Kenneth Knott didn't set out to become a landman. His engineering plans got derailed by the 1985 downturn, a friend pulled him into petroleum land management at UL Lafayette, and an ARCO internship hooked him for life. Thirty-nine years later, he just wrapped up a career that included over 25 years at SM Energy, billions in transactions, and a leadership style that kept landmen with him for decades. Brent sits down with Kenneth for a Legacy Series conversation on what longevity in land actually requires. They cover surviving downturns, building team cultures where servant leadership is lived, not just talked, the mentors who shaped him, what separates good landmen from great ones, and his honest take on what AI means for the next generation of land professionals. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:45 - Episode & Guest Intro03:10 - How Kenneth Became A Landman07:44 - Surviving Downturns And Longevity10:25 - Leadership Culture And Team Building17:13 - Big Lessons, Deals, and Mentors29:31 - The Mentors Behind Kenneth Knott38:19 - What Makes A Great Landman49:06 - Retirement Reflections And Next Gen Memorable Quotes "Our goal is not to make you one of the best landmen. Our goal is to make you one of the best oil and gas professionals." — Kenneth Key Takeaways Servant leadership has to be lived, not just talked. Talking about servant values doesn't move the needle. Build the culture by aligning every hire on values, treating mistakes as lessons, and making the person next to you better every day.Control what you can, accept what you can't, and keep grinding. Surviving downturns in land work isn't about predicting cycles. It's about your work ethic, your willingness to do what others won't, and your focus on what's actually in your hands.Hire for values first, skills second. SM Energy's culture didn't happen by accident. Recruiting was deliberate about finding people who shared the values, because alignment is what lets you have hard conversations when things get rough.Aim to build great oil and gas professionals, not just great landmen. The best landmen understand the breadth of the business. Get curious in engineering, accounting, and marketing meetings. Over the long run, that's what separates the great from the merely competent.Internal networking beats external networking for deal-making. Knowing who to call inside your own company turns regular deals into great ones. The dumb question to a counterpart in another department is often the difference between a clean close and a problem nobody saw coming.AI is a force multiplier, but it can't replace technical foundation. The next generation of landmen has speed, curiosity, and access to tools landmen never had. The risk is taking AI output at face value without the technical baseline to QC it. About Our Guest Kenneth Knott is a 39-year veteran of the oil and gas land business and the recently retired Vice President of Land and Business Development at SM Energy, where he spent more than 25 years. He started his career at ARCO and Vastar before joining SM Energy (formerly St. Mary Land & Exploration), and oversaw billions in transactions, including SM's repositioning out of the Rockies and into the Permian Basin with the QStar, Rock Oil, and Laredo acquisitions. Known industry-wide as "KK," he built a reputation for cultivating long-tenured land teams through a servant-leadership culture rooted in Louisiana grit and decades of field experience. Help us improve our podcast! Share your thoughts in our quick survey. Resources PBLA (Permian Basin Landmen's Association)Texas Tech University Energy Commerce ProgramNeed Help With A Project? Meet With DudleyNeed Help with Staffing? Connect with Dudley StaffingStreamline Your Title Process with Dudley Select TitleWatch On YouTubeFollow Dudley Land Co. On LinkedInHave Questions? Email us More From Our Guest Kenneth Knott on LinkedIn More from Our Hosts Brent on LinkedInKhalil on LinkedIn
