“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” - Mark Twain

About six years ago, I connected with Gibson’s CEO, Tim Leman, after hearing him speak on a leadership podcast. Being somewhat new to the insurance industry at the time and limited in perspective, I was curious about a number of things that he shared so figured an outreach couldn’t hurt. He said ‘yes,’ which would eventually lead to a series of conversations and several months later, I joined Gibson.

Little did I know at the time that Tim had published a book, written years before, that would lay out a vision for Gibson to have a Michigan office. In our conversations, Tim laid out a vision of what my career could look like and the incredible opportunity we could pursue together. I recognized a gap in what the local market needed relative to proactive risk management, and through some due diligence with the operational leaders, I felt Gibson’s approach would resonate.

Season 4 of The Edge Podcast continues! Host Tim Leman talks with 6 leaders – from a variety of industries and experiences – to share real stories of leadership, teams, and finding your edge.  

Throwback Thursday: How do you move away from "The Doctor Is In" approach to a healthier and more productive workplace? The difference lies in a simple question. Give this throwback blog from 2018 a read for a great reminder and change in perspective. 

Like the Peanuts cartoon depicts, organizations often have someone operating a complaint department. Most visitors are well-intentioned in their session with the company “therapist.” They’re seeking coaching or advice on a challenging issue and plan to act upon it. Unfortunately, what they often get back is the equivalent of Lucy’s “Eat a jelly-bread sandwich” guidance to Charlie Brown.

Alternatively, they may just be looking to release some pent-up frustration. They’re looking for “a sympathetic ear, and the promise of keeping things ‘between us.’ In many organizations, these therapists seem to serve a valuable purpose – or at least do no real harm,” writes author, speaker, and business leader Mike Paton.

But is that really the case? Does this habit of “complaint departments” really cause no harm?

“It is interesting how life comes around in a circle - what’s happened to you in your early years plays a part in your later years." - Ruth Leman

This very special episode features Ruth Leman, host Tim Leman’s mom.Hear Tim and his mom discussher childhood in Latin America, her passion for teaching, as well as the joys and challenges of raising Tim. Tune in for some fun stories of Tim’s early years and characteristics his mom still sees present in his life today.  

How is Gibson handling remote work? Are you letting your employees work from home? How are you going to get employees back in the office full-time?  

I still frequently hear these questions in meetings. The reality is Gibson will forever have some kind of workplace flexibility, and if handled properly, it can be a great way to help address the ever-changing needs of our workforce.  

Often, I am told by teammates that working from home allows them to be more productive, work harder, stay focused longer, or get more work done in a day. My response to this is usually: "Well, that's great, but what are you giving up by not being in the office?" 

There Was No Class

I was in the middle of my first semester of an MBA program, deep in Accounting and Finance assignments, when I got troubling news about my pregnancy with Mercy Joan: something was very wrong. Luke and I would spend the next 20 weeks hoping and praying, meeting with everyone from neurosurgeons to hospice providers.

According to Tom Peters, lunch is sacred. As he sees it, throughout the year we have “225 golden-never-to-be-repeated opportunities” to meet new people, learn new things, and build and nurture relationships inside and outside our organizations.

Okay, I like lunch as much as the next person. I fill my shared lunch hours with friends and colleagues whenever I can. But I’ve never thought of it as sacred. What gives?

Saying YES gives you a path forward...instead of staying stuck.

I’ve had the pleasure of serving Oaklawn for over 35 years, and as CEO for the past 17. Oaklawn is the community mental health center for the Michiana region, providing behavioral health services to over 25,000 individuals every year. In my tenure, I’ve seen many changes, but perhaps none as transformational as in the last two years. To get here, it took our whole team saying YES to a new way of doing things.

My longtime colleague Brad Serf often says, “I’ve told myself I would never be the old guy unable to adapt, wary of change, and pessimistic about the outcome; who wants to be around that guy?” I share his aspiration.

But finding the right balance can be difficult. How can I be a voice of experience, yet not become “that guy”?

In the workplace, I find there is also the natural order of things. The younger generation is raring to go, they are ready for the older generation to get out of their way. Meanwhile, the older have finally found their stride, likely performing with the highest confidence and have no intention of getting out of the way. How do these reconcile? How can multiple generations function effectively in an organization? Not just that, but how can they be better together?

“If we say it, we can fix it. If we don't say it, it is never going to get fixed.”– Susan Dyer

Susan Dyer, Certified EOS® Implementer, and host Tim Leman dive into EOS and the edge it provides to entrepreneurs. From her years of leadership and coaching experience, Susan discusses the evolution of a leadership team and the common obstacles they encounter. She also talks about the importance of delegating, the power of listening, and why leaders need to make time for other passions outside of work.