Preston Hayward credits curiosity for career success

Preston Hayward, deputy product lead of Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS), supports a program that helps the Army and other government agencies acquire more than $2 billion worth of IT products and services every year.

Before joining CHESS, Hayward spent 30 years in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he is a die-hard Packers fan who values hard work, resilience and humility. To relax, he enjoys hiking and restoring old cars. Hayward answered six questions about his career and life. 

How did the Army change you?
I barely graduated from high school because I wasn’t a good student and lacked focus. But after I enlisted in the Army and raised my right hand to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, a switch in me turned on. I got my act and life together.

Describe your leadership style.
I follow John Maxwell’s leadership style. I have read several of his books, which show you how to get along with people.

I have gotten into some pretty heated discussions about the difference between leaders and managers. I have worked for managers who didn’t care about who I was as a person and what I wanted to accomplish. They were just managers. I have been fortunate to have leaders who helped me grow.

A leader inspires people and breaks down roadblocks to help teams overcome challenges. A leader trusts, but verifies. Something as simple as smiling can have a tremendous impact on a team’s performance. In the Army, I was continually amazed at how making eye contact and smiling with everyone on my team—from the person cleaning my toilets to my senior systems engineers—improved morale.

Great leaders understand that they aren’t always the smartest person in the room. Leaders are open to new ideas and create a culture that makes people feel safe to come up with crazy ideas to solve problems.

What do you do to relax?
I love restoring old cars. I have a penchant for Mopars: Dodge and Chrysler cars manufactured in the 1960s and 1970s. I restored a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda.

I enjoy hiking in national and local parks. My favorite national park is Isle Royale National Park, an island cluster in Michigan’s Lake Superior. It’s remote. It’s wonderful to be hiking on a trail and see a moose run into the woods in front of you. When I hiked there a couple of years ago, there wasn’t a soul around. When I hiked part of the trail I had previously hiked, I saw that a gray wolf had stepped in one of my footprints. It was cool to see that.

What are you reading right now?
I am reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. It is very sad. I highly encourage people to read the book and think about how we can resolve competing interests in a peaceful manner rather than with force.

What is your favorite word?
Curiosity. No matter how old you are, you should always be curious. If you have curiosity, you will be all right with me. The only reason I am where I am today is because a boy who barely graduated from high school was curious.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a leader who developed people under me and encouraged people to come up with crazy ideas. I would also like to be remembered as a great father and someone who, at the end of the day, helped contribute a little to our great nation.