Lessons Learned in Leadership

As the director of financial empowerment for a nearly $50 billion financial institution, it has been extremely important for me to keep our core values close to heart as we work to develop programs and initiatives to implement in our six-state footprint. Our core values – integrity, inclusion, excellence, collaboration, optimism and agility – are also meaningful leadership qualities that I make an effort to uphold every day.

What is leadership?

If you google the definition of leadership, you will most likely see “the action of leading a group of people or an organization.” While this definition is accurate, there is so much more that goes into being a good leader. As individuals move through different roles in their career, many new responsibilities come with that which can allow us to develop successful leadership skills. Looking back at those I have had the pleasure to work with in my over 20-year career with Old National, I have seen a variety of leadership qualities that stand out to me:

• Prioritize personal development – I think it’s imperative for one to always continue to improve their personal development and look to grow their skills, no matter how good we may think we are at them. Within our personal development, we must always focus on the ability to build relationships. As good as we think we are at certain things, we must face the fact that many of those around us can help us become better. The ability to form productive connections is a key quality of becoming a good leader.
   
• Focus on developing others – This one really rings true for me personally. Holding a position to lead a large bank’s financial education and empowerment programs, I used to feel that I had to reach as many people as I possibly could every year and it was my responsibility to do so in each of our markets. While it’s still important to reach as many people as I can, I now realize that it’s even more important to focus on empowering others that have the same passion and to drive personal financial success to those in the communities they serve. As we continue to grow and expand, it’s very important to leverage the knowledge and connections others have to make our organization be more successful from a scalability factor. The more that we work together, the more impact we can have, and our communities will be stronger because of it.
   
• Be ethical in every single decision you make – While there are always tempting tactics that could help us grow more quickly and easily, it’s imperative that we use ethics for each and every decision. As we educate clients, organizations and communities on how to be more financially successful, doing so the ethical way will always make you stronger in the long run. When educating about personal financial situations, having steady, consistent choices will almost always outperform those “get rich quick” strategies in the long run. Working for one of the world’s most ethical companies has instilled in me that we must always be ethical in every decision we make, always.
   
• Be mindful of cultures other than your own – Growing up in southern Indiana, I have been accustomed to our city’s culture, and as the bank has grown over the years I have been able to learn about the variety of cultures that our bank’s footprint has to offer. Being mindful of this variety has made me more open to understanding how different cultures look at personal finances, and how this variety can make someone look at different options for themselves and their families.
   
• Be open to change – This is important in so many areas of our lives. Many times we can get stuck in a set rhythm of how we operate in our everyday lives. Many of us look through the same lens we have grown up with. Most days, I feel I am still one of the “young ones,” but have realized as I have gotten older that there are always new ways to look at situations. In my role of leading financial education and empowerment, it’s important to know how to reach our audiences. Not everyone these days will go to their bank for financial advice or want to sit in a classroom style presentation. Many go to their favorite social media platforms, friends, family or other sources to get their education. While I may not always agree that some of these are the best places to go for advice, it’s important to be open to changing the way we do things at the bank so that we can properly reach our audiences on the platform that is best for them.

I’m sure there are many other qualities that could be added to this list, and it’s important to always continue to grow our leadership skills and allow others to help us become better. Doing so will not only help us as individuals become more successful, but will also allow our communities and future generations to do so as well.

This Month's Guest Writer

Ben Joergens
Director of Financial Empowerment, Vice President
Old National Bank