In a quiet moment of reflection, Kyle McCalla sat across from a weary business owner grappling with low morale and high turnover. “Tell me,” Kyle asked, “how many of your people truly feel like they belong here?” The silence that followed wasn’t awkward—it was awakening. That moment wasn’t just another consulting session; it was the embodiment of Kyle’s mission: helping leaders prioritize their people not as a tactic, but as a philosophy.
For Kyle McCalla, leadership isn’t a position—it’s a responsibility. One shaped by experience, refined by hardship, and ultimately guided by a simple but powerful belief: “People over profits.” That principle doesn’t just drive his business model—it defines his life.
A Leadership Journey Forged in Life’s Crucible
Kyle’s passion for people-first leadership wasn’t born in a boardroom—it was forged through personal experience. As a young man balancing full-time college and full-time work while supporting his family after his parents’ divorce, Kyle lived the consequences of broken leadership. “I’ve seen leadership done completely wrong,” he says, “and it affected every part of my life—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.”
But amid that chaos, a beacon emerged: Thad Dixon, a leader who extended not just grace, but belief. Encouraging Kyle to finish his degree, Thad became more than a manager—he became a mentor, modeling what servant leadership looks like in action.
Those early lessons would leave an indelible imprint. “It’s why I do what I do now,” Kyle shares. “I want to help as many businesses and leaders have a lasting, positive effect on their teams as possible.”
Building Expertise Across Agribusiness and Operations
Before launching People First Customized Consulting in 2025, Kyle spent over 15 years sharpening his skills across operations, sales, and leadership in the agribusiness sector. Each role added a new layer to his understanding of what drives performance—and where culture often fails.
People First Customized Consulting – As Founder and Principal Consultant, Kyle helps organizations align leadership development with operational strategy. His engagements emphasize employee engagement, process improvement, and cultural transformation.
Meristem Crop Performance – As Territory Sales Manager, Kyle advised agricultural businesses across NW Ohio and Michigan, gaining ground-level insight into customer behavior and operational bottlenecks.
Mercer Landmark, Inc. – As Vice President of Agronomy Operations, he led a high-performing team through a period of significant change, navigating complexity while focusing on team cohesion.
GROWMARK, Inc. – Over five years as CP Territory Manager across OH/IN/MI, Kyle developed deep expertise in strategic account management and cross-functional leadership.
From each chapter, Kyle drew one consistent insight: Processes can’t fix broken culture—but great culture can elevate any process.
Transforming Culture from the Inside Out
At the heart of Kyle’s consulting work is a simple blueprint: engage, align, and grow. And he has the outcomes to back it up.
Kyle’s culture audits and leadership workshops have empowered teams to move from disconnection to alignment, resulting in measurable business outcomes without compromising human dignity.
He has helped multiple mid-sized businesses increase employee engagement scores by 25–40% within the first year of implementation.
His clients regularly report improvements in retention, productivity, and leadership trust, citing his blend of empathy and execution as transformative.
Leadership by Presence, Not Position
Kyle’s leadership philosophy stems directly from his faith and personal evolution. Guided by the example of Jesus Christ, his approach is grounded in servant leadership, intentionality, and presence.
“I’m not trying to be an evangelist,” he says. “I just try to live a life that honors God and reflects the heart change that happened when I accepted Jesus as my Savior.”
That faith doesn’t alienate—it inspires. Kyle’s philosophy resonates across industries and belief systems because it centers on universal truths: listen deeply, lead humbly, and act with purpose.
“Delegation is not abdication,” Kyle often says. “Culture starts at the top. Leaders can delegate tasks, but never their purpose.”
A Wake-Up Call for Executives
One of Kyle’s most repeated insights comes from observing an all-too-common leadership flaw: the assumption that good intentions equal great culture. “We treat people better than most,” is a phrase he hears often—and one he’s learned to challenge respectfully.
Drawing inspiration from Jim Collins’ How the Mighty Fall, Kyle speaks candidly about the dangers of organizational hubris. He helps business leaders confront the uncomfortable truth: that good enough culture is often the silent killer of great companies.
Through workshops, 1-on-1 coaching, and candid strategy sessions, Kyle pushes leaders to reflect, adjust, and recommit to the daily discipline of caring for their people—not as an HR initiative, but as a strategic imperative.
Empowering Businesses to Lead with Intentionality
Today, Kyle serves a growing roster of clients through People First Customized Consulting, focusing on three core pillars:
- Leadership Development – Equipping leaders with frameworks and emotional intelligence to lead with clarity and consistency.
- Employee Engagement – Helping teams feel seen, valued, and heard in a way that drives both loyalty and performance.
- Process Improvement – Aligning operations with values to create efficiency without sacrificing humanity.
His work is more than consulting—it’s coaching, challenging, and walking alongside business owners as they reshape how their organizations operate from the inside out.
A Legacy of Culture, Not Just Revenue
When asked about the future, Kyle doesn’t talk in terms of expansion or headcount. Instead, he speaks of legacy—of helping leaders leave behind more than profit margins.
“I want to create a ripple effect,” he says, “where business owners become better husbands, mothers, friends, and community members—because of how they learned to lead at work.”
That long view is what sets Kyle apart. His consulting may start with a spreadsheet, but it always ends in a story—of transformation, alignment, and purpose.
Quotes That Define Kyle’s Leadership Style:
- “Servant leadership is the only leadership that changes hearts and minds.”
- “Delegate tasks—not purpose.”
A Call to Reflect
Kyle McCalla’s story is more than a biography—it’s an invitation. An invitation for today’s business leaders to pause, reflect, and ask: Are we truly putting people first? In an era where performance often overshadows purpose, Kyle challenges executives to lead differently and, in doing so, leave a lasting imprint on both profits and people.
Connect with him on LinkedIn
