Ryan Leithead, a Phoenixville Area High School graduate, is a Senior Sales Manager at Siemens, where he leads a team of sales executives and business development managers focused on the fire, life safety, and security marketplace.

Despite all of his proud moments as both a volunteer and professional firefighter, Leithead believes his proudest achievement is still to come.

“I am always growing professionally and personally and looking to expand my impact,” he said.

Leithead credits a close friend, Dave Tworkowski, with having the biggest impact on his career.

“I was a firefighter with Twork in Maryland, and we kept in touch ever since,” said Leithead. “He has been a mentor of mine for over 15 years and continues to push me to grow our shared field of Fire/Life Safety and Security.”

Leithead shared his perspective on what makes a successful leader and the obstacles that stand in the way.

“Leaders never stop learning,” he said. “They continue to support their teams and the teams around them. A true leader is an active listener who serves those he or she is entrusted to lead. The biggest challenge I see in being a leader is knowing when to provide a solution to a problem versus helping drive and support your team to build their own solutions. It is the job of a leader to support their teams and guide them toward growth, not just step in.”

Of the 12 Principles of the Scout Law — Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent — Loyalty resonates the most with Leithead.

“Loyalty to self is a key to success,” he said. “It means you have self-respect. Thus, in return, you respect others. You focus on your principles.”

The Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America will honor Leithead and the 11 other BSA VISTA Leadership Megastars at an awards reception on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at its new Program, Activity, and Resource Campus (PARC) in Exton. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Kristin Conran at kristin.conran@scouting.org.