Recently I sat down with our new operations executive, Jerry Scott. He is working closely with our Commercial Risk Management team after many years on the “buyer” side of the equation. His background includes years of senior level work in operations, human resources, and leadership development.

As he began to debrief on his experiences and observations since coming on board, our discussion turned to Gibson’s leadership legacy including my personal leadership style and strategy. He talked about something called “Level 5 Leadership” – I vaguely remembered reading about it in Jim Collins’ book Good to Great a number of years ago.

“It’s summer, summer, summertime, time to sit back and unwind,” read the lyrics from Will Smith’s appropriately titled anthem “Summertime”. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love music. You’ll find a pretty eclectic mix on my iPod. I especially like music from the 80s and 90s and this one from 1991 always reminds me of my first full summer after getting my driver’s license.

It got me thinking about other songs and some key lyrics that so aptly tell a story, feeling or emotion. I thought I’d take Mr. Smith’s advice on this blog – it is summertime after all - to sit back and unwind. I’ve listed a few of my favorites below and what they mean to me. I’m betting you know many of them, but maybe not all.

Do me a favor and share your favorites also!

Teaming can be powerful when done right. Diverse strengths can be leveraged. Clients can be served better. And if all goes well one plus one can actually equal three.

We began to reorganize our producers into teams several years ago. In fact, we were recently featured in Rough Notes magazine specifically for our team selling model. We went as far as formally merging their books of business and even their compensation. The teams are responsible for attracting and developing additional production talent. By most accounts internally, this has gone really well. The blend of generational talent has unlocked a lot of potential and helped fuel strong growth for our organization.

Are today’s executives doing a good job at balancing their work and their personal lives?

Recently I connected with Bruce Gobdel and Tony Hutti to gain their perspective. After long and successful careers in management and public accounting, they are involved in mentoring leaders as part of the executive roundtable groups they facilitate.

It was the summer of 1999 and I was mulling over several fantastic job opportunities, thanks in large part to an assist from a great friend and mentor of mine, Jim Spuller. Jim had been in national sales leader roles throughout much of his career. With his help, I had enjoyed a very accelerated interviewing process and was zeroing in on one opportunity in Atlanta and another in Phoenix.

Maintaining Your Network

Having good mentors and a strong network can make or break you. But have you ever taken the time to consider whether or not you are a good mentee?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been disappointed on a number of occasions when someone I’m trying to help never follows up to let me know how things turned out. Or, they asked for my assistance, and I willingly gave it, only to find they never took advantage of what I did for them.

Recently I asked several executive coaches I know – Tony Hutti, Pat Frazier, and Bruce Gobdel – what traits they observed in the very best leaders. I was curious if the top executives shared some common qualities.

As I put this post together, I began to see it as a leadership check-up of sorts. It also became apparent to me that I need a little work done myself. As you read it, I challenge you to perform your own diagnostic check and commit to making the necessary repairs.

Key values can propel you or your organization to success. They span time, companies, and industry. Here are seven that have served me well.

Recently I connected with Tony Hutti, Bruce Gobdel, and Linda Stowell to get their thoughts on the next generation of leaders. After long and successful careers in management and public accounting, Tony and Bruce now facilitate executive roundtable groups. Many of their forum members are leading high growth organizations and are newer to the CEO role. Stowell was a turnaround consultant and came home to run her family business in LaPorte several years ago.

"You have a brand whether you like it or not", said my friend Larry Linne, co-author, along with Patrick Sitkins, of the new book Brand Damage: It's Personal.

"We live in a world today where you can't hide", he continued. "The way people think of you is being broadcast everyday. You can manage it or just let it happen."

Patrick and Larry have been working together for a number of years teaching classes and running seminars on branding. Larry will tell you they share a passion for this subject. "We've seen too many people at the extremes. Some do it really well and create an environment where people want to help them. The other extreme is some of the really stupid things people do to destroy their brand. The world doesn't think much of them and they usually don't even know it."

So what is a personal brand? "Simply put, it's what people think of you", said Patrick. Said another way, it's really just someone's "gut feel" about you.