Leadership Division: Building Exceptional Leaders Through Involvement

Survey:  U.S. Workers Spend $3,000 a Year on Coffee, Lunch
According to a Workonomix Survey from Accounting Principles, half of the American workforce spends more than $20 a week on coffee – about $1,000 a year.  Two-thirds of workers buy their lunch, spending an average $37 a week or nearly $2,000 per year.

Read more on the study from Portfolio.com.

Curtis Bull has been promoted to Senior Vice President at TIB-The Independent BankersBank, Dallas.  He has served TIB as Correspondent Relations Officer throughout the West Texas region since 2005.  Curtis earned a BBA degree in finance from Texas Tech University and currently serves on the advisory board of that university.

Joy Smith has been promoted to Senior Vice President at TIB-The Independent BankersBank, Dallas.  She joined the bank in 2001, currently serving as Correspondent Relations Officer for Houston and the Upper Gulf Coast region of Texas.  Joy earned a BBA degree in finance from Texas A&M University.  She is President of the freshman class, Class LIV, at the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU.

Michael Moores has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Citizens National Bank in Henderson.  He has more than 18 years of banking experience, joining Citizens National in 1993 as Assistant Controller.  Moores recently served as Senior Vice President and Central Region Manager and will continue managing the bank’s Central Region branches. Michael serves on the IBAT Leadership Division Board of Directors as Vice President.

Mason Vaughan has been promoted to executive vice president of The First National Bank of Eldorado.  He joined First National in 2003 as vice president after serving with the Texas Department of Banking.  He was named senior vice president in 2008 and elected to the board of directors in 2009.  Vaughan earned a BBA degree in 2001 from Angelo State University.

Happy Bancshares, Inc, Amarillo, has announced that Kerry Adair will be named President and CEO of Signature Bank following its planned acquisition of the bank in January 2012.  He currently serves as President of the Amarillo market for Happy State Bank.  The 28-year banker join Happy State in 2004.  He began his banking career with the First National Bank of Amarillo.  Kerry earned a BS degree from West Texas State University.  Larry Webb, current EVP of Happy State Bank, will complete the new Signature Bank management team in 2012.

Steve Bowen named President of the Happy State Bank's Amarillo market.  He has served with the bank for over six years, most recently as President of the Amarillo Soncy office.  Bowen is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a BBA degree in finance.

Joe Boaz promoted to EVP and Regional Sales Manager for the First Victoria National Bank Huntsville/New Waverly market.  He has 38 years of banking experience and holds an MBA degree from Sam Houston State University.

Tim Jones promoted to EVP and Regional Sales Manager for the First Victoria National Bank Brazos Valley/College Station/Bryan market.  He has 27 years of banking experience and holds a BS degree from Texas A&M University.

John Jordan promoted to EVP and Regional Sales Manager for the First Victoria National Bank The Woodlands/Magnolia market.  He has 35 years of banking experience and holds a BS degree from the University of Houston.

John Zacek, is the EVP and Regional Sales Manager for the First Victoria National Bank Victoria market.  He has 29 years of banking experience and holds a BS degree in agriculture economics from Texas A&M University.

Four Leader Habits

• Let go. Although you are ultimately responsible for what your team does, you can’t be involved in every action.  It’s OK for them to act and meet without you.  Provide training and guidelines for your team members to make decisions and act on their own.
• Wander around. The information you gather from informal conversations often will be more timely and accurate than what you receive through official reports.
• Send clear messages. Employees read not only your memos and emails but also your mood and your body language.  Be sure that your words and actions convey your intent to them.
• Network widely.  Build strong relationships with people you report to and throughout the organization.

Hang In There… Bad experiences can be stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.  It’s your choice.

Decca Records turned down a recording contract with The Beatles with this fascinating evaluation:  “We don’t like their sound.  Guitar groups are on their way out.”

A friend of mine in the music industry personally auditioned a singer by the name of Reg Dwight in the 1960s.  He unceremoniously shoved the singer out of his office for wasting his time.  That singer is now better known as Elton John.

--Source:  Andrew Lock, The Costco Connection, September 2011.