Dick Foth is an author and public speaker who has spent 25 years working with his wife Ruth to encourage and support business leaders to be the best they can be in their personal lives too. Dick loves to teach people how to build relationships in their public and private lives and why it is so critical to building those effective relationships. He holds a master's degree from Wheaton College Graduate School and a doctorate from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He is on the education teams of four congregations, including the National Community Church in Washington, D. C.

Dick joins me today to highlight the importance of authenticity in a great leader; he explains why leaders shouldn't concentrate on their career at the expense of their personal life and why having good friends is integral to your wellbeing. We discuss his experience in Washington D.C and why it can be hard for professionals at the top of their game in any arena to trust new people and why his gift for making authentic personal connections helped him help them. Dick also shares his wisdom on why you shouldn't be afraid to show your vulnerability and share your lows as well as your successes and why 'leading with a limp' can build deep friendships.

"A leader is somebody who is secure and is both authentic and vulnerable. They're true to themselves and can see the best course to take, but they also realize their own limitations." - Dick Foth

This week on The Wow Factor:

• How childhood health challenges led to inspiring moments for Dick
• The wisdom that a graduate school teacher passed on that has followed him through his whole life
• Dick's experience as a college president and why he left that role to take on a new challenge
• Why Dick is passionate about being a trustworthy friend to people in places of leadership
• Dick's experience of being close to the Pentagon on 9/11
• Why walking alongside the country's leaders taught Dick how to spot a leader with a good heart
• How leaders can build a network of true friends and why it is so important to have a rich personal life
• Dick's approach to his interview with George W. Bush and why he was surprised by their talk

Dick Foth's Words of Wisdom:

It isn't that you have a story; you are a story. It is only by telling someone who you really are and sharing the challenges in your life and not just the highlights that you will truly connect and find real friends.

Connect with Dick Foth:

• Dick Foth Website
• Dick Foth on Facebook
• Dick Foth on Instagram
• Known: Finding Deep Friendships in a Shallow World by Dick and Ruth Foth
• A Trip Around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure of a Lifetime by Mark Batterson and Richard Foth

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter