Today we’d like to introduce you to Knight Campbell.
Knight, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As I transitioned from flying helicopters for the Navy, I knew I wanted to be in the leadership development field. I had the opportunity to teach leadership for juniors at the Naval Academy for a couple years and fell in love with helping people find their potential. So, I naturally (I guess) applied to a PhD program in management. The interview was actually at 5 am on the phone from an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. Somehow George Washington University let me in!
I quickly realized that academia would not be the hands-on and impactful experience I needed. Frustrated, I talked to my leadership coach. Discussing my deep respect for the outdoors and adventure and my desire to help leaders realize their full potential, my coach simply asked why I didn’t take leaders outside to coach them. Obvious and simple? Leaving the PhD program felt a lot like quitting and it’s one of the toughest things I have done in my life. Fortunately, the school was gracious and supportive. I have a lot of respect for them.
Well, the idea seemed straightforward at the time. I applied and got a job teaching rock climbing at REI, got into the instructor course for NOLS, and was accepted to the executive leadership coaching program at Georgetown. Leaving the PhD program, I had all this confidence. In reality, these programs- a month-long expedition on Alaskan glaciers and an eight-month introspective journey through one of the best coaching programs out there- showed me just how much growth I needed and gave me the momentum I needed to start Cairn Leadership.
People ask why “Cairn” all of the time, so I better address that! I actually reserved a room for a seminar in 2016 and the guy wrote down “Caring Leadership!” I guess that feels OK. People also ask who “Karen” is often. In fact, it’s Cairn though. My wife and I guided Mt Washington for several years and each time we took a group up on a winter climb the weather was terrible. We could only see about 50ft in driving snow and 100+ mph winds. We often navigated groping from one giant stack of stones to the next.
Then as I was searching for a name, another guide and I ice climbed a nearby coulior and we popped out on the plateau my wife and I had stumbled across so many times to see a blue sky. In front of us was a several mile-long line of these stone stacks- Cairns. I knew right away that would be the name. Cairns guide us in the most difficult times and we leave them for others to find their way. That’s leadership!
Has it been a smooth road?
Ha! I listen to ‘How I Built This’ podcast daily to remind myself that the great entrepreneurs struggled often for years as they built today’s iconic brands. Like climbing mountains, building a company is a process. If you only love the summit, your day is long and miserable. If you embrace the whole adventure, it’s all good- at a minimum type II fun.
First, somehow I thought I could move to a new city and just start a company. I still believe that what we do is incredibly powerful stuff, but now I realize jumping into business ownership with ZERO network or connections was crazy. I spent the first year drinking about a gallon of coffee (twist my arm… ) a day and meeting with anyone who would give me a few minutes. This city is full of amazing people, and that groundwork has ended up connecting our company with some amazing opportunities. In the moment, it was a total grind.
Military service certainly bred some ego and some naivety. I really thought I was going to tell the world I would take them rock climbing, go deep into their personal problems and leadership with coaching and help them transform their lives. In retrospect, I realize I was asking for a lot of trust (with people’s lives on the rocks and stories in coaching) without earning it. Now I prioritize creating trust and relationship before I even think about pitching our services.
Finally, getting the right partner has been a struggle. I have had two now, and each has taught me a lot. The thing is, having a partner who thinks like me doesn’t necessarily add a lot to the company or the customer experience. I needed someone who believes in the fundamentals of authentic experience, community and shared outdoor adventure, and at the same time brings a lot of unique perspective to the table. That kind of person, of course, can be very frustrating, and when balanced right they add so much to creating amazing experiences. The things our clients experience now are unique and rich because our partners have different perspectives while cooking them up!
Abigail Jones came on this year as our COO, and I could not be happier. She pushes back on just about every idea I have, and they all come out better for that. She adds a wealth of team facilitation experience, improv comedy, business acumen, and neuro-linguistic knowledge that takes our programs to the next level. Like me she demands that everything we do is based on research. She also infuses our offerings with mindfulness and sometimes yoga. We are lucky to have her on board for sure!
Please tell us about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Cairn Leadership Strategies is all about reimagining leadership development. There is a playbook out there somewhere that talks about 360 assessments, keynote speakers, conferences and five-star hotels. Most leadership development companies throw a lot of great information at people and then just hope it sticks. We create a community, experiential learning, and leadership coaching to ensure positive change lasts in the long term.
We have these ten core beliefs, and we look for clients who share this perspective!
1. The only way to grow as a leader or a person is to get outside your comfort zone.
2. Intentional time outdoors inspires awe, rejuvenation, creativity, presence, and connection.
3. Facing challenges together is the best way to build deep connections, lasting bonds and strong teams.
4. Novel experiences spark new connections, ideas and curiosity.
5. Service to others brings out the best in people.
6. We grow and appreciate life most when we are curious, learning and exploring new ideas.
7. We process tough issues faster with other people leveraging unique perspectives and approaches.
8. Leadership coaching is a powerful partnership, creating growth through unbiased feedback, accountability, and support.
9. Time is always limited, but we have control over our energy.
10. We can create more energy by fostering physical, mental and spiritual wellness.
We believe that leadership is holistic- you can’t separate the leader and the person. That’s why we focus on wellness and outdoor experiences. When leaders feel fit and well, they have more energy, connect better with their people, bring an emotional lift to their teams and simply enjoy what they do in and out of the office. We facilitate that and that drives the bottom line.
There is a lot of new research out there showing that time outside cures myriad ailments from hypertension to chronic stress. A walk in the woods is shown to boost creativity and help people connect more. Why wouldn’t we tap into that enthusiastically?
We take teams and individuals out on hikes, rock climbing, paddle boarding, camping, navigating with map and compass, you name it. If it’s outside we will make it happen. Then we offer research-backed keys to success and exercises to help teams and leaders communicate effectively, make better decisions, clarify missions, create efficient processes and a host of other things organizations need to thrive.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The business community in San Diego is amazing. From veteran support like The Rosie Network and North San Diego Chamber’s Operation Connect to the incredibly welcoming communities at San Diego Regional Chamber and North San Diego Chamber, this city has been such a special place to step into entrepreneurship. I have met with so many business owners and networking groups and learned an incredible amount here. I am eternally grateful for that experience.
While I love the weather, and the beach where we live in Carmel Valley is amazing, it is hard to get out of San Diego. Our vision is to take Cairn Leadership national in the next few years, giving leaders access to adventures like climbing in the North Cascade Mountains, rafting in the Grand Canyon, canoeing the Everglades, or mountain biking through Colorado. There is a lot to do in this amazing country, and it’s sometimes hard to reach from San Diego. OK, enough complaining, Joshua Tree is a couple hours away!
Pricing:
- Individual leadership coaching including guided personal outdoor adventures starts at $250 a month.
- Team events range from 2 hours to a weekend and start at $90 per person.
- Crux Society is membership based and includes coaching, peer mentors and shared adventures. Pricing starts at $15 for local events! Membership is unlike any other professional development group out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: cairnleadership.com
- Phone: 410-980-6458
- Email: knight@cairnleadership.com
- Instagram: @cairnleadership
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cairnleadership/
- Other: https://g.page/CairnLeadership?share
Image Credit:
Leonie Campbell
Knight Campbell
Abigail Jones
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