Independent Banker - February 2024 - 34

PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS
you personally. Mix things up on a
regular basis with different projects
and events.
3. Remove distractions. Drive can
come to a screeching halt when
you are distracted. This doesn't
mean you completely ignore the
distractions. Instead, " park " them
until you can return to them at a
more suitable time.
4. Encourage a growth mindset
by taking on challenges. Set
a team challenge that's exciting,
achievable and engaging for
everyone, whether it's launching a
new product earlier than planned,
reaching a new account target,
holding a fundraiser for a favorite
local charity or even setting a team
fitness goal.
Developing drive
By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA
rive. It's a quality we all need and
a characteristic we look for when
hiring new employees, considering
who to promote and identifying
leaders within the bank. Yet, it's
often elusive.
Drive is the force that compels
us to achieve goals, a feeling that
goes beyond punching the clock or
working for a paycheck. It's easily
confused with motivation, but it
differs significantly. Motivation is
what ignites us. Drive is what propels
us forward.
How do you know if you have drive?
That's easy. You're not going through
the motions every day at work. You
see a desirable outcome and push
through to achieve it. You take on a
new challenge because it gives you
a sense of personal and professional
D
satisfaction, not because you've been
asked to do it or required to do it. It's
something that kicks in whether you
are being watched or not.
Is it possible to lose your drive?
Definitely. But it's also possible to
find it again. Here are a few ways
you can develop drive in yourself and
your team.
1. Understand what motivates
you. What gives you a sense of
purpose? What does success mean
to you? Ask these questions of
yourself regularly and ask your team
to do the same.
2. Understand your bank's
mission. What is meaningful to
the bank collectively? Keep that
vision front and center, exploring
ways to focus on it that are enriching
for the community, the team and
5. Build a culture that allows
everyone to take reasonable
risks. Fear of failure is one of
the biggest impediments to drive.
Remove the stigma of failure by
admitting to failings, learning
from them and being open to
constructive criticism.
6. Choose learning whenever
there is an opportunity. There
is always something new to learn,
for yourself and for everyone on
your team.
Many external factors-stress,
burnout, health issues and more-
can affect a person's drive. Don't
be discouraged. Stay inspired by
reflecting on times during your career
when you have achieved success,
and always remember to celebrate
the small wins as you work toward
your goals.
Lindsay LaNore (lindsay.lanore@
icba.org) is ICBA's senior
executive vice president and chief
learning and experience officer.
34 // ICBA Independent Banker // February 2024
Illustration by New concept & ideas/Adobe
Independent Banker - February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - February 2024
