Pub. 9 2019 Issue 4

9 ISSUE 4. 2019 to retrain or upskill your employees. In addition to technology skills, today’s leaders need to be emotionally intelligent and human-centric. Companies can have all the technology they need to compete, but without a thoughtful strat- egy that puts people first, they will fail. After all, financial institutions are run by people, for people. Even Artificial Intelligence (AI) can only take you so far without the human interac- tion of leaders with the skills of empathy, inno- vation, and engagement that create a top-down culture of people and customers first. An opportunity exists for you to develop and nurture your current employees through mento- ring, creating an in-house curriculum, or invest- ing in a learning management system (LMS) to provide courses in the soft skills so many future leaders lack, such as problem-solving, commu- nication and adaptability. 3. Determine the “Type” of Leader You Are Looking For Your strategic plan should focus on the right type of leadership to allow your institution to survive and thrive going forward. There are many styles of leadership, but the three that will be most valuable to you are the visionary, the transformer, and the change agent. The Visionary — The most in-demand right now is the leader who can bring vision and direction to your organization, particularly if you are operating in a market that requires a new approach to growth. This leader can inspire everyone in your organization to align with the mission, giving your organization a competitive advantage. The Transformer — The transformer is who you need when you are facing a major cri- sis, whether it be negative press, reputation management, or an ethical misstep. This leader is influential and excels in leading people and institutions that require inspiration to help guide them through times of uncertainty and will have the ability to align stakeholders to make hard but necessary decisions. Beyond this, the transformer leader can nurture loyal, high performers. The Change Agent — The only constant in life is change, but it can be difficult for people and organizations. This leader will drive the change your institution needs to compete. They revel in change and embrace resistance. The change agent will use their ability to motivate, inspire and mobilize your people to adapt to the change process. To quote one of the experts on leadership, John Maxwell, “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” Whether you employ one or all of these strategies, it is essential to have a long-term plan for how you will attract and retain the leader- ship talent that will ensure your institution’s success now and in the future. w Terry Saber, Saber Advisory Group, LLC, is nationally known for her facilitation skills as well as her all-inclusive, highly custom- ized, and organization-specific approach to strategic thinking, strategic planning, succession, board governance, and leadership development. With deep exper- tise and experience in financial institutions, Terry combines an extensive financial institution executive background with mul- tiple decades of consulting and insight in financial institutions and related businesses of all sizes. Her focus today is board governance, strategic planning, executive coaching, HR/OD and succession at all levels, including ownership, board and executive succession. Her passion is teaching and work- ing directly with clients. Terry currently coordinates leadership and management curriculum for the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Mad- ison (www.gsb.org ) and serves on the GSB Academic Curriculum Advisory Committee. She speaks and consults across the country and internationally.