Leadership, resilience and grit the focus of ABOR panel event featuring ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham, Pastor Warren Stewart and Oscar-nominated producer Bill Way

The Arizona Board of Regents showcased three extraordinary community leaders — including ASU head football coach Kenny Dillingham — in a panel discussion on leadership, resilience and determination. Moderated by Regent Jessica Pacheco, the community gathering brought leadership to life as panelists shared powerful stories of failure and success.

“Leadership is not about perfection, but perseverance, resilience and authentic human connection and it is so inspiring to learn from the experiences of great leaders,” Pacheco shared with an inspired audience during the Arizona Board of Regents’ GRIT event Wednesday night at Mountain America Stadium’s San Tan Ford Club.

Dillingham, coming off a standout year that led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff, emphasized the importance of authentic relationships and old-school leadership principles, despite being the youngest head coach in the Power Four conferences.

“Where you put your time is where you put your value,” Dillingham said, describing his approach of spending 45 minutes to an hour daily in the team's locker room each day building trust. “[Our program] is rooted in substance. … Everybody knows we do it with respect.”

Bill Way, an Oscar-nominated film producer, shared how failure has been instrumental in his success. “It's only when we fail that we unmask those things that really make us ultimately successful,” Way reflected, discussing his transition from corporate leadership to film production.

Pastor Warren Stewart, a pivotal figure in establishing Arizona's Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the senior pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church, spoke about leadership as being ready. “I don't plan, but I stay in a constant state of preparation because I don't know what God has for me to do next,” Stewart said.

Dillingham's leadership style — characterized by brutal honesty, respect and personal investment — has quickly transformed ASU's football program into one of the nation’s best and resonated with the broader Arizona community. His emphasis on emotional connection and showing people they matter extends beyond the football field.

"Show [the players] it matters," Dillingham urged the audience, whether through emotional investment, financial support or demonstrating community pride.

While from vastly different professional fields, the panelists’ overall message was consistent throughout the discussion: true leadership transcends individual achievements, focusing instead on lifting communities, embracing vulnerability and maintaining an unwavering commitment to growth.

“These extraordinary leaders shared truly powerful stories of achievement despite adversity and setbacks. It was a privilege to moderate this panel discussion and learn from each of them,” Pacheco shared. “We have so many outstanding leaders and scholars at our universities and we hope to offer more of these inspirational programs in the future.”