Striving To Be a Servant CEO
As a young Latino growing up on Milwaukee’s south side, Héctor Colón managed to defy the dire influences of the gangs in his neighborhood. Instead, Colón took out his aggressions in the boxing ring, where he learned how to pick his moments and land his punches with precision just as his opponent made himself vulnerable. As a member and champion of the U.S. National Boxing Team, Colón won seven national titles and competed in the 1992 Olympic trials. However, he stepped out of the ring to pursue a career as an executive and a leader.
Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, Waukesha Mayor Sean Reilly, LSS Aspen Center Program Supervisor Patrick Reilly, LSS President and CEO Héctor Colón, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes at the groundbreaking for LSS Aspen Center in Waukesha.
As executive director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, Colón worked with a team to turn multi-million dollar deficits into multi-million dollar surpluses. There, he led several countywide initiatives, including efforts to reform the juvenile justice system, end chronic homelessness, transform mental health care and end a 30-year waitlist for disabilities services.
Those accomplishments eventually positioned Colón to become the president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS). Prior to Colón’s appointment to the helm of LSS in 2017, the organization had not met its budget for four consecutive years. By the end of 2019, LSS was operating with a budget surplus.
Colón has taken a visionary and innovative approach to nonprofit leadership, adapting new models to stay relevant and applying business strategies to make West Allis-based LSS more operationally efficient.
Earlier this year, Gov. Tony Evers appointed Colón to serve as a member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
Colón says the next chapter of his life’s journey is to answer the call as a “Servant-CEO.” He is working to inspire a Servant-CEO movement to revolutionize the social services sector in the following ways: position the nonprofit industry as the employer of choice; fully commit to the growth and development of all clients and their potential for greatness; and reimagine a servant-led sector that will thrive in the next century.
In recent years, Colón has found that many of the principles that guided him as a young boxer are also useful as an executive leading a large organization.
In August, Colón published his memoir, “My Journey From Boxing Ring to Boardroom - 5 Essential Virtues for Life & Leadership.”
I recently interviewed Colón about those essential virtues that have shaped and defined his life and his career.
Magnanimity. “It’s striving for greatness. Nothing but being a champion is ever good enough. I’m trying to be the best I can possibly be,” Colón said. “Dig deeply to discover the infinite worth you offer to this world, all of your unique strengths and talents.”
Humility. “It’s about serving others. A person who chooses to place others first, who accepts his or her failings and who knows when to ask for help, shows humility,” Colón said. “As a CEO, I realize that it is important to advocate for and lift up the people around you.”
Courage. “Stepping into leadership positions in which I was not initially comfortable helped me to grow in courage. As a businessman and a CEO, I have fought to do the right thing, sometimes in the face of significant opposition and criticism,” Colón said. “The women in my life have taught me to be courageous. My mother and grandmother left their home in Puerto Rico and moved to Milwaukee, leaving behind what they knew to build a better life.”
Perseverance. “This is about not giving up. Perseverance is about overcoming resistance and confronting challenges, adversity and loss,” Colón said. “I learned perseverance through my mother, who was tenacious in her pursuit to do all she could to provide for the family once my father left.”
Temperance. “You’re in that ring. It’s not a fight. It’s a chess match. You have to have temperance and self-control,” Colón said. “Every boxer and leader needs temperance, especially after getting hit in the face or being criticized unfairly. You have to respond appropriately to ensure a positive outcome that is measured. Your approach to these situations ultimately could affect your life and career if not handled with temperance and self-control.”
Héctor Colón
Title: President and CEO
Organization: Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee..
Family: Wife Solmaria; children Angeliz and Elian; and dog Lulu
Best advice ever received: “Don’t give up, don’t be a quitter.” (From Israel Acosta, former boxing coach)
Favorite musical artist: Marc Anthony
Favorite Wisconsin restaurant: Carnevor
