Independent Banker - June 2023 - 5

FLOURISH
" Preparing for the future is not as
much about filling a particular job
description as it is about creating
a conscious path for our banks
and communities. "
Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
" O
ur success lies in the things
we don't have to do. "
Earlier this year, I attended the
Independent Bankers Association
of Texas (IBAT) EDGE event, and
when Hazem Ahmed, the chairman
of the IBAT Education Foundation,
uttered those words, I sat up and
took notice.
That's because as leaders, this
sentiment resonates as we consider
the future of our banks and our
communities. What are we doing
outside of our daily operations to
support the next generation? How
are we bringing our teams along
with us? In short, what are we doing
that we don't have to do to create
continuity and lasting success?
This concept really rears its
head when we consider succession
planning. As we think about who will
fill our shoes, we need to recognize
that preparing for the future is not
as much about filling a particular job
description as it is about creating
a conscious path for our banks
and communities. To paraphrase
immediate past chairman Brad
Bolton, we aren't just building
bank leaders, we're cultivating
community continuators.
That goes beyond running the
bank. So, when we look at staff
development, our focus cannot
be solely on that new role or title.
It needs to address how what
we're doing today will prepare
and grow them for the future.
It takes conscious planning and
preparation, extending further
than development plans to inspire
our teams to want to be the next
community continuators.
When I speak on this topic, I
often ask for a show of hands in
the room of how many people have
identified their successor. A fair
number of hands rise. Then I ask,
" Does that individual have any
clue what you're thinking? " The
chuckles I get from that follow-up
are fascinating. All too often, we've
decided this person could do the
job, but we're not telling them.
We have to have these
conversations and let people know
that they have great potential,
because our careers are journeys,
not destinations. While we can't
guarantee what the future holds, we
can share our vision and provide
that individual with a sense of
purpose and an inspiration for what
their role could become.
So, as you read and reflect on
leadership in this month's issue,
I encourage you to ask yourself
what more you could do to launch
the next generation of community
continuators. I'm betting you'll
come up with a few new ideas, and
chances are that these " unrequired "
actions are a key to your bank's
continued success
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey
Where I'll be this month
I'll be attending the annual meetings of the Wyoming
Bankers Association and the Florida Bankers Association
and sharing more about the importance of cultivating
community continuators.
independentbanker.org // 5
Photo by Chris Williams
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - June 2023
