The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) and University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship recently honored Lee Brower, the winner of the 2023 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership, with a private dinner and award ceremony at the Wilmington Country Club. Prior to the ceremony, an educational workshop was held for select Horn Entrepreneurship students and special guests.
Recognizing impactful leaders
Horn Entrepreneurship grants the Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership to recognize individuals with outstanding contributions to advancing the understanding and practice of entrepreneurial leadership. Previous winners have included Kaihan Krippendorff, PhD, Dan Sullivan, Verne Harnish, and Michael Gerber.
Brower, as the founder of Empowered Wealth, LLC, an international leadership consulting and mentoring firm for family and business leaders, has made his mark as an entrepreneur and leadership coach. A believer in the importance of family dynamics within businesses, he also created the revolutionary program The Business Family Coach. And Brower’s passion for inspiring individual leadership doesn’t stop there – he has spent the last 20 years working with Strategic Coach, helping other entrepreneurs grow themselves and their businesses.
“Lee has the unique ability to connect with people on a deeper level. He encourages those around him to reconsider how they approach leadership, inspiring growth and helping others take charge of their lives in a meaningful way,” said Rob Siegfried, CEO and Founder of The Siegfried Group.
Additionally, the 2023 Siegfried Student Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership was presented to Sakhee Desai, a junior computer science and finance student at the University of Delaware. A promising young leader, Desai spent time at Siegfried as a Finance Intern and currently serves as a Horn Entrepreneurship Ambassador and the President of Gujarati Samaj at the University of Delaware.
New perspectives and inspiring conversations
Before the award ceremony, a select group of students, including those in the Siegfried Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellows program at UD, attended a workshop on individual leadership, presented by Dr. Johann Ducharme, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Rob Siegfried, and Lee Brower.
Dr. Ducharme began the workshop with a presentation on the traits that are essential for strong leadership, inviting the guests to participate in a conversation about how educational institutions can strategically develop entrepreneurship in undergraduate students.
Rob then spoke to the students about critical concepts in entrepreneurial leadership, including taking risks in the pursuit of success, growing character ethic, and staying committed through hardships. He provided the students with tools to better themselves and those around them, encouraging them to grow their individual leadership. “The key to leading other people is leading yourself,” Rob explained.
Brower wrapped up the workshop with a dynamic and interactive presentation centered around his gratitude-focused approach to leadership. Encouraging the students to go into the presentation with an open mind, Brower asked them to consider the question, “Can I be inspired today?”
Drawing upon his decades of experience growing as a leader in both personal and professional environments, Brower presented insights about practicing and expressing gratitude daily, skillfully responding to difficult situations, and taking charge of your self-esteem. He discussed the concept of ‘Beginning In Gratitude,’ a growth-based framework that focuses on approaching every endeavor and interaction with a grateful and generous attitude.
Brower left the workshop feeling inspired by the students, who showed their entrepreneurial spirit and expressed their passion for pursuing their dreams. “The students that were sitting there were focused and determined. I could see it in their eyes,” reflected Brower. “If we could just take their determination, willingness, and hunger to learn and become better leaders and multiply it exponentially, I wouldn’t worry about the world.”
