Sly James, The Servant Leader Driven By His Passion For Purpose - How He Succeeded As Kansas City's Mayor, The Jackie Robinson of KC Law Firms, and Reinventing Himself Every 10 Years

It is so fitting that one day after the Kansas City Chiefs won their fourth Super Bowl, our new episode features one of the best mayors in KC history - Sylvester "Sly" James. I was honored and humbled during our conversation as we discussed how he became mayor of the 37th-largest city having never held any political office, being the Black first associate/partner in one of KC's largest law firms, being the lead singer of a rock band that opened for Jefferson Airplane, why both passion and purpose drive him, and why he does not fall victim to imposter syndrome.

Please enjoy the great Sly James' great career journey!

 

Sly James (linkedin.com/in/sly-james ) was sworn in as the 56th Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri on March 22, 2011. After taking office, he focused on making Kansas City best in four key areas: Education, Employment, Efficiency, and Enforcement. This ‘4 E agenda’ drove all of Mayor James’ major policy decisions. Mayor Sly James was born and raised in Kansas City on the city’s eastside. He graduated from Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City in 1969. After serving his country as a military police officer in the Marines from 1971-1975 in California, the Philippines, and Japan during the
Vietnam War, Mayor James graduated cum laude from Rockhurst College with a B.A. in
English. He then went on to earn his law degree, also cum laude, from the University of
Minnesota in 1983.

Prior to his election, Mayor James enjoyed a successful legal career which spanned almost three decades. Over the years, Mayor James has served on numerous boards and
commissions in leadership positions including The Missouri Board of Law Examiners, President of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Economic Development Corporation, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, Jackson County Ethics Commission, Legal Aid of Kansas City, Jackson County Bar Association, Bishop Hogan High School Board, Genesis School Board, and The United Way. Mayor James also served in leadership positions in several national organizations including US Conference of Mayors, African American Mayors Association, National Democratic Mayors, and Urban Land Institute.

He currently is the co-founder and partner at Wickham James Strategy and Solutions (wickhamjames.com ). Sly also has written two books - "A Passion for Purpose: Building Cities for Our Children" and "The Opportunity Agenda: A Bold Democratic Plan To Grow The Middle Class".