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Copernicus Radio Interview
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Background
Many leaders focus on their own personal business goals and their company strategies and long-range plans, hiring people or companies to help them achieve those goals. Musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, visionary, and college president Ken Steorts listens for the song in the heart and mind of employees, vendors, stakeholders, and the public to find trends, ride waves of energy, and capitalize on focal points internally and externally for successful building of business interests.
Ken founded the Visible Music College with goal of training the next generation of artists in music, discipleship, worship and ministry. Ken was the founding guitarist, songwriter, and road manager of the rock band Skillet. While touring with the band he saw a large number of young Christian musicians with great character but little skill instruction or with great skill but little spiritual leadership. Ken envisioned an education center where academic and vocational study of music would be combined with character-building discipleship and community. In the winter of 1999, Ken left the band to create a program that could train well-trained, passionate musicians and world-changers.
A creative, right brain, even spiritual approach allows Ken to maximize the results from people around him while leading Visible Music College in growth (15% annual last 6 years); community engagement dramatically increased (featured at the Memphis Mayor’s “State of the City” address on January 27, 2011); national recognition with accreditors and government for curriculum design and clarity of mission (with zero investor risk and a non-profit organization with a 100x return on investment); International programs of training and student recruitment (from 49 states and 13 countries) and leveraged micro-enterprise to develop an income center around the college creative product while establishing careers for graduates (at a rate of 92%).
Ken believes that connecting the company goals with those of the right people in the right position, even if first time in a position of this type, creates opportunity to breakthrough previous barriers, both in the company and in the employees. A fluid, participatory management of invested employees causes Visible Music College (and Ken’s previous successes) to grow naturally and purely, leaving little correction to be made, as those engaged are led along a path they create together.
Ken founded the Visible Music College with goal of training the next generation of artists in music, discipleship, worship and ministry. Ken was the founding guitarist, songwriter, and road manager of the rock band Skillet. While touring with the band he saw a large number of young Christian musicians with great character but little skill instruction or with great skill but little spiritual leadership. Ken envisioned an education center where academic and vocational study of music would be combined with character-building discipleship and community. In the winter of 1999, Ken left the band to create a program that could train well-trained, passionate musicians and world-changers.
A creative, right brain, even spiritual approach allows Ken to maximize the results from people around him while leading Visible Music College in growth (15% annual last 6 years); community engagement dramatically increased (featured at the Memphis Mayor’s “State of the City” address on January 27, 2011); national recognition with accreditors and government for curriculum design and clarity of mission (with zero investor risk and a non-profit organization with a 100x return on investment); International programs of training and student recruitment (from 49 states and 13 countries) and leveraged micro-enterprise to develop an income center around the college creative product while establishing careers for graduates (at a rate of 92%).
Ken believes that connecting the company goals with those of the right people in the right position, even if first time in a position of this type, creates opportunity to breakthrough previous barriers, both in the company and in the employees. A fluid, participatory management of invested employees causes Visible Music College (and Ken’s previous successes) to grow naturally and purely, leaving little correction to be made, as those engaged are led along a path they create together.
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