About Chuck
Business performance advisor. Turnaround specialist. Author.
I am a Wichita-based business performance advisor and turnaround specialist with more than 40 years of executive leadership, operational, sales, and turnaround experience.
Throughout my career, I have led organizations through periods of growth, declining performance, operational difficulty, leadership transition, and significant change. Today, I work one-on-one with committed business owners who want to take control of their companies and achieve higher levels of performance.
Career
A career built on leadership and performance
I have served as a CEO, COO, president, vice president, general manager, operations leader, sales leader, and interim executive.
My experience spans aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, industrial and power-generation businesses, oil and gas pipeline services, electromechanical products, and numerous small to mid-sized businesses.
I understand what it means to lead an organization, make difficult decisions, address competing priorities, and be held accountable for the results.
Firsthand responsibility for
- Organizational leadership and direction
- Financial and operational performance
- Business turnarounds and transformations
- Strategy development and execution
- Profitability and cash flow
- Sales and business development
- Employee performance and accountability
- Operational improvement
- Acquisition integration
- New product introduction
- Multi-site operations
- Customer relationships
Turnarounds
Symptoms are not causes
Troubled organizations rarely suffer from one isolated problem. Cash flow pressure, declining profitability, weak execution, employee issues, operational breakdowns, and a lack of accountability are often interconnected.
My strength is quickly assessing a complicated situation, distinguishing symptoms from underlying causes, and identifying the issues requiring immediate attention.
Once the priorities are established, I help develop the plans, actions, resources, accountability, and timelines needed to move forward. The objective is not temporary improvement. It is to help the owner build the leadership, discipline, and operating structure necessary to produce sustainable results.
My approach is direct, practical, and based on experience. I am willing to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, and address issues that others may prefer to avoid.
The Navy
Leadership lessons from the cockpit
My approach to leadership was strongly influenced by my experience as a U.S. Navy officer and F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot.
Naval aviation taught me the importance of preparation, clear objectives, disciplined execution, teamwork, attention to detail, accountability, and an honest evaluation of results. It also taught me that conditions change, plans require adjustment, and leaders must remain focused on the objective while making timely decisions.
Leaders must understand the situation, establish direction, communicate expectations, provide the necessary resources, measure performance, and adjust when results fall short.
Chuck Gumbert
Perseverance
Overcoming challenges
My first significant challenge began when I contracted polio at age two. I overcame many of its effects, participated in high school athletics, and eventually became a Navy fighter pilot.
Later, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, an experience that reinforced the importance of preparation, commitment, perseverance, and maintaining focus on a clearly defined objective.
These experiences helped shape my belief that challenges can be overcome, but determination alone is not enough. Success also requires leadership, planning, disciplined action, accountability, and the willingness to keep moving forward.
Author
Three books on leadership and performance
Each is based on the leadership and performance principles developed throughout my military and business careers.
Accelerating Performance
General George S. Patton on Accelerating Performance in Today’s Business World
Education
Education and professional development
I have continued learning throughout my career by studying successful leaders, applying proven operating principles, and evaluating the lessons gained from both successful and unsuccessful business decisions.
- Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Texas at Arlington
- U.S. Navy Officer and Flight Training
- Six Sigma, GE Engine Services
- Theory of Constraints, Goldratt Institute
- Critical Chain, Goldratt Institute
- Strategic Leadership, Center for Creative Leadership
- FAA certificates and ratings: ATP, CFI, CFII, and MEI
Community
Wichita Executives’ Association
I serve as Executive Director of the Wichita Executives’ Association (WEA).
The WEA is a member-owned organization of Wichita-area business executives, professionals, and key decision-makers. It has been building business relationships since 1937. Members meet twice each month to learn about one another’s businesses, exchange referrals, and share advice.
Next step
My purpose today
At this stage of my career, my purpose is clear: to use the knowledge and experience I have gained to help committed business owners become stronger leaders and build better-performing businesses. I do not want to run your company. I want to help you lead it.