Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Ward
Hi Ron, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ron grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. With a desire to be a teacher and a coach, he got a Bachelor’s degree from Emory and Henty College in education. Through some unexpected events instead of teaching, Ron became a Deputy Sheriff in Buchanan County, Virginia. Also, after years of diligent training in the martial arts, he also qualified for the United States AAU Olympic Team, becoming an East Coast AAU silver medalist. After a couple of years as a deputy sheriff, Ron got a position as a state probation and parole officer. During these careers, Ron learned a great deal about human behavior and human suffering. As his career progressed, he became a United States Probation Officer. and later an instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, SC. In 2009, Ron was promoted to Academy Director for all Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Officers. at the FLETC.
He also served as Chair of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board of Directors (FLETA) from August 2012 through September 2014, which included all major federal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Ron retried early from the federal government with a passion to help struggling leaders. He wrote a best selling book called, The Dirty Side of Leadership. He also formed his own training and executive coaching company, called 4Ward Operations. Since that time, he has provided leadership training all over the United States. Most recently, he teamed up with Dr. Merissa Ferrara Elisei, an award winning professor from the College of Charleston, and they expanded their executive coaching footprint. They have implemented the latest advances in psychology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their training and coaching programs. They also provide live coaching events and follow up executive coaching for executives and managers. Their focus is verbal and non-verbal communication, balancing empathy with accountability, teamwork, and many other topics. Ron also serves as keynote speaker in numerous conferences and recently hosted the 4Ward Operations Leadership and Entrepreneur conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Summerville. Ron recognizes the stress in today’s businesses and companies, and he strives to improve morale, culture and help promote company growth.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Writing a book was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Since I had worked in federal law enforcement for most of my career, I had a lot to learn about establishing a company, effective marketing and maximizing social media. This doesn’t include other certifications, and coursework I completed to get the company to where it is now. It’s truly been a challenging but rewarding journey.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I provide leadership and wellness training and offer executive coaching. Throughout my adult life, I have attended numerous live training events. Some were exciting, but, to be honest, I didn’t leave with many applicable skills or knowledge that would make a difference in my day to day work activities Therefore, it became my mission when developing training programs that must be interactive, intellectually stimulating and fun. I always make sure participants glean information that can be put into practice immediately. The same applies to our executive coaching program.
I also cohost a leadership podcast called, the Dirty Side of Leadership podcast with the tagline “where leadership meets entertainment. We take topics of interest and discuss leadership tips (positive and negative) that can be to enhance leadership and management skills.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The personal and financial investment in starting a company is always a risk, but my most significant risk was hosting the 4Ward Operations Leadership and Entrepreneur conference in December 2024. From organizing a team, investing in various marketing campaigns, securing great speakers, locating a facility, and providing food and other resources at the conference was daunting and exhausting. Frankly, I could have potentially lost thousands of dollars and been embarrassed, if the conference was a “flop.” After all of the “blood, swear, and tears,” the conference was a success and made my company known in Summerville, Charleston and the surrounding areas.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://4Wardoperations.com
- Instagram: Ron_Ward_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1U3xNjCic5/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-ward?
