Most Renowned Personality To Look For In 2025 March2025

FREDRICK REDD’S

Fredrick Redd Chief Business Development Officer PACO Group, Inc.

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

- Warren Bennis

Editorial

Where Passion Meets Precision: The Story of Fredrick Redd

FredrickRedd’sjourneyisatestamenttothepowerofembracingmultiplepassionsand

defyingconventionalcareerpaths.Inaworldthatoftenencouragesspecialization,Redd’s storyisarefreshingreminderthattruebrillianceliesinthefusionofdisciplines.His abilitytoseamlesslybalancetheprecisionofengineeringwiththeartistryofoperamakeshimone ofthemostintriguingpersonalitiestowatchin2025.

BorninBeaumont,Texas,andraisedinHouston,Redddisplayedaninsatiablecuriosityfroma youngage.HisloveformathematicsandscienceledhimtoearnadegreeinCivilEngineering fromtheUniversityofTexasatAustin.Yet,alongsidehistechnicalpursuits,henurturedadeep appreciationformusic.Thisdualityshapedhiscareer,asherefusedtochooseonepathoverthe other.Instead,hepursuedbothwithequaldedication—establishinghimselfasarespected engineer,businessleader,anddistinguishedoperasinger.

WhatmakesRedd’sjourneysoinspiringishisabilitytobridgetwoseeminglydifferentworlds. Whileengineeringrequireslogic,structure,andprecision,operademandsemotion,creativity,and expression.Byexcellinginboth,hedemonstratesthattheintersectionofartandscienceiswhere trueinnovationthrives.Hisstorychallengestraditionalnotionsofsuccessandencouragesothers toembracetheirdiversetalentswithoutlimitation.

Aswehighlightthe “Most Renowned Personality to Look For in 2025,”FredrickRedd’sname standsoutnotjustforhisachievementsbutforthephilosophyheembodies.Hislife’swork provesthatpassionandpurposearenotconfinedtoasinglefieldbutcancoalesceintosomething extraordinary.Heisalivingtestamenttotheideathatwhenwerefusetobeboxedinby expectations,weunlockourfullestpotential.

-Alaya Brown

14. 18. Key Traits Every Great Leader Must Have Mastering the Art of Decision-Making in Leadership

Redd Chief Business Development Officer PACO Group, Inc.

Fredrick

Photo Credit: Chia Messina

The Art and Science of Success

FREDRICK REDD’S

Journey Through Engineering and Opera

Precision, creavity, and the ability to bring ideas to life define both disciplines, and he wouldn’t trade either one.

Most

FredrickRedd’sjourneyisatestamenttothe

seamlessfusionofartandscience.Fromanearly age,hedemonstratedanaffinityforboth engineeringandmusic—seeminglydisparatefieldsthat wouldlaterdefinehisextraordinarycareer.Bornin Beaumont,Texas,and6monthslaterthefamilymovedto Houston,Texas,whereReddcultivatedapassionfor learningthatextendedfrommathematicsandsciencetothe intricateworldofmusic.Excellingacademically,he graduatedwithadegreeinCivilEngineeringfromthe UniversityofTexasatAustin,yethisheartalsoresonated withthepowerofmusic.Pursuingbothvocationswith equalfervor,hewentontoestablishhimselfasa distinguishedoperasingerwhilesimultaneouslyexcelling inengineeringandbusinessleadership.

Balancingamultifacetedcareer,Reddmadehismarkonthe stagesofLincolnCenterandCarnegieHallwhilealso foundingandleadingasuccessfulengineeringfirm.His abilitytonavigatemultipledemandingprofessionsisa testamenttohisresilienceandstrategicmindset.Whether pioneeringinnovativebusinessstrategiesorcaptivating audienceswithhisperformances,Redd’sstoryexemplifies thepowerofpassion,perseverance,andadaptability.

Journeytogrowth

FredrickReddgrewupinHouston,Texas,wherehisearly yearswereshapedbyaloveforboththeartsandsciences. Helearnedtromboneandpianowhilehoninghisskillsin drawingandpainting.AttendingtheHighSchoolfor EngineeringProfessions,hegraduatedthirdinhisclass, excelledontheswimteam,andwonbothaCity-Wide ScienceFairandanEngineeringExcellenceAward.

