At the end of last month during their virtual annual meeting the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) honored Kevin Hancock with the Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award. Each year MDF’s Leadership Maine alumni nominate candidates for the Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award that recognizes extraordinary achievements by Leadership Maine graduates. Governor Curtis was not only the governor, but also the Dean of the Leadership Maine program in year one. He articulated the need for leaders who could influence change in the face of conflict and lead by example.
Jan Kearce, MDF’s Senior Team Leader for Leadership & Workforce Development, presented the leadership award during their virtual ceremony, honoring Kevin Hancock and reflecting on his journey:
“Kevin, your dedication, commitment, and willingness to dive deeply into your experience, rediscover truths, and steadily work towards change is inspirational. Congratulations, and thank you for all you do for Maine as you listen, empower others, share leadership, and give back to your community.”
During his acceptance speech, Kevin reflected on his time as a member of the Lambda Leadership Maine class.
“When I look back on my time in the Leadership Maine program, two learnings really stand out. The first is the importance of getting out of our lanes and interacting with a much more diverse set of people and organizations and places. The second takeaway from my time at Leadership Maine and thinking about our class – which was very diverse – is that I think humanity is much more aligned than we might think. We are all trying to do the same things, which is make Maine, make America, make the world a better place.”
Click on the video player image below to watch the full award presentation for Kevin Hancock receiving the Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award.
“I can’t tell you how honored I am to have received this award. For me, MDF is the flag carrier for integral, values based, and fresh leadership thinking for the benefit of all Mainers. The Leadership Maine program continues to provide a template for leadership in Maine that advances humanity. I am well aware of how many amazing people are among our MDF / Leadership Maine ranks – so – to be recognized is a huge honor.”
– Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber CEO
Kevin Hancock is an award-winning author, speaker, and Hancock Lumber’s CEO. Kevin’s first book, Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse won three national book awards. The Seventh Power – One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership was published in 2020 by Post Hill Press and is distributed by Simon & Schuster. Kevin’s third published book released in 2021 titled, 48 Whispers from Pine Ridge and the Northern Plains, and is a hybrid book of sorts—part photography and part thoughts for reflection, heightened self-awareness, and human advancement. Kevin creates content that fuels his website, The Business of Shared Leadership, where he invites any visitor to follow his blog for leadership inspiration. The mission of his personal website is to heighten RESPECT FOR ALL VOICES. If everyone on Earth felt trusted, respected, valued, and heard, what might change? Kevin believes that everything might change–and, most importantly, that the workplace can and must become a catalyst for this transformation.
“At Hancock Lumber everyone has a voice and is expected to use their voice. It’s an employee-first, inside out culture. Kevin has set this mission and tone, and we’ve been lucky enough to see our culture transform because of his vision and leadership. Kevin would say, if you take really good care of your employees then – of course – the customer experience will be really good because you have happy, fulfilled people who are earning a good wage, who have a work-life balance, who are all about teamwork, respect, and trust. Everybody is a leader and expected to be a leader at Hancock Lumber. Kevin, on behalf of Team Hancock, congratulations on receiving this well deserved Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award!”
– Erin Plummer, Hancock Lumber CMO
Kevin believes the purpose of a human life is self-actualization, and this requires safe communities that embrace people as they are. At Hancock Lumber our goal is to create an environment that fosters this. Our mission is to create a work environment that first and foremost recognizes employees as human beings and ultimately improves the lives of anyone who works at the organization. On his website, Kevin emphasizes the notion that leadership in the twenty-first century must be about dispersing power and giving others a stronger voice. Followers must become leaders in order to create change from within. Every human spirit is sacred by design. Organizations must learn to free the human spirit rather than constrict, control, and direct it.
Thank you, Kevin, for sharing this vision and trusting your employees to live out these values at Hancock Lumber!