2018 Most Influential Women: Caitlin Kissee

SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton

In Her Words

Family: Married to my best friend, Weston, for eight years and we have one son, Topher.
Words to live by: Everyone deserves respect.
Dream dinner party guest: My paternal grandmother who passed away before I was born. I’d love to get her mothering tips and learn from her great wealth of knowledge.
Childhood career dream: It changed daily, but at one point it was a doctor/lawyer/MBA.
Advice to women: Be generous with whom you know.
Biggest career obstacle: Becoming a working mom, although I don’t think this is something you ever overcome. The struggle for “balance” is always there.

Caitlin Kissee measures her career success by the triumphs of others.

The owner of Propel People Development LLC, Kissee started her business in 2015 to train individuals and teams in leadership development.

She’s since coached more than 500 people.

“I train individuals and teams to leverage their unique talents and strengthen their personal brands – essentially planting seeds of stronger leadership throughout our community and around the nation,” Kissee says. “With each client, I am influencing business leaders, managers and community shapers to leverage their own strengths and the strengths of those around them.”

Early on, Kissee sought to fill a niche addressing what she calls an “organizational epidemic” in the Springfield area.

The problem, she says, is many people are promoted to leadership positions without undergoing training to build the skills necessary for those roles.

“This negatively affects engagement, business outcomes and the overall happiness of individuals,” Kissee says. “It is my mission to bring leadership development training to management pipelines across our community, equipping leaders to lead well before they are in leadership positions.”

She has past experience as director of community relations for Loehr Chiropractic and Acupuncture LLC, executive director of Springfield Ballet Inc. and marketing coordinator for Whitaker Publishing LLC.

Kissee says as Springfield Ballet’s executive director – a job she took on when she was 24 years old – the nonprofit doubled its fundraising revenue. At Loehr Chiropractic, Kissee says she was tasked with developing the new staff of a startup business.

Kissee’s work ethic extends to the civic world.

She’s a current board member for Leadership Springfield and The Network’s Leadership Council.

Over the past year, Kissee was among those who worked to make Leadership Springfield an independent organization, after 34 years as an affiliate program of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. She’s committed to donate $10,000 worth of in-kind services as the lead facilitator for two Leadership Springfield retreats.

Alina Lehnert, owner of Lehnert Leadership Group LLC, has served on the Leadership Springfield board with Kissee.

Lehnert says she’s watched Kissee develop her own leadership style and work to build up others.

“I’ve always admired Caitlin’s strengths,” Lehnert says. “She loves to shine the spotlight on others, clearly communicate and works very hard toward meaningful goals.

“I would serve on any team Caitlin was leading.”

Kissee also has served philanthropically for the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Care to Learn, Drury University, The Doula Foundation, Lutheran Family & Children’s Services of Missouri, Isabel’s House, the Muscular Dystrophy Association Inc. and the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women.