Impact Difference Maker Mike Lepper Balances Zest for Success with Personnel Development

Mike Lepper

Mike Lepper freely admits that he’s addicted to success. Suffice to say, the dealership under Lepper’s guidance—Impact Networking of Lake Forest, Illinois—hopes there is no remedy for curing chronic competitiveness. It’s baked into his ascension to the top leadership role at the $200 million managed IT-fueled dealership.

Yet there is another layer to Lepper that isn’t connected to being competitive, but it is part and parcel of leadership traits. He’s learned the value of caring about others more than one’s self, because the personal wins will pile up in the process. Lepper is endlessly positive, and knows the secret to success lies in a mixture of 10% strategy and 90% execution.

It is possible to be a young gun and an old soul wrapped into one. “I truly love coaching and developing the people,” said Lepper, a 2025 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “It’s about having strong relationships, building rapport and always be willing to do anything myself that I ask my people to do.”

Success came early and often for Lepper, who hooked up with Impact following a sales and marketing career fair at Northern Illinois University (where he majored in sales and minored in economics). In a short 15 years, he’s won several awards—including sales rep of the year and top general manager—while garnering a reputation for leveraging the talents of those surrounding him. Those who know him well say Lepper’s work ethic is without peer.

There have certainly been some life-changing moments from a professional standpoint. The first came in August of 2016 in Aspen, Colorado, when he was awarded partnership at Impact. Equally compelling was Lepper’s ascension to CEO late last year, which was trumpeted via a pair of coming-out parties: the Executive Connection Summit in January, followed by the Impact all-company meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The moves were in conjunction with the elevation of CEO Frank Cucco and President Dan Meyer to the company’s board of directors.

Matter of Trust

Cucco has been a strong influence for Lepper, with the pair having first met at a baseball game work event. “His wisdom about building trust and maintaining strong client relationships has shaped my leadership style and continues to guide my decision-making,” Lepper noted of Cucco.

In the end, it’s about constant improvement. He recently garnered certification for C-suite leaders at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The end game is always enabling Impact to thrive.

“I focus on being the best version of myself every day I show up,” he added.

On the home front, Lepper and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two: son Rocky, 6, and daughter Madi, 4. They’re slated to move into a new home closer to the Lake Forest corporate office by year’s end. The young family enjoys spending time in the pool or at the beach, with Florida or any sun-splashed destination topping their list of favorite vacations. He’s an avid golfer, but treasures family time, including his children’s sporting events, more than anything.

Erik Cagle
About the Author
Erik Cagle is the editorial director of ENX Magazine. He is an author, writer and editor who spent 18 years covering the commercial printing industry.