By Born to Lead
Jarrett is a natural born leader. He may joke that his moniker ought to be ‘Cat Herder’ but working with him reveals that he takes his leadership role very seriously.
During the workweek, Jarrett is a committed Service Manager running a tight ship to ensure that TekTegrity’s clients are taken care of quickly and kindly.
He acknowledges that customers come first, but what truly sets him apart as a leader is how dedicated he is to his team. “In customer service, the idea is that customer care comes first,” Jarrett says. “But in order to reach that end, your employees actually need to come first. I have to be able to take care of my team.”
On the weekends and occasional evenings Jarrett is a Scoutmaster “I work with 11-15 year-olds in their great enthusiasm for fires, pointy objects, and fierce independence,” he laughs. But it’s not all campfire stories and marshmallows for Jarrett. He is currently preparing for Wood Badge training – the premier leadership-training course for Scouters. “My Scouts deserve a well-trained leader,” he says.
Jarrett finds the tenets of Scouting to hold great meaning for everyday life and his work at TekTegrity. “You have your map and your compass,” Jarrett informs me. “The map tells you where you are and where you want to go. The compass tells you how to get there.” For Scouting this translates to duty to others and self, at TekTegrity to the core values of trust, tenacity, camaraderie, and growth.
But whether he is leading his Scouts up a mountain or his team through difficult technical terrain, Jarrett regularly relies on a broader set of “soft” skills to inspire his contingent. “Impatience makes you an active problem solver,” he says, “but it’s empathy that allows you to truly understand and motivate people.”