As Kyle captains a growing family business, he wisely chooses his teammates and then lets them find the rhythm of their own stewardship, allowing them to captain their own smaller boats. In doing so, he leaves a wake of respect and certainty. continued on page 14 One of Kyle’s mantras is “if you’re not early, you are late.” Many of his nieces and nephews have worked through college as his Administrative Assistants, and they soon sensed that arriving at their desk at 8:01 was unacceptable. It became a personal challenge for some of them to try to get to the office before Kyle. Others, not. You see, by 8:00 a.m., Kyle has already swum 4500 yards, done his pre-reads for the board, handled managerial and video conferences, booked flights for the next two to three months and picked up a dozen cigarette butts on his way into the building from where he parks in the employee lot. Kyle likes things tidy. He never says anything; he just quietly takes his stewardship over the family business very personally. That’s why he picks up any litter in the parking lot; that’s why he knows his employees’ lives and families and their stories; that’s why he leaves his desk completely organized at the end of every day. Not as impressive in today’s paperless world as it has been the last two decades when he began the practice. But the same outcome. Kyle creates the swing rhythm of discipline. Making the rounds to the different Kenworth locations and serving his responsibilities on various regional and national boards, Kyle travels many weeks out of the year, often packing one suitcase for back-to-back travel that doesn’t stop in Salt Lake City between work locations. Needless to say, he tends to accumulate a lot of Biscoff cookies and pretzels that have filled the niece’s and nephew’s lunches over the years! He also brings home the complimentary shampoos and soaps from the hotels to donate to the local teen homeless shelter. This spills over into business, where giving back to the community is a priority. Kenworth Sales sponsors two Title One elementary schools and has an employee-driven charitable giving program. Last year marked the 75th anniversary of Kenworth Sales Co. Over 40 events were planned and then canceled due to COVID-19. But even with, and maybe even because of, the uncertainty of the pandemic’s effects on the economy, Kenworth Sales moved forward with the plan of giving back $75,000 to the communities of which we are a part. That is how Kenworth Sales celebrated 75 years. By giving back. That’s who Kyle is. There’s enough to share. Incidentally, Kyle does his birthday the same way. He always seems to be gone on his birthday, so there is no celebration to be had! But he does not miss a gift or card for others in the family on their birthdays. The many nieces, nephews and now their children, the fifth generation, all hear from Uncle Kyle. One birthday, however, a foil happy birthday sign that had been used around the office above various people’s workstations found its way above Kyle’s door on the exact day of his birthday! He was there that day, quietly took it down and folded it neatly and set it on his credenza. Later that day, a brave nephew/admin assistant tacked it up under the desk where only Kyle could see it. He noted the pleased look on Kyle’s face, almost a smile?!! Kyle generates the swing rhythm of generosity. Kyle’s idea of time off is trading his tie for a T-shirt, his laptop for a rake and working to maintain the three-acre HOA community he and his spouse have built. They have planted nearly 200 trees and created a beautiful park-like setting for all the residents to enjoy. When you shake hands with Kyle, notice his thumbs. They are both green. He has thriving plants in his office that have been there for longer than I can remember. Do you sing to them, Kyle? Is the coxswain allowed to sing? Now, if he isn’t brown-bagging lunch in the KWS lunchroom and catching up with the techs and office staff, he is probably taking a nephew to lunch at Virg’s, a local diner with vinyl seats and a steady menu. He is seated in the same booth each time, the server knows him by name, and he knows hers and her family. She greets him and brings him his iced tea without asking. He includes a quiet, thoughtful tip, with a ”see you next time.” He lives simply, deliberately. 13
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