Leadership: Proving You Can Do Well by Doing Good
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Photo credit: craig neal
The TLGS were founded with the belief that business and organizations are the conduit and delivery system through which a global renaissance is occurring. Our Friday, February 2 TLG with David Reiling, CEO, Sunrise Banks, exemplified this belief. University Bank’s mission is to be “The Leader in Improving Our Urban Community.” Global change starts locally.
Besides offering a bridge and hand extended to the community, mentoring and leading by example seem to have been core themes throughout David's journey to where he is now. A further ah-ha! came with on-the-ground-learning and empathy: “I soon found out that my job had nothing to do with banking, and everything to do with caring for my customers.”
In his role as CEO, his greatest challenge is to standardize the culture of respect fostered at University Bank. “Getting the staff involved in the community is key. It’s amazing to see the fears and misunderstandings melt away. Before you know it, we’re not looking at the differences between us but how we can help each other.”
Using the organization as the fostering organism, it's a "pay-it-forward" philosophy that creates a loop of generativity for the organization that is good for the individual and community.
