Independent Banker - February 2020 - 28

PORTFOLIO
Disney Parks & Resorts, a major component of
eff ective leadership is not becoming separated
from the operations-and people-around you.
According to Bruce Jones, the Disney InstiLeadership
at All Levels
By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA
Leading
alongside
our teams
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I love being a community banker
Especially alongside you
t's the time of year when we celebrate the
relationships in our lives, and it's a great time
to build connections at home, within the community
or in the workplace. That doesn't mean
composing Shakespearean sonnets for your
coworkers, but it does mean showing up in a
meaningful way.
I
Lindsay LaNore
The key word in the poem above is " alongside. "
At the Disney Institute, which trains businesses
based on the insights and best practices of Walt
28 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q February 2020
(lindsay.lanore@
icba.org) is group
executive vice
president and
chief learning
and experience
off icer
tute's senior cast development and quality
assurance director, " We have learned that cast
members on the front line typically know the processes
and procedures for delivering the Disney
experience better than anyone else. So, in order
to help the organization to grow and succeed, we
listen intentionally to their feedback. "
It's a great concept. Professionals often say
that they love the " strategy part " of their jobs
best, brainstorming and thinking up ideas about
where their team or organizations should go or
what they should do next. But great leaders recognize
that strategy, while very important, is not
enough in itself. As an eff ective leader, you must
stay close enough to the front lines so that you
understand the business better than ever. This
means you can't be afraid-or too busy-to roll
up your sleeves and spend time in the trenches.
The best leaders work alongside their employees.
One practice that Disney recommends is
" leader walks, " where leaders get to know their
employees on a more intimate level by working
a shift with them-which, at Disney, can
sometimes mean wearing a costume. Luckily, at
community banks, you won't need to dress up as
Goofy very often, but there's a lot to learn from
the idea.
Working the front lines, or simply sitting and
observing them, is a chance to listen to what
employees and customers are really saying and
what their opinions are. It adds to your knowledge
of the organization and, at the same time,
builds trust.
There's another bonus: If you embody the values
you expect from your team, they are more
likely to buy into your big-picture strategies
down the line.
Today, our work environments are transforming
faster than ever before, and it's easy to lose
sight of your organization's infrastructure. We
often hear of situations where a team feels overwhelmed
and the customer is in jeopardy. As a
leader, staying close to the front lines can make
this less likely.
So, this month and every month, work on great
relationships. Poetry, however, is optional.
Independent Banker - February 2020

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