Date Published:
May 20, 2026
Listen on:
TLD 061 - Legacy Series: What 39 Years in Land Looks Like with Kenneth Knott
Guests
Kenneth Knott
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 Intro
- 03:10 - How Kenneth Became A Landman
- 07:44 - Surviving Downturns And Longevity
- 10:25 - Leadership Culture And Team Building
- 17:13 - Big Lessons, Deals, and Mentors
- 29:31 - The Mentors Behind Kenneth Knott
- 38:19 - What Makes A Great Landman
- 49:06 - Retirement Reflections And Next Gen
Memorable Quotes
"It's not about me, it's about we. Make the person next to you better every day." — Kenneth
"Everybody talks about servant leadership, but servant leadership is one thing, you gotta truly live it." — Kenneth
"Any type of deal you're working on, it takes a village. It is not just one person." — Kenneth
"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
"Landmen live in that gray space, you have to live in between caution and pedal to the metal." — Brent
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
- Need Help With A Project? Meet With Dudley
- Need Help with Staffing? Connect with Dudley Staffing
- Streamline Your Title Process with Dudley Select Title
- Watch On YouTube
- Follow Dudley Land Co. On LinkedIn
- Have Questions? Email us
More From Our Guests
- Kenneth Knott, recently retired VP of Land and Business Development at SM Energy
- Connect with Kenneth on LinkedIn
More from Our Hosts
Connect With Us
Ready to protect your land projects with integrated legal and title support? Our Dudley Select Title division works seamlessly with experienced oil and gas counsel to keep your deals on track and defensible. Contact us to learn how our complete energy partnership approach includes the legal expertise that matters when stakes are high.
