The San Diego Airport Culture Factor: The New Process for Trust, Growth and Expansion (Encore) | Kimberly Becker

The Courage of a Leader

Kim Becker, President and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, is leading a bold transformation at the San Diego International Airport—starting from the inside out. We explored how she’s intentionally cultivating a culture that supports change, empowers leaders at every level, and aligns with a fast-evolving environment. Coming out of the pandemic, Kim knew the way they worked had shifted. Rather than revert to what was, she saw the opportunity to design something stronger.

We heard how she started with the executive team and expanded the conversation across directors and managers—uncovering surprising gaps and building a shared culture statement together. We’ve seen how she uses everyday team meetings and real-life moments to embed new leadership mindsets, from listening to thoughtful decision-making. It’s not a program. It’s a way of thinking and working that’s now infused into coaching conversations, strategy sessions, and hallway chats. Her story reminds us that culture change doesn’t require sweeping declarations—it starts with intention, consistency, and the courage to have real conversations.

Key Takeaways:

1. Culture Grows from the Inside - Start with leadership alignment but let the full team help shape and own the culture.

2. Empowerment Changes Everything - When mid-level leaders are trusted and included, they bring energy and clarity that transforms the whole.

3. Real Conversations Matter - Culture shifts happen when we’re brave enough to name gaps, share reactions, and stay at the table.

4. Make Mindsets Practical - Embedding culture happens when values become part of everyday language, meetings, and habits.

5. Start with You - Culture change begins with modeling what you want others to adopt—even before you announce it.

Resources Mentioned

The Inspire Your Team to Greatness assessment (the Courage Assessment)

How can you inspire our team to be more proactive, take ownership and get more done?

You demonstrate and empower The Courage of a Leader. In my nearly 3 decades of work with leaders, I’ve discovered the 11 things that leaders do – even very well-intentioned leaders do – that kill productivity.

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https://courageofaleader.com/inspireyourteam/

About the Guest:

Kimberly J. Becker is President and CEO of San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the owner and operator of San Diego International Airport (SAN). Ms. Becker is responsible for fiscal management and operational oversight of the San Diego International Airport. She has been in the role since 2017, overseeing several capital improvement projects including the $3 billion New T1 program that will replace Terminal 1 with a larger, more efficient facility and other improvements that enhance the airport experience.

Before joining the Airport Authority, she was the Director of Aviation for Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) and held operations and environmental positions at Lockheed Air Terminal, now Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California, and Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey.

Under her leadership, SAN has been recognized for its environmental and sustainability efforts, including being named the second-ever carbon neutral airport in North America. She has been named “Woman of the Year” by the San Diego Chapter of Advancing Women in Transportation and “CEO of the Year, Government” by the San Diego Business Journal.

About the Host:

Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and consultant. She has over 2 decades of experience developing leaders at all levels. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Deloitte and Barclays.

As a trusted leadership coach and consultant, Amy has worked with hundreds of leaders one-on-one, and thousands more as part of a group, to fully step into their leadership, create amazing teams and achieve extraordinary results.

Amy’s most popular keynote speeches are:

• The Courage of a Leader: The Power of a Leadership Legacy
• The Courage of a Leader: Create a Competitive Advantage with Sustainable, Results-Producing Cross-System Collaboration
• The Courage of a Leader: Accelerate Trust with Your Team, Customers and Community
• The Courage of a Leader: How to Build a Happy and Successful Hybrid Team

Her new book is a #1 international best-seller and is entitled, The Courage of a Leader: How to Inspire, Engage and Get Extraordinary Results.

http://www.courageofaleader.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyshoopriley

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Inspire Your Team to Greatness assessment (The Courage Assessment)

https://courageofaleader.com/inspireyourteam/