Tom Riggs describes the last year as the worst year of life and the best year of his life. He watched as his 12-year-old daughter struggled with a very rare, life-threatening genetic disease, making it the worst year. But then he witnessed her respond to treatments and medications, return to normalcy and showcase her incredible character, toughness, maturity, and grit, making it the best year of his life. “When you have a child go through something like that, you learn a lot about their core character,” said Riggs. “We were amazed with her warrior spirit.”
While balancing family and his role as the chief executive officer of MindWire, Riggs said that self-awareness and emotional intelligence is critical to be the best leadership version of yourself. “You must take this journey – at a deep level – so you can really understand your strengths, gaps, how others truly see you and how you need to then lean into all those things to be your best self,” he said.
MindWire is a management consulting firm with a mission to use workforce analytics and the best science, tools and data on the planet to positively change lives for the better. “MindWire exists as a beacon for change, championing a future where organizations not only recognize the value of their people but actively invest in their happiness and well-being as a cornerstone of success,” said Riggs. “Through our endeavors, we hope to inspire a shift toward a more humane, effective approach to talent management – one where human potential is nurtured, and businesses thrive as a result.”
Under Riggs’ leadership, the firm was named one of the top 20 sales training organizations nationwide by Selling Power and was recognized as a best place to work in Arizona by the Phoenix Business Journal. “As leaders, our people are everything – they are our brand, our reputation, and they have entrusted their careers and livelihood to us,” said Riggs. “We have a deep responsibility to them; you can’t buy a great culture, or even invent it on the spot, but if you can achieve it, anything is then possible, even probable.”
A Titan 100 Hall of Fame inductee, Riggs said he envisions leaving a legacy defined by the creation of a unique, special and authentic workplace where ambition stretches beyond the confines of the office walls. “Our employees don’t just show up; they thrive, deploying their passions and talents in ways that far exceed their dreams,” he said.
