WE NEED A HERO, NOW!

The past several months has tested everyone in this country. There is too much chaos and noise, irrespective of whether you are a conservative, liberal, moderate or what. Common sense is missing and, right now, whoever yells the loudest, thinks they are winning that day. I often believe that the softest voices matter the most. We need heroes and we need them now!

In search of some words on how community bankers can be heroes, we reread The Hero Effect, Being Your Best When It Matters the Most, a book written by Kevin Brown, Copyright August 2017, Keven Brown Enterprises, LLC/Apple Pancakes Publishing. I wrote about this in a Directors Compass in April 2020.

Mr. Brown was a keynote speaker at the ICBA Annual Conference in 2020, and his words on how to be a hero, primarily as it relates to our community bankers, are quite practical. Community banks touch many parts of our communities, inclusive of shareholders, officers, employees, directors, borrowers, depositors, regulators and vendors, who we have traditionally referred to as our “partners.”

As a time of uncertainty, this is a time where community banks need to step up, especially their leaders, and show strength and provide assurances to their partners that if we all act together and have the right frame of mind, we can get through these challenges, no matter how daunting they are. Community banks need to not just be leaders; they must be Heroes!

Over the years we’ve had the privilege of interviewing bankers and profiling community banks that we deemed “exceptional.” When you look at what these banks have been able to do and what their leaders have accomplished, we can also deem them heroes, because they’ve shown the way, made a difference, and always have had the tendency to make things better.

Mr. Brown states, “Heroes have this uncanny ability to show up larger than life. Larger than life means bigger than life’s problems, bigger than the storyline that life gave us, bigger than the challenges that our clients and employees are facing.” How true, and we need those heroes today. We need those heroes that can deal with short-term problems with a long-term focus. Heroes that act for all and not just a select few. Heroes that don’t overreact and look at things by trying to help others as compared to just themselves.

In The Hero Effect, Brown envisions a workplace where exceptional behavior takes precedence over the ordinary, where compelling vision aims to make life better for the whole community. Why not beyond the workplace to everywhere? This is a time where bank leaders need to think about and serve all partners, because creating a positive environment for all of the partners, inclusive of our employees and customers, creates a better environment for us all.

Brown describes in The Hero Effect his own take on heroism, when it transports the hero out of the realm of mythology into the ordinary world. His H.E.R.O. is an acronym for: helping (H), without strings attached, creating an exceptional (E) experience, taking responsibility (R) for the actions, and seeing the world through the lens of optimism (O). His heroes make life better, solve problems and move people from where they are somewhere new. Sounds like many of our exceptional bankers and also where boards and managements need to be focusing their attention. This is a time for leadership. This is a time for stepping up. This is a time for making a difference.

For those who do not want to do this, or do not have the courage or bravery to take the appropriate steps, we find that their banks will not be long-term survivors. Courage is doing things even when you are scared. Being brave isn’t something that happens when you aren’t scared anymore. Brave people don’t stop hearing the whispers of fear. They hear the whispers but act anyway!

We have seen many examples of bankers coming together to provide solutions to the challenges and issues that are facing all community banks. It’s only through working together and helping each other that we can show the right hero virtues and move beyond the significant challenges that face our banks, our communities and our world. This is not a time to be greedy. This is not a time to think “I." This is a time, basically, to think “we.”

The following are some thoughts regarding the four qualities of being a Hero:

1) Help. Heroes help people with no strings attached. What Brown sees in this quality ties to the concept of being servant leaders. For several years we have written on the importance of community banks being servant leaders. The top exceptional banks are those who serve others and see this as a great opportunity for our banking institutions to make a difference and help. They know what the extra mile, the extra bit of work means, especially for those who touch their bank.

A hero’s actions, basically, have no pretense, no conditions, no agreements, no contingencies. They truly are servants. We’ve seen many banks, over the last few weeks, really take an aggressive position regarding serving their communities, getting information out to their partners, and doing whatever is needed to help everyone get through the challenges.

2) Heroes create an Exceptional experience for the people they serve. Brown emphasizes that heroes who create an exceptional experience are not ordinary with the occasional burst of exceptional. They do it every single time. They believe if they are going to put their name on it, it’s going to be done on the level of excellence to which most people do not even aspire.

You see this on so many occasions about our community banks, as well as the top exceptional banks. When they get behind something, they want to be certain they are not doing it just 100%, but 110%. They are committed to making difference. Quality of service and exceptional experience is nonnegotiable. Community bankers are creating connections/relationships and not just transactions.

3) Heroes take Responsibility for their attitude, their actions, and results. Accountability is the key. Accountability is about self. What can we do to perform at a higher level? Whether it’s a Patrick Lencioni book, looking at the legacy of the All Blacks, being a servant leader, or staying out of the box, it starts with basic ownership and accountability. We must take ownership for our actions and how we behave. We must be held accountable to all.

At the same time, we also need to hold others accountable for their actions. The exceptional banking institutions who are truly heroes are those who make certain that everybody who is connected with their bank is held accountable. They take ownership of their own actions, and they are committed to making a difference. If there are individuals within your bank who are not willing to take responsibility, then frankly, why are they with your bank?

4) Heroes see life through the lens of Optimism. Brown emphasizes that optimism is different than positive thinking. People are afraid of the idea of being optimistic because they are afraid that they will be labeled as some type of positive-thinking freak. This isn’t what Brown focuses on. Brown believes an optimist encounters the same challenges, roadblocks, or obstacles and they face them head on. They don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. They acknowledge it as a problem. They require focus and attention to conquer. They also don’t let somebody else’s opinion or perspective become their own. They take ownership of their own opinions, understand what it takes to make a difference, are comfortable in their

own skin, and they truly believe they have the capacity to implement change. Why shouldn’t our community bankers believe this?

While there are some significant challenges facing our community banks as well as our world today, we know there are exceptional bankers out there, the true heroes who are grabbing a hold of these challenges, making a difference and leading us into a better world.

We need heroes now. Where are they? Well, for the most part, they are around you. They are your community bankers, directors, staff, various consultants and regulators. They can all be heroes. They can all make a difference. Why not take the challenge that all of us can be heroes together?

I encourage you to read The Hero Effect. Why not be a hero now? We Do Need It!

-Gary Steven Findley, Editor