This episode takes a deep dive into out-of-the-box leadership as we honor CTI co-founder and inspiration Henry Kimsey-House.
In this episode, Margaret Katz Cann and David Langiulli welcome transformational coach and longtime friend Nancy West for a heartfelt conversation honoring the life and legacy of Henry Kimsey-House, one of the primary founders of the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), who passed away on July 4.
In honoring Henry’s life and legacy, they explore the question: What does it mean to truly step into our leadership—and what happens when we stop trying to fit ourselves into someone else’s idea of what a leader should be?
How Henry Kimsey-House’s Vision Shaped Those Who Knew Him — and Those Who Didn’t
Although Margaret and David never knew Henry personally, his influence profoundly shaped their leadership and coaching journeys. Nancy had the opportunity to work closely with Henry, spending 10 months as his student in CTI’s leadership program in 2009 and then an additional 10 months assisting him as he taught another group. She describes him as a force of nature—big in presence, personality, and vision—and as someone who fundamentally changed her life by giving her permission to be fully herself.
Nancy celebrated how Henry embodied and taught about the power of bringing our whole selves into a room, taking responsibility for our impact, trusting disruption, and “staying” when things get messy rather than rushing to fix or avoid them. These out-of-the-box leadership concepts shaped Nancy — as well as many of those who learned about leadership through the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI).
“Get Bigger” and “Make a Mess”: Not Your Traditional Leadership Advice
Nancy shares how Henry encouraged her to “get bigger” and “make a mess”—a radical invitation for someone who had spent much of her life feeling like she was too much.
Margaret reflects on receiving a parallel invitation when she went through CTI leadership. In her case, that looked like letting go of her preconceived image of what a leader was “supposed” to be and discovering that her warmth, humor, eccentricity, and authenticity actually made her a more powerful leader.
Getting Leaders Out of the Box with “Typing” and Working the Room
The three also discuss Henry’s use of personality “typing,” his theater background, and his remarkable ability to work with the energy of a room.
Typing was an exercise that helped CTI Leadership students embrace what was authentic about them, and learning how to trust these qualities to be compelling.
Nancy describes watching Henry and his wife, Karen Kimsey-House, work together as co-leaders as they taught Leadership together. They were masters of working a room. She recalls how they seemingly anticipated what each student needed — and then magically steered the workshop activities for the learning of each attendee.
A Tribute to Henry Kimsey-House: He Believed in PEOPLE
Perhaps most importantly, the conversation turns to Henry’s enormous belief in people. Nancy describes how he entered a leadership program holding every participant as a leader and believing in their potential to make a difference in the world.
The episode closes with each guest offering an acknowledgment to Henry. Margaret thanks him for believing in people he never met. David honors his audacity, pioneering spirit, and ambition. And Nancy remembers him as a visionary who invited people into a world of possibility, independence, creativity, relationship, and impact.
Henry may no longer be physically present, but his legacy continues through the coaches, leaders, clients, relationships, and communities shaped by his work.
If you want to connect with Nancy West, please find her through her website, Nancy West 360 Coaching, or email her at nancywest360@gmail.com
