For nearly 30 years, Derek Lott has worked for corporations in technology and retail. He has been an influencer at many different levels throughout his career. With initial aspirations for personal growth, Lott has bent his heart towards the growth of others. Lott says that the focus has to be how do we make the team better, evolving to care more about we, us and ours versus I, me and mine.

 

Admittedly, this hasn’t always been the case as Lott is blindly competitive, and he further admits that was a fault in the first few years of his career. He quickly learned that as we help others grow and achieve their goals, our goals become possible. Further, what we, as a collective, have accomplished is only enjoyed in the context of what we have done for others.

 

 

Lott first acquired his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and went on to graduate from Olivet Nazarene University with his undergraduate degree. A strong supporter of education, Lott has made himself an available resource to colleges and universities to join the challenge of empowering our future generations. Whether mentoring, lecturing or simply offering encouragement, he believes that education is not just a classroom pursuit but a lifelong pursuit.

 

During his time at Motorola, he had the opportunity to lead very early on. The skills of leadership and communication became critical for him. He learned the foundations of problem-solving and the Six Sigma way. He learned about coaching and developing teams as well as how to present effectively. Over the years, Lott has formulated his own thoughts on communication and key development methodologies. Coaching teams, mentoring others and countless presentations and speeches have led him to document his own philosophies and begin sharing them with others.