shares his story about losing his voice and how his leadership style adapted to this major obstacle. By listening more to others, Kevin is able to preserve his voice and create a new employee-centric culture at Hancock Lumber. “Leadership is about doing less, not more. It is about restraint. It […]
Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse
In this podcast, Kevin speaks to Big Blend Radio host Lisa about leadership and spiritual connectivity. He shares the journey he took when he lost his voice and the lessons he was able to learn while searching for peace and healing. His quest brought him to an understanding of shared leadership and power dispersal in […]
Not For Sale
In this podcast, Kevin speaks to Conscious Thought With Leo host Magdalena Winkler about his new book Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse. Kevin shares his story, his journey to Pine Ridge, and the lessons he learned along the way. He dives into the idea that power is meant to be […]
Leading by Listening
In this article, Kevin Hancock is interviewed about his journey to finding a new leadership style by listening more to others. Kevin’s new management initiative helps bring Hancock Lumber to new highs, by creating a lean structure and maximizing employee engagement. They also talk about his new book, Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land […]
Hancock Lumber’s Kevin Hancock on Growing After the Recession
Kevin Hancock is interviewed in this article about Hancock Lumber’s growth after the economic recession. During this time, Kevin lost his voice, which creates a new leadership style centered around listening to others more than speaking. “I learned that leadership is about doing less, not more. It was letting people who have responsibility own their […]
A Path to Change
In this article Kevin Hancock is interviewed about his new business leadership ideas and how dispersing power amongst all employees of Hancock Lumber has created a more successful company. “The more I held back and left space for others, the more everyone grabbed that space, embraced responsibility, took ownership, enjoyed making decisions, and ran with […]
Using Lean Processes to Improve Your Organization
In this video, Kevin Hancock presents at the Franco Center Chamber breakfast event, speaking about how Hancock Lumber has used lean processes to improve. Kevin defines a lean company as one that is “focused, efficient, accurate, agile, responsive, fun, and constantly improving.” He then shares the ways that he has helped foster these attributes to […]