Boxing can teach a person a lot of life lessons such as discipline, strategy, and anticipating the movements of others. Izzy Galicia, President and CEO of Incito Consulting Group and an internationally known speaker and leadership expert, started his foray into business not in the boardroom, but in the boxing ring.

“It is true that I used to compete as a boxer, so I have a strong passion and fondness for pugilistic sport,” Galicia explains. “The reason that I am so fond of the sport is because of our ability to draw so many similarities between sport, career, and life.”

The competitive nature that Galicia honed in the boxing ring has served him well in his long and storied career. He has made a name for himself in the consulting industry over nearly 25 years, starting at New United Motor Manufacturing in Fremont, California, and then moving to Toyota. His experience in the automotive industry and as a consultant with other Fortune 500 and 100 companies has positioned him as one of the foremost leadership speakers and teachers.

Inspired by the auto industry

Galicia began his career in the auto industry simply looking for a way to pay his bills and get him through school. He fully admits that he never expected his first job to change his life.

“NUMMI and Toyota demonstrated to me how a company can inspire their workforce, align all employees with a true north vision, and provide endless opportunities for knowledge, growth, and opportunity.”  This foundation in inspiring business leadership and fostering a unique, growth-centered environment pushed Galicia to “grow up” with the automotive industry, structuring his ideals about leading and serving along the way.

“When working for Toyota, I had the rare opportunity to ‘grow up’ in an environment in which the front-line team members were truly viewed as the company’s greatest asset,” he says. “I joined Toyota at such a young age that I did not realize what a rare and unique environment I was part of. I did not realize how truly different my perspective was until I started consulting for other organizations and was left astonished at how different they truly were.”

When Galicia was ready to venture out on his own as a consultant, he brought with him everything he learned about inspiring workers, structuring businesses, and enterprise transformation.

Business transformation expert

Galicia’s time with Toyota was so inspiring that, when he set out to open his own consulting firm, he chose the name Incito — a Latin term meaning “to inspire”. His intent was to mirror his experience with Toyota.

While “growing up with Toyota”, Galicia says he learned about encouraging everyone, from line workers to c-suite leaders, to have alignment with the company goals. Like his time in sports, he was inspired by Toyota’s focus on team building and a competitive mentality. He also noted that the company embraced problems as opportunities.

Taking all of this knowledge with him, Galicia has built an award-winning consultancy firm that has allowed businesses across multiple industries to make real transformations. His leadership has led to clients securing awards such as the Shingo Prize for Excellence, the National Association for Manufacturers Award, and the JD Powers Gold Award to name a few.

Navigating the new normal

The pandemic was a challenging time for everyone, but especially for those in business and industry. Galicia’s expertise was put to the test during the unprecedented time as he helped organizations shift and re-prioritize.

“Many organizations continue to navigate through a ‘new normal’ without modern precedent,” Galicia explains, “In fact, the full scale and scope of the economic and social ramifications associated with the past few years, post-Covid, are still being realized as companies attempt to develop their individual go-forward strategies.”

Tough times, however, are when leaders shine. Navigating the post-pandemic business world involved applying some of those life lessons that Galicia learned long ago in the boxing ring. He has helped CEOs and management teams structure their remote workforce, define their individual vision and company culture, and execute new strategies for the new world of work.