Hisfather,ahighschoolvaledictorian,ownedafurniture storeandupholsteryshopbutwasunabletoattendcollege duetofinancialconstraints.Hismotherdedicatedherselfto raisingtheirfamily.ReddpursuedaBSinCivil EngineeringattheUniversityofTexasatAustin,launching hiscareerinAustinbeforemovingtoPrinceton.

His commitment to growth, selfimprovement, and pushing boundaries defines his approach to life.

There,hejoinedaprofessionalchorus,ignitingapassion forclassicalsingingthatledtoformalvoicestudies. Eventually,hemovedtoNewYorkCitytotrainatThe JuilliardSchoolwhileworkingasanengineer,embarking onhisprofessionaloperacareer.

In2002,ReddmadehisLincolnCenterdebutasthe UndertakerinEmmynominated Porgy & Bess withNew YorkCityOpera,featuredinPBS’s Great Performances series.Thefollowingyear,hedebutedonCarnegieHall’s mainstageasthebaritonesoloistin Carmina Burana and gavehisnationallyandinternationallysimulcastrecital debutattheChicagoCulturalInstituteinChicago.That sameyear,hefoundedandbecameCEOofanNYC-based engineeringservicesfirm,growingitto14employees beforesellingit.

Withover300performances,Reddhasreceivedacclaim from Opera Now, Opera News,and The New York Times Mid-career,heearnedanMBAfromtheRochesterInstitute ofTechnologyandservedasanAssistantProfessorat SyracuseUniversity’sUticaCollege,aswellasanadjunct atNYUandtheUniversityofPhoenix.AsPMODirector forthePortAuthorityofNY&NJ,heestablisheditsfirsteverPMO.OtherrolesincludeGeneralManagerfora constructioncompanyandPrincipalatNorthHighland. Today,asChiefBusinessDevelopmentOfficeratPACO Group,hebringsstrategicandtechnicalexpertisecombined withartistry,creativity,andbusinessacumentodrive growth.

HowItAllBegan

ForRedd,thejourneybeganattheageofsevenwhenhe confidentlydeclaredtohisparents,“Iwanttobean engineer.”Itwasn’tafleetingchildhooddream—itwasa conviction.Mathandsciencecamenaturally,buthewas equallydrawntoartandmusic,fascinatedbythewaythey allowedforcreativeexpression.Evenasachild,hewould mockoperasingers,foreshadowinghisfutureonstage.

Leveraging the Blue Ocean Strategy, he focuses on idenfying untapped opportunies and redefining value in the infrastructure and construcon management sectors.

Hisparentsplayedacrucialroleinshapinghiseclectic interests.Theyexposedhimtoadiversearrayofmusical genres—R&B,country,jazz,opera,andmusicaltheater Hisfather,however,wasrelentlessaboutacademics.A scoreof91onanexamwasn’tgoodenough—“Itcould havebeen100.”Thatphilosophyingrainedarelentless driveinRedd,pushinghimtoexceedexpectations.

Engineeringandtheartswereneveraboutexternal validation;theywerepassionsthatcamefromwithin. However,manyaroundhiminsistedhecouldn’texcelin both.Heprovedthemwrong.Today,Reddstandsatthe intersectionoftwoseeminglyoppositefields,understanding theirdeepconnection.Precision,creativity,andtheability tobringideastolifedefinebothdisciplines,andhe wouldn’ttradeeitherone.

BalancingChallenges

Managingtwodemandingcareerswhilemaintaininga personallifehasbeenaconstantchallengeforRedd.Yet,he hasmadeitwork,oftenfindingintersectionsbetweenhis worlds.Oneofthemostdefiningmomentsinhislifecame whenhelosthisengineeringjobinNewYorkCity.Ready toreturntoHouston,hewasstoppedbyamentor,Vincent LaSelva,thegeneralconductorofNewYorkGrandOpera. “Tearupthatticket,”LaSelvaurged.“You’llfindajob.You havearealshotatbecomingaprofessionaloperasinger.”

