In this episode, Kevin and Dr. Mohamed Abousalem discuss:
- End-to-end leadership: from vision to execution and delivery
- Building connected, non-siloed teams (especially post-COVID)
- Intentionally shaping organizational culture
- Putting the right people in the right roles (fit vs. “best person”)
- Navigating new leadership roles and career paths
Key Takeaways:
- Leadership isn’t just big-picture vision or day-to-day execution; it’s carrying responsibility for both, building accountable teams, and focusing relentlessly on delivering outcomes together.
- Culture doesn’t happen by accident; leaders shape it on purpose. Values, norms, and behaviors must be intentionally designed, revisited, and reinforced—otherwise, a default culture may form that does not support the organization’s goals.
- The “best” person is the one who fits the context, not just the top performer.
- Connection is the antidote to silos and misaligned expectations. Whether stepping into a new leadership role or developing team members, intentional human connection—listening, understanding people’s motivations, and being transparent about expectations is essential for trust and performance.
"As a leader, as a successful leader, you have to invest in connecting with your team. And I'm not saying you need to be friends with them, not at all, not at all, but you need to know them as people." – Dr. Mohamed Abousalem
About Dr. Mohamed Abousalem:
Dr. Mohamed Abousalem (/æ-bu-SÆL-əm/) is the third president of Keck Graduate Institute, beginning his tenure on July 1, 2024. He brings decades of executive experience across nonprofits, private industry, and academia, all centered on advancing research, innovation, and technology-driven solutions.
Before KGI, he served as the inaugural Vice President for Research and Innovation at San José State University, where he grew the research enterprise from $47M to $84M in five years and launched a comprehensive innovation strategy supporting student, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs. He previously led UC Santa Cruz’s technology transfer and entrepreneurship efforts, doubling annual invention disclosures and helping launch incubators and startup accelerators. Earlier, as the founding CEO of TECTERRA, he oversaw more than $40M invested into startups and applied research, generating over $325M in economic impact.
Trained as an engineer, President Abousalem’s early scholarship focused on GPS-based satellite positioning and navigation. He holds a BS in civil engineering (Alexandria University, Egypt), MS and PhD in geomatics engineering (University of Calgary, Canada), and an MBA from Santa Clara University.
Connect with Dr. Mohamed Abousalem:
Website: https://www.kgi.edu/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamedabousalem
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keckgradpres
Expanding career pathways for community college students directly into the doctorate of Pharmacy program to become retail, clinical, or industry pharmacists - an impactful social mobility pathway for community college students:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7404233522917466112
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7375923325325234177
Connect with Kevin Neal:
Website: https://drkdneal.com
Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C47RZDSS
https://www.amazon.com/Guided-Greatness-Mentorship-Developing-professionals-ebook/dp/B0FGBH1VNS
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkd63