River City Six – Dan Weber

Meet Dan Weber, executive coach and CEO of Peak Pathways LLC (www.PeakPathways.com).

Tell us a little about your business.

Peak Pathways LLC provides creative, customized coaching solutions to individuals and organizations to help them reach their goals. Using a holistic approach focused on sustainable results, we help clients assess, control, reverse, and prevent the causes of low performance. Working with leaders and their staff during group and one-to-one meetings, we help them find their way to the top with self-awareness, knowledge, skills, and support. The four key areas we focus on are leadership/executive coaching, career transition coaching, team coaching, and hiring/developing employees.

How did you get started in the business?

I started the company 15 years ago after a successful career in corporate finance and general management. I always enjoyed helping people grow in their careers and I realized that was becoming less and less a part of my function. I had great business knowledge and experience in a variety of situations and knew I could help people grow personally and professionally as well as grow their business. I did some research, earned my coaching certification, and then found my first client who was the new COO of a major golf equipment manufacturer in California. From there, things grew and evolved.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

My father told me not to bother telling people what you are going to do; just do it and people will notice without being told. That advice became the do/say ratio, a concept we coach leadership clients to utilize in building trust with their teams. Successful leaders have a ratio greater than one. However, when people honestly track their ratio they often discover room for improvement.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be?

Supercentenarian! Yes, I’d like to live to 110 or more; my goal is actually 120. I enjoy living and learning and want to keep doing both for as long as possible. I will have eternity in the next life so I want as much time in this one as possible. From my coaching work, I know that setting stretch goals is important in maximizing success. Having 120 as my goal positively influences my choices about health, finances, and relationships.

What local non-profit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why?

I am a trustee and ambassador for the Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics, commonly known as the Business Ethics Alliance. Trust is the foundation of successful leadership and teamwork, but ethics is the bedrock on which that trust is built. Having worked with a couple of low-ethic leaders, I know firsthand how devastating that it to employees, vendors, customers, and the community. I also know it is often a thin line between ethical and unethical behavior, so leadership diligence and employee awareness are critical.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read?

A personal favorite and the book I recommend most frequently to clients is Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. Communication is 60% or more of leadership, sales, and business in general. However, most people do not have the skills to effectively communicate when it matters the most.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

My wife and I recently discovered Hook & Lime in NoDo. Their smoked trout taco, guacamole, and margaritas are all terrific!

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be?

Jim Rohn.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

Phone: (402) 203-9004; Email: DanWeber@PeakPathways.com; Website: www.PeakPathways.com.