Alan F. Heath

I am active with a number of family wealth and family governance advisory groups, and I serve as a trustee of several family trusts. I have been advising families and family businesses for nearly 30 years, as an independent consultant. For several years I was a facilitator and guess lecturer at Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program, "Families in Business, From Generation to Generation". I also have many years of executive suite experience in both domestic and international companies. I started my career as a practicing lawyer after graduating from CU Law School and have been strongly committed to the school since then and also serve as a Global Ambassador with the CU Chancellor's office.

Excellent leadership requires integrity; good listening and communication skills; strategic thinking; a strong and understandable vision; encouragement of risk taking; delegation skills; having an open mind and an ability to deal with conflict. Every leader should have access to someone who will listen to them and give them honest feedback rather than trying to advise them. Mentoring is a dialogue in which both parties learn something essential. It is helpful to work with someone who is truly interested in open and non-judgmental conversations about all things. It is important to select a mentor who can become trusted, who is an active listener and who will share ideas with you and who wants to learn from you as well. Having a trusted person, outside of your normal system(s) can offer very useful insight and optional approaches to educational, business and life challenges.