By Erin Rafter (Monitor)
Amur's leadership philosophy transforms teams into high-performing powerhouses by prioritizing empathy, innovation and collaboration. CEO Kalyan Makam shares insights on building resilient leaders and fostering a culture of service excellence that drives extraordinary outcomes.
“Leadership begins with empathy and requires the ability to motivate a team. Empathy builds the connections that unlock the power of any team, ensuring every member feels their contribution is meaningful and valued. Great leaders inspire action through genuine passion, driving their teams to success. Leadership also demands communication, resilience and accountability — effectively conveying purpose, stepping forward during challenges and taking responsibility for outcomes. At Amur, we cultivate leaders who embody these principles, fostering innovation and collaboration while staying committed to service excellence and continuous improvement. This approach enables us to build high-performing teams and achieve remarkable outcomes together."
At Amur, leadership is built on the belief that high-functioning teams outperform individuals when guided by strong leadership. Human collaboration is powerful but requires effort and guidance to unlock its potential.
Leadership at Amur is earned. Many of the company’s successful leaders have risen through the ranks, leading large teams. These leaders excel by harnessing the strengths of every team member, driving success through collective effort. Amur’s diverse leadership cohort offers fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
All Amur leaders share a commitment to service excellence and the company’s core values: commitment, integrity, continuous improvement, teamwork, results-driven focus and fun. They are dedicated to innovation and finding new ways to better serve partners and customers. Together, they guide Amur toward achieving extraordinary outcomes.
Kalyan Makam, Amur’s CEO, believes a great leader exemplifies empathy, motivation and passion for success. Effective leadership is built on three key traits: communication, resilience and accountability. Communication provides clear direction and purpose — it’s a leader’s responsibility to ensure their message is understood. Resilience shines during adversity, requiring dedication, self-awareness and courage. Accountability ensures leaders own both the process and outcomes, focusing on continuous improvement even when results fall short.
Makam views leadership development as a continuous journey of self-reflection, learning and growth. He emphasizes small, manageable steps toward personal improvement, drawing insights from books and real-life experiences with colleagues. Constructive feedback also plays a vital role in his growth, helping him evolve as a leader and better support his colleagues.
Early in his career, Makam believed leadership was about achieving results through individual talent. However, observing high-performing teams led by leaders who weren’t experts in every area shifted his perspective. He realized great leaders act as catalysts, empowering their teams to succeed.
Makam’s leadership style now focuses on simplicity, clarity and prioritizing what truly matters. He and his team at Amur take pride in tackling challenges head-on and are deeply invested in building for the long term. Over the past decade, this approach has scaled Amur more than tenfold while fostering the personal and professional growth of its team members. Amur remains a place where motivated individuals can grow, make an impact, and leave a lasting legacy.
To develop future leaders, Amur launched “The Leap,” a year-long leadership development program designed to cultivate its next generation of leaders. The program provides employees with opportunities to accelerate their industry knowledge, build leadership skills and foster connections. Amur also promotes leadership accessibility by encouraging employees at all levels to connect with senior leaders through informal meetings.
“The best advice I ever received was to invest deeply in people,” Makam says. “I’ve taken that to heart, and it’s been key to our success. At Amur, we pride ourselves on our hardworking, fast-paced and collaborative culture rooted in our Grand Island, NE heritage. This mindset drives our ability to innovate and deliver consistently for our partners and customers. Our success comes down to one thing: we think about how to improve every day and stay committed, rain or shine.”
Makam acknowledges the transformative role of the equipment finance industry in the broader economy. He sees the rapid changes within the industry as both challenges and opportunities for growth. His advice to future leaders is to embrace continuous learning and explore innovations beyond the industry. He emphasizes adaptability and resilience to navigate shifts in market demands, technology and customer expectations. Finally, he underscores the importance of building authentic relationships and a culture of collaboration. The future of the industry, Makam believes, lies not only in technological advancements but also in strong partnerships and the trust cultivated within them.
Read the full interview on page 57 of the Monitor Flipbook by clicking the link below:
The 2025 Best Companies in Equipment Finance | Jan/Feb 2025 | Vol. 52, No. 1
