Sterbenz brings “Must Be Present to Win” theme to ELI program

By Mary Rankin

Doug Sterbenz, 1985 K-State graduate in mechanical engineering, has retired from a 30-year career with Westar Energy, and now spends his working time speaking professionally, coaching executives and writing. He is often invited to speak on leadership and safety to people in many industries and business levels — from the shop floor to the executive suite.

For the past two years, he has brought his leadership expertise to the College of Engineering’s Engineering Leadership and Innovation, or ELI, Day. There he’s generously shared his time and expertise with corporate volunteers who mentor engineering students throughout the school year.

“It’s my turn,” Sterbenz said. “We must provide the shoulders to carry the next generation of leaders. My professional speaking, leadership coaching and writing is what I do toward that effort.

“Speaking at ELI Day is just a natural extension of that. This K-State program provides the right structure to grow the next generation of engineering leaders. If I can help, I am all in!”

Sterbenz began speaking publicly to employees or trade groups while still in his corporate position at Westar. When presenting at a conference as part of his executive role, people from other companies would come up to him after his talk, and ask if he would come and speak to their people.

“I would tell them,” he said, “‘I already have a job.’ But they would press and eventually, I agreed, and this thing has taken off from there.”

He had no business plan except to connect with aspiring leaders.

“And to connect meant I had to be present. And to be present, I had to slow down and be relentless about being in the moment,” Sterbenz said. “I wanted to show leaders the importance of presence and how to be present.”

That led to the development of his Leaders Must Be Present To WinÒ theme he so often speaks about.

“That message really resonates with audiences today on many fronts, so much so that my speaking calendar is as full as I want it to be,” he said.

Sterbenz understands it’s trendy now to talk about being “in the moment,” but he steps forward to ask the question: What does that mean?

“We flip from one thought to another, or one activity to another, even pretend to have one conversation with a person while another one rages in our heads. We are fooling ourselves. Research has made it strikingly clear — there is no such thing as multi-tasking,” he said.

“I know this firsthand. As a hard-driving, efficient senior operating officer for a multi-billion-dollar company, I knew how to accomplish tasks. I could punch through a punch list like nobody else. However, I wanted to learn how to better articulate the principles that had been instilled in me over the years by those leaders whom shoulders I rode on.”

Sterbenz’ latest book on this topic, Must Be Present To Win, written with co-author Paul Heagen, further develops his stories of those who influenced his career in this area, creating a structure for leaders to get back to the basics of leadership.

The book takes the reader inside the working relationship of a senior operating executive, and shows how any committed leader can get back in touch with the mind, body and heart of his or her organization, and discover the real way to win.

“I never expected to be doing this,” Sterbenz said, “but it has been a great hobby and a pretty good second career.”

 

The book is available at all major book outlets including Amazon. For more information, go to www.MustBePresentToWinBook.com.