Transfluence: How to Lead with Transformative Influence in Today’s Climates of Change

Walt Rakowich has a passion for helping leaders create organizations that add real value to the lives of people who work in them, people who buy from them, and people influenced by them. His authentic brand of transfluent leadership has served him well in a global corporate environment. And it has made him a sought-after speaker and board member for nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies alike. Walt spent the bulk of his career with Prologis, a NYSE company listed in the S&P 500. Prologis is a leading provider of warehouse distribution facilities and services with more than $100 billion in assets and operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. After a brief retirement, Walt was named CEO when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. He and his team orchestrated a turn-around that breathed new life into the company's balance sheet and its culture. Then he led the company through a successful merger before retiring in late 2012. Walt received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.S. in accounting from Penn State University. He and his wife, Sue, live in Denver and have two adult children. He now spends much of his time writing, speaking, and serving on the boards of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

How do you lead with transformative influence in today's complex world? Lead with Transfluence.Walt Rakowich brings a real-world perspective to leadership that's based on experience, not just theory. Walt was CEO of Prologis, the world's largest owner of industrial warehouses and a critical partner to companies distributing products throughout the global supply chain. The company was near bankruptcy when Walt took over at the height of the Great Recession. While leading Prologis back to prominence, and in the years since, Walt realized leaders today must lean into timeless values and principles, but with a fresh perspective on the new realities of our leadership climates. The modern leadership environment exists at the convergence of three distinct and dynamic climates: the climates of access, diversity, and acceleration. On their own or in the aggregate, these climates produce significant opportunities and tensions that will challenge leaders for generations. With a fundamental understanding of these climates, leaders develop a selfless approach that withstands the toughest storms. Transfluence shows leaders how they can have transformative influence by overcoming their fears and pride, building transparency into their leadership, developing a strong core of authentic values, and passionately pursuing a meaningful purpose. When leaders do this, they seize opportunities, embrace challenges, and make their organizations and communities greater than ever.