Thenextday,ReddsecuredanewjobandstayedinNew York.

Balancingengineeringconsulting—knownforitshighpressuredeadlines—withtherigorousdemandsofthe performingartsrequiredimmensediscipline.Whenhe madehisNewYorkCityOperadebutatLincolnCenter,he wasalsoworkingfull-timeasanengineeringconsultant. Hisdaysbeganinanofficeandendedonstage.The schedulewasgrueling,butpassionfueledhim.

Throughitall,Reddprioritizedhealth,family,and friendships.Atonepoint,herealizedhisweighthad spiraledoutofcontrol.Amomentinfrontofathree-way mirrorataclothingstorewasawake-upcall.Thenextday, hesignedupforagymmembershipandhiredapersonal trainer,adecisionthatledhimtoanobsessionwith endurancesports.Overthespanoffiveyears,hecompleted marathons,triathlons,andswimathons,eventuallyjoining theKISTriathlonteamforprofessionaltrainingand competinginIronmanraces.In2017,hisdeterminationin completingthreehalf-IronmanracesandoneFullIronman raceearnedhimthetitleof“IronmanoftheYear”bythe KISTriathlonteam.

BusinessMindset

AsChiefBusinessDevelopmentOfficeratPACOGroup, Reddapproachesbusinesswithastrategic,forwardthinkingmindset.LeveragingtheBlueOceanStrategy,he focusesonidentifyinguntappedopportunitiesand redefiningvalueintheinfrastructureandconstruction managementsectors.Insteadofcompetinginoversaturated markets,hedrivesinnovationthataddressesevolving industryneeds,enhancesefficiency,andestablishes sustainableadvantages.

PassionforGrowth

ForRedd,passionisthedrivingforcebehindeverypursuit. Hiscommitmenttogrowth,self-improvement,andpushing boundariesdefineshisapproachtolife.Obstaclesarenot setbacksbutopportunitiestoevolve.Hisresilienceis evidentineverychallengehehasfaced,whetherin business,thearts,orendurancesports.

DuringhissecondIronman,brutalheadwindsdroppedhis speedfrom21mphto12mph.Evenprofessionaltriathletes quit—butReddrefused.Afterconqueringthebikeleg,he facedagrueling26.2-mileruntocompletetherace. Exhausted,surroundedbycompetitorswhohadalready givenup,hepressedforward.Stepbystep,milebymile,he finished,provingthatwithgritandtherightmindset, anythingispossible.

AdaptingtoCOVID-19

ThepandemicdisruptedamajorprojectReddwasworking onwiththeMTA,forcinghimtopivot.Whenoffereda projectinFlorida,quarantinerestrictionsmeanthecouldn’t returntoNewYorkonweekends.Instead,hechosetoflyto Houston,wherehespentinvaluabletimewithhisfather beforehispassing.Thisunexpectedturnofeventsprovided adeeplymeaningfulgiftamidtheglobalcrisis.

Whilethepandemicbroughtprofessionalchallenges,Redd adaptedandfoundopportunityinadversity,reinforcinghis beliefthatresilienceandflexibilityarekeytosuccessin bothbusinessandlife.

KEY EVERY Great MUST HAVE

Trueleadershipisnotdecision-makingorauthority, butvision,influence,andthecapacitytoleadothers toashareddestination.Thebestleadershavesome combinationofskillandtraitsthatsetthemapartintheir fields.Leadershipstyleswilldiffer,buttherearesomebasic qualitiesdemandedofthosewhowishtoleavelasting legaciesandleadmeaningfulchange.

VisionandStrategicThinking

Agreatleaderhasanideaofwhereheorsheisgoingand howtoarrivethere.Theydonotrespond,butrather anticipateandpredicttrends,possibilities,andthreat. Visionaryleadersestablishconfidenceanddirectionand leadtheirpeopletolong-termgoals.Theirstrategicthinking andcriticalskillsenablethemtocopewithambiguityand visualizethebigpicture.

