I must admit the older I get, the more and more I have come to realize that there is so much more that I need to learn about appropriately and effectively managing an organization. Much of what I have learned about leadership is from great examples of leaders in my own life starting with my father and also from more business books than I care to admit. I did a quick search for business books on Amazon, and it came up with over 2 million plus titles which is a bit overwhelming. Every former CEO or college professor seems to think that they are a subject matter expert on the topic of being a successful leader. Honestly, in 44 years, I don't think I've truly figured it out but one thing I do know for certain there is no secret sauce. There is no silver bullet, and for the most part, the methods that are suggested in these books are so incredibly complicated like "50 Priorities of a Successful Leader" or "Twenty Five Steps to Build Your Leadership Career." As I have pored over these books, I can say that there is not a single one that I have felt entirely comfortable with so, I guess you could say that I've taken a few nuggets out of each one. And together we have developed the part of our culture that I would call the NISC Leadership Model. For starters, our model is not very complicated. In fact, I would call it rather simplistic. But as we all know, simple is not necessarily easy. From my perspective, your effectiveness as a leader or a potential leader is all about Relationships. Let me say that again your effectiveness as a leader or a potential leader is all about relationships. You show me a strong and effective leader, and I will show you an individual that has slowly, methodically, built credibility, trust, and in the process a strong, diverse, and cohesive network of co-workers, business associates, contacts in the community. As well as a strong and dependable group of friends that have been tested over time. I have read that your relationships both personal and professional are one of the most important contributors not only to your success in the workplace and at home, but relationships are a major contributor to your longevity or lack thereof. There is a personal example that comes to mind that emphasizes this important point. My mother is 87 years old and struggled for years with a multitude of medical challenges. Our conversations were dominated by her tales of aches and pains and medical concerns. Then most unexpectedly into her life came in a 94-year-old man who befriended her. They made popcorn, and they watched movies almost every night. They debated politics and often ventured on public transportation to eat at their favorite places. This relationship was life changing from my mom. Her demeanor took a 180-degree turn. Now she was optimistic and cheerful. Gone were her medical concerns. She was now an absolute joy to be around, and the depressing conversations of her medical modalities had gone away. What changed? Simply put, her relationships changed. From a personal perspective one of the most effective leaders that I have known, someone I'm fortunate to not only call a friend but also has been an instrumental mentor in my life, has a Rolodex to die for. That's right; I guess we don't use Rolodexes anymore. But you know what I mean. He is so connected and respected not only in our community but also in the industries we serve. He has made a concerted effort to build relationships and build his reputation, and he has accomplished that amazing feat not by some magic formula or top-selling business book but rather as they used to say at Smith Barney "we make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it". His reputation his credibility and his generosity have been established over decades of consistent, good, selfless work. He has earned his reputation. Sometimes when I'm talking with a negative, self-absorbed individual, it feels as if the energy is just being sucked out of me. I found it very uncomfortable, and I owned the fact that many times I find myself avoiding this type of individual. So put strong, positive relationships at the top of my list as a key ingredient necessary for a successful life and effective career in management. Now I am far from a social butterfly. I'm an introvert. So relationships do not come easy for me, but I will tell you I have learned that the very best relationships I have are built on trust. So what is trust? Well, I believe it is a willingness to be vulnerable and to take risks. Let me tell you a story many years ago a group of NYSE employees and myself loaded a chartered King Air 200 with equipment and we headed to Holyoke Colorado for a software demonstration at a prospective member site. Our pilot, I didn't know him, but I did know of him. He was a former World War II pilot. Tinted glasses, a pocket protector, a rather odd looking dude but yet we were trusting our lives to this relatively unknown pilot basically because of his proven ability and his reputation. After a successful couple days of demonstrations. We loaded the plane once again to head home. It was a hot August afternoon, and as we charged down the runway, we were about 150 feet off the ground when the left engine came to an abrupt stop. The next couple of minutes were a bit of a blur, but at the end of a rather rough ride, we found ourselves still all alive sitting in the middle of a cornfield in a plane that had been destroyed. It was later determined that the skill of this seasoned pilot, in a very difficult situation, had most probably saved our lives. And it was his reputation that caused us to trust him. So it boils down to this. To trust someone and begin building a relationship there need to be three things. First ability. A track record of accomplishments. For our pilot, it was years of flying for the military and the private sector. For you, it may be becoming a subject matter, recognized expert here at NISC in a particular area. The second is benevolence a selfless kindness which brings to mind an Abe Lincoln quote in which he said: "to ease another's heartache, is to forget one's own." The people I trust most in my life are those who are willing to give of themselves. The selfless ones. Here at NISC our benevolence committee and the involvement of our employees in the community, as well as the way our employees support each other, stand up for each other, take care of each other in need, is an example of benevolence. An example of the people that I trust. And the final is integrity. An individual with a solid, consistent set of values. Someone I can relate to and share a common view of life and our responsibilities here at NISC and our dedication to faith and family and our community. So success in our personal and professional lives, I have come to understand, is based on relationships. We build those relationships with trust, and we establish trust by aligning ourselves with individuals that have proven ability, a sense of benevolence, and finally integrity. That very simply is what I have learned about leadership and continue to learn in my career. I appreciate you, Vern
