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you can’t teach. You have it or you don’t.
has ties in Kimble County and hopeful- Any final thoughts you’d like to
Part of being a leader is being able to ly wants to be there. And the regulatory share to inspire these folks?
see where you want to take the organi- burden—when you drill it down to the Rooke – People get caught up in titles.
zation but also being able to see where limited staff that I have—it’s hard to keep Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. It’s not
you don’t want to take it. That fourth up. It’s a challenge every day. about who you are or a title or anything
trait—attitude—that’s part of the vision Hickman – Every issue you have comes like that. We’re all equals—whether it’s
of making things happen. Your attitude down to leadership. If you’ve got a depart- the teller or the janitor or me—we’re
will be adopted by the entire organiza- ment that’s dysfunctional, if you’ve got a all in this together. And there’s not one
tion. You as a leader must come in with branch that’s not working right, get rid of person within the institution who is any
the attitude that says, “We’re going to the leader and you’ll fix the problem. The better than any other person, no matter
kick ‘em today. Let’s go!”
biggest challenge we as bankers have: we what their title is.
Hulsey – I think we make vision a lot are running our banks for the regulators. Tidwell – I think for anyone wanting
more complicated than it really is. Vision The overemphasis on compliance is nuts. to move up into the leadership ranks, try
is just common sense—about where That’s the biggest issue. Praying that the to find a mentor to learn from…some-
you’re going to go and what you’re going pendulum will swing and that we look body who does it right. And listen. There
to do. The real work is with alignment— at safety and soundness issues and not are so many good people to learn from.
is your organization aligned under where matters of social engineering. But you can’t wait for those mentors to
you want to take it? Your vision can be find you—you’ve got to find them. The
one thing, but you have to make sure you What’s the biggest mistake you’ve biggest single downfall, or the thing I
have that kind of alignment up and down ever made as a leader? think brings more leaders down than
the organization. Hickman – We got cocky and thought anything else, is arrogance and lack of
we could bring our data processing
What are the biggest challenges you in-house. That was probably a $3 million humility. When leaders think they know
face as a leader? mistake. Three years of working toward everything, and don’t admit when they’re
Hulsey – The critical component is not it and then looking up and the data pro- wrong, they don’t have that humility, it
will catch up with them.
to say, “Let’s manage this change so we cessing world has changed. So, the big-
can get back to the way we used to do it.” gest mistake: don’t bite off more than Hickman – You are put in your posi-
The way we used to do it is going away you can chew. We bit that one off and it tion to lead, whatever that position is.
and we’ve got to adapt. One of the most cost us a ton. You impact people’s lives every day…you
critical components of making that hap- Tidwell – I think the biggest mistake impact families. We have 70,000 cus-
pen is teamwork, and the ability of your I’ve made is when I haven’t followed my tomers, 700 employees, 800 stockhold-
team to respond to it. Everybody needs own three rules: people need to work ers, and I recognize that every decision I
to understand what their role is and how hard, do the right thing, and they can’t make impacts every one of those people.
to work together. be a jerk. But I hired some senior leaders I pray for wisdom every day and it scares
me to death.
Tidwell – I think the biggest single who did not live up to those standards,
challenge we face is finding and retain- and I should have known better when Hulsey – There is more opportunity
ing talent, because that’s what drives I hired them. Pat Hickman told me ten for you as a community banker to have
our success. It’s difficult to find people years ago when I first met him, “Be very a real impact into the communities you
with the right attitude. A lot of indus- slow to hire, and quick to fire.” But in the deal with than any other profession
tries are seen as more fun and dynamic. last ten years, on three occasions, I hav- out there. No one else can marshal the
Finding talent to ensure there’s a next en’t followed my own rule. resources of your community as you can.
group to lead our company is a real chal- Rooke – I have to admit that I’ve been It’s not a matter that we have money to
lenge—from the teller level up to the a total control freak. I had a hard time loan; that’s just a small piece of it. It’s the
CEO. I probably spend more time talking letting go, because in a small bank I’ve influence we have in the community…it’s
about human resource and human capi- done every process and had my hand in the ability to pull the community up by
tal issues than anything else. How do we every single thing there. I wrote the pol- its bootstraps and provide the leadership
find, improve, grow those people, and icy, I helped with the conversion, I did to say, “This is how we need to go.” I am
keep them? this, did that. I’m working on learning to optimistic about the path for community
Rooke – And then you get out in our delegate and trust others. banks. We’ve got some roadblocks: tech-
nology that we’ve got to embrace in a
area and Junction just isn’t a sexy place Hulsey – I made a bad hire, but that proper way, leadership issues we need to
to be. The younger generations want wasn’t the worst of my mistakes. My mis- work through, regulatory things, changes
the limelight…the hustle and bustle of a take was that I was egotistical enough to happening 90 miles an hour. But nobody
bigger town. Succession planning is a big think I could help that person become a can have the impact that you can have in
challenge. We try to grow from within better leader. And I caused a lot of prob- your communities and in your bank. 
because we need to find someone who lems by that mistake in our organization.
26 The Texas Independent Banker