The UMKC REALTOR® Leadership Academy has graduated upwards of 20 students each year since its foundation in 2017. Each Spring a new cohort of students is drawn to the Academy for its in-depth and hands-on curriculum covering industry context, regional leadership and practice management at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management.
James Watts, a local REALTOR® and 2025 graduate of the Academy, shared his experience and takeaways from the seven-month program.
ResourceKC: Why did you decide to enroll in the UMKC REALTOR® Leadership Academy?
James Watts: When I decided to pursue real estate as a career, I knew I didn’t just want to sell houses—I wanted to lead, to grow, and to make a real impact in my community. Leadership has always fascinated me, and when I discovered the UMKC REALTOR® Leadership Academy, I immediately knew it was something I had to be part of. I wanted to surround myself with high-caliber professionals, gain insight into industry trends and understand the deeper roles of advocacy, civic engagement and community development.
This program reinforced what I had come to believe: we are more than agents—we are specialists who help shape communities. We have a responsibility to invest in the neighborhoods we serve, to help families find stability and to use our voices to create meaningful change. It also reminded me that if I want to lift others, I have to keep lifting myself. If I had never been in those situations, I never would have met the people who expanded my thinking. I never would have realized that the key to breaking cycles isn’t just opportunity—it’s exposure to a higher level of thinking. That’s why I refuse to let my past define me. And strive to help expose others who are less fortunate to a higher level of thinking.
RKC: What did you get from the program that you were able to implement in your business?
JW: What I gained from the academy—and intend to implement into my business—is a new perspective on purpose-driven investing. These investments may not always be a home run or yield the highest financial return, but they create something just as valuable: social capital. The impact on communities, the relationships built and the long-term change created are the real returns.
Leadership, to me, is leading by example. It’s about sharing your story in a way that inspires change, but also recognizing that if your story doesn’t resonate with a community, your skills and resources still can. It’s a way that your story can inspire others to be involved, and involvement takes a team… and together they make real, lasting impact. True leadership means using your higher lid and potential to uplift others… With the right mindset, those financial investments and social investments are what make change happen, and change is a direct result of leadership.
RKC: Would you recommend the program to other REALTORS®?
JW: Yes, I would absolutely recommend the UMKC REALTOR® Leadership Academy to other REALTORS®. The program offers a valuable opportunity to explore leadership from a perspective that is unique to each individual, meaning everything—happiness, leadership, investments—are subjective. Subjectivity leads to different opinions, but when individuals with different perspectives are willing to listen, understand and adapt, those opinions can converge into a solid plan. The process of working through those differences often results in a more well-rounded, innovative solution that’s supported by everyone involved, making it a plan for meaningful change.
The Leadership Academy is a place where subjectivity comes together, where diverse perspectives are valued and where the result is not only a deeper understanding of leadership but also the creation of solid, actionable plans for change. It’s through the blending of different ideas and approaches that true leadership emerges.
Those interested in applying for the 2025-2026 UMKC REALTOR® Leadership Academy can learn more about the program at a no-cost informational luncheon on June 10, 2025.