EmotionalIntelligenceandSelf-Awareness

Goodleadersrealizethatgreatnessmaynotbeamatterof abilityorintelligencebutpeopleconnection.Emotional intelligence—theabilitytoknow,understand,andregulate emotions—playsanimportantroleinbeingaleader.Good leadersknowthemselves,areemotionallycapable,and other-directedinempatheticpeople'sneedsunderstanding. Theybuildqualityrelationshipsthroughattentivelistening, apeople-servingability,andrespectforoneselfandothers' differences.

ResilienceandFlexibility

Adversityandchangeareinevitableforaleader.Great leadersaredefinedbythefactthattheylearntostaystrong despiteadversity.Theyinnovatedespiteadversity,and adversityareanopportunityforlearning.Resilienceenables themtoadaptstrategy,stayinnovative,andleaddespite uncertainty Theyinspireteamstostayinspiredand solution-focusedthroughresilience.

GreatCommunicationSkills

Leadershipbeginswitheffectivecommunication.Good leaderstalkclearlysothattheteamsgettoknowthevision, goals,andexpectations.Theyaregoodlistenerswhoopen themselvestofeedbackandcollaboration.Clear communicationbuildstrust,alignment,andmotivation, whichenableleaderstomaketheirteamssucceed.Beitin collectivecommunicationorcommunicatingwiththeworld atlarge,thecapabilitytocommunicatemessagesthatare clearandpowerfulisthehallmarkofgreatleadership.

IntegrityandAccountability

Itisattheheartofleadership,andintegrityisattheheartof buildingthattrust.Goodleadersfunctiononagroundthat ishonest,transparent,andonahighmoralplatform.They areanswerableforwhattheydoandareaccountable, leadingbyexample.Throughconstancyinactionsand decisions,theygaintherespectandtrustofthepeoplethey areguiding.Accountabilityisdiligenttoensurethatleaders notonlyrejoiceinvictoriesbutalsotakeresponsibilityfor lossesandlearnfromthem.

EmpowermentandTeamBuilding

Leadershipisnotaboutcommanding;itisabout empowering.Thebestleadersareawarethattheirown successcomesdirectlyfromgrowingtheirteams.

Theyempower,direct,andopendoorsforcareergrowth. Throughacultureofcollaborationandtrust,theyempower individualstotakeresponsibilityfortheirwork,innovate, andpushthebusinesstosucceed.

DecisivenessandProblem-Solving

Withthefastpaceofchangeintoday'schallengingbusiness world,leadersmustmaketoughdecisionsunderatight schedule.Delayindecision-makingissynonymouswith lostopportunitiesandlackofeffectiveness.Powerful leaderslookoutforpotentialdangerareas,weightherisks, andactwithvalor Theypossesstheartofdecision-making thatallowsthemtotacklesituationswellinadvancesothat theydon'tstagnateprogresswithindecision.Bymaking quickandinformeddecisions,theyacceleratethepaceof successandenergizeorganizationalaccomplishment.

Conclusion

Exceptionalleadershipisamixofvision,emotional intelligence,flexibility,andaneagernesstoempower others.Exceptionalleadersleadethically,communicate truthfully,andarehardyunderstress.Throughcontinuous enhancementofthesecorecharacteristics,onecanbecome apeakleaderandcreatealegacyofpositivechange. Leadershipisnotauthority—itisinspiringandguiding otherstowardsacommonvisionoftriumph.

MASTERING THE OF ART Decision-Making

IN LEADERSHIP

Gooddecision-makingisthekeytogreatleadership. Eachleader,eachbusinessandeachlevelof experience,ispresentedwithdecisionsthataffect theirpeople,theircompanies,andtheirlong-termsuccess. Theabilityforgettingitrightisequalpartsstrategic thinking,emotionalintelligence,andhavingthenerveto playinthegray.Leaderswhomakegooddecisionsspur innovation,buildtrust,andforgelastinglegacies.

UnderstandingtheDecision-MakingProcess

Decision-makingisnotonlychoosinganalternative;it involvesaprocessofclarity,analysis,andimplementation. Leadershipflourisheswhentheymakedecisions analytically,withprudence,sothattheyarewell-informed andinaccordancewiththeirvision.Theyclarifytheissue, accruepertinentinformation,balancemanydisparate viewpoints,considerpossiblerisk,andmakeintentional decisionsbalancingshort-andlong-termimplications.

