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STEP ONE - MAKE THE CALL

Describe your traits as a leader. people don’t meet those values, get to have a consistent set of values and Edith Snow
them out. Quickly. And you take care you stick with them. Values should not
Rooke – I strive to be a servant lead- 817-676-3316
er: trying to put others’ needs before of the people who do have the values. change. You take opportunities to rein-
my own and helping them grow, trying That’s the inspiration. When we’re work- force them. You just keep doing it. James Walsh
to always think of others and doing the ing and making things happen, that’s Hulsey – One of the areas we proba- 281-794-0065
right thing. I’m blessed to be able to see when we are at our best. If you create bly overlook the most is the impact and
all our employees every single morning, an environment where people are doing the importance of our mid-level manag- Celena Ivanitch
and I hope that’s what I portray—being a that and they’re getting value and they’re ers. They have a powerful influence on 512-787-2164
servant leader. working with great people, you’ve just what goes on in our organizations, so it’s
inspired them to come back the next day important to make sure they’re buying in
Hickman – You can’t fake character. and do it again. Richard Grimes
Your employees will see through that to your values. If you’ve got a supervisor 469-543-9337
so quickly. The hardest trait to find in a Rooke – One bad apple can spoil the who is not on the page with the shared
leader is someone who will be candid... whole bunch. And it’s hard in a small values, they’re going to affect a lot more
honest and forthright…tell you when you town—with 10 or 11 employees, if you than just a single individual.
mess up as well as telling you when you have a bad apple, it’s the bank’s repu- How do you communicate vision to
do a good job. People need to hear both. tation at stake. I tell the other officers your employees?
involved in our hiring process that the
Tidwell – There are three words I main thing to look at is a prospect’s atti- Tidwell – We communicate what our
would use: direct—appropriately direct, tude, their honesty. You can read some- purpose is, which is driven by our core
I hope; inclusive—I learned a long time body’s character. I don’t care how good values, and that helps us attain the vision
ago that I’m not the smartest guy in the someone is or how well-educated. If that we set. But we do reinforce that the
room, you need a lot of people to help there’s somebody with a better person- reason we’re here is to make sure we are
you; and then I’ll say it again—keep it ality and a better attitude, I’m going to managing and leading in the best way
simple. This is not a complicated busi- take that any day. possible as an institution to serve our
ness we’re in, we complicate it.
Tidwell – Whatever you say the core communities long-term. In everything
Hulsey – I think a lot of our young values are, the leaders better model we do as senior leaders in our organi-
people (which is where our hiring dilem- them. As soon as your employees see zation, we need to think about how it
ma seems to be) have a different mind- you going a different direction or in a impacts our 400 employees to ensure
set. They want to be challenged and way that is not consistent with the core they understand the purpose, which to
they want to know that they have more values, you’ve lost them. me is synonymous with vision. If we do
knowledge than they did six months ago. that, all these other changes, all these
The challenge for us as leaders is creat- Talking about core values, how things that are threatening our industry
ing an environment where they can learn do you communicate that in the and our livelihood, will be more manage-
and continue to grow, because the youth organization? able because we have a shared purpose
in our organizations are going to be our Hickman – We have a unique situa- in what we’re doing.
lifeblood. And we’ve got to find ways to tion in our company in that we have 20 Rooke – With our organization, every-
engage them so that they want to stay core values, and all of them are import- one knows what the vision is. Our bank
and work with us and grow and become ant. Every time we have a meeting we was chartered in 1935 when there wasn’t
the leaders they each potentially can be. emphasize one of those core values. a bank in Kimble County. Our sharehold-

To that end, what do you do to When you connect to the internet, one ers wanted to provide banking services
inspire creativity and ideas? of those core values is there. We’re con- for the people within the county, and do
stantly emphasizing those values. the very best that we can do. And to this
Hulsey – I think it’s a misnomer to talk day that’s still our vision and purpose. We
about inspiring somebody else. I think Rooke – As leaders, if we don’t try talk about where to go from here. Is it
you need to surround yourself with peo- to set the example and walk the walk, about growth? Do we want to consider
ple who share your values, so when you then we’ll lose them. Our employees see anything else? We’re a very healthy insti-
speak about what you’re going to try what I do every single day. They see how tution, but it always goes back to our
to accomplish, it resonates with them. I handle myself in situations that aren’t original purpose: being servants to our
Inspiration comes from the tying togeth- so good, or with irate customers or prob- community and to Kimble County.
er of where you want the organization lem employees. You must try to set that
to go that melds with their values, and example for everybody. When you’re Hickman – John Maxwell says leader-
when you get that, you get inspiration. talking to your employees, uphold what- ship comes down to four traits: charac-
ever you say and support them. ter, competence, vision and the ability to
Hickman – You establish the culture inspire other people toward that vision.
and the values you expect, and when Tidwell – It’s a constant effort. It’s Vision is the one trait in a leader that
not one thing; over the years you’ve got

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