Gooddecision-makersdonotbasetheirdecisionssolelyon intuitionorgutfeeling;theywelcomelogic,reason,and experience.Theyposetherightquestions,question assumptions,andarereceptivetonewideas.Byoptimizing theirdecision-makingtemplate,theymaximizeefficiency andavoidexpensiveerrors.

BalancingLogicandIntuition

Goodleadersknowthatdecision-makingisanalyticaland intuitive.Whileinformation-basedknowledgeishighly valuable,intuition,guidedbyexperienceandasenseof context,usuallyplaysanequallysignificantrole.

Suchleadersareabletounderstandwhentodependupon harddataandwhentotrusttheirinstincts.Theyarealso awarethatdecisionsdon'talwayshaveclearsolutionsand, onoccasion,movingawayfromtheanalysisparadigm yieldsbreakthroughideas.Theskilltomergelogicand intuitionhelpsleadersmakeboldyetinformedchoicesthat driveorganizationsforward.

ManagingRisksandUncertainty

Intoday'scompetitivebusiness,leadershavetolead throughuncertaintywithassurance.Riskisaninherentpart ofdecision-making,butbeinggoodatthisjobentails learningaboutpotentialnegatives,makingplansfor negativeconsequences,andbeingadaptable.

Insteadoffearinguncertainty,successfulleaderswelcomeit asachallengefordevelopment.Theyassessriskintermsof itsprobableimpactandprobabilityandthereforeareready forvariouspossibilities.Throughstrategicrisk management,theybecomeadaptableandempowertheir teamswiththeabilitytomanagechangepositively

TheRoleofEmotionalIntelligenceinDecision-Making

Goodleadersunderstandthatdecisionsarenotsimply rationaldecisions—thereisapeoplefactorinvolved. Emotionalintelligenceisthekeytotakingchargeofhow decisionsimpactemployees,stakeholders,andcustomers.

Emotional-intelligencehighleaderslookatthehumanside ofeachdecision.Theylistenactively,takeinputfroma widerangeofstakeholders,andkeepthedecisionsaligned withcompanycultureandstaffmotivation.Through creatingtrustandcollaboration,theydevelopcultures whereemployeesfeellistenedtoandwanttohelpattain success.

DecisionParalysistobeOvercome

Perhapsthemostsignificantchallengeforleadersto overcomeisdecisionparalysis,notbeingabletochoose becauseoneisafraidthatthedecisionwillbethewrong one.Althoughcarefulnessisextremelyimportant, indecisioncanresultinlostopportunitiesandstagnation.

Toavoidthis,goodleadersprioritizeprogressover perfection.Theyestablishtimelinesformakingimportant decisions,compartmentalizedifficultissuesintobite-sized chunks,andremainflexibletomakein-flightadjustments whennecessary Theyrealizethatitisnotpossibleto perfectalldecisionsbutactionfollowedbylearningfrom theresultaremuchmorevaluablethandoingnothing.

LearningfromPastDecisions

Decision-makingisanongoingprocessofimprovement andlearningtodobetter.Successfulleaderscontinuously reviewtheresultoftheirdecisions,determinewhattheydid well,whatdidnotworkwell,andwhattheycandoina differentmanner Theylearnfromcriticism,objectively criticizepastdecisions,andchangedirection.

Alearningcultureaccretesdecisionmuscleovertime. Throughexperiencegainedfrombothsuccessandfailure, leadersgainstrengthandconfidenceinmakingdecisions thatproduceanimpact.

Conclusion

Decision-makingisasignatureaspectofleadershipthat impactseverythingfrombusinessstrategytopersonal relationships.Masteringdecision-makingtakesan equilibriumofanalysisandinstinct,riskmanagement, emotionalintelligence,andthewherewithaltomove courageously Thoseleaderswhofocusonbuilding decision-makingskillscraftinnovation,adaptability,and confidenceinfollowers.Intoday'sfast-movingworld, thoughtfullymade,strategicdecisionsrankamongthebest assetsaleadercanhave.