Corporate Strategic Leadership’s CEOzine is intended to inspire all of us in the C-suite to challenge ourselves, our colleagues and associates to be the very best we can be. As John Maxwell said, “Leadership is being dissatisfied with the current reality and having the passion to make a difference.” We encourage you to forward this to others who you believe would benefit from reading it, as well as suggest CEOs whom you would like to see featured. Let us know what you think!
PETER DESILVA
UMB BANK
Interview with Peter deSilva, President and Chief Operating Officer of UMB Bank.
- As President and COO of UMB Bank, how would you describe your approach to leadership?
When I joined the bank in January of 2004, it was clear that the culture of the 97 year old financial institution was well established, and it was a culture of enduring success. UMB had a history of integrity, customer focus, excellent service, supported by the best people, and high standards of performance. To go to the next level, we had to contemporize the culture, not change it.
There were two main areas of focus. The first was updating the structure to be more reflective of how our clients wanted to be serviced. Secondly, we had to reframe how we were perceived in the marketplace. When I moved to Kansas City I heard comments like, “UMB is the bank that doesn’t make loans,” and even, “now that I have a relationship with UMB, I have arrived.” These were the working perceptions but not the reality we wanted to have. Although on the one hand, we were proud that we were perceived as a quality bank with a responsible approach, it was also an incorrect assumption if we were perceived that we only did business with a small segment of the population. Our culture has always been and always will be about quality and integrity. We just needed to freshen our approach to the marketplace.
MAXINE CLARK
BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP®
Interview with Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear Build-A-Bear Workshop®.
- Describe your growth “ride” since your inception in 1997, and what factors you most actively managed to achieve it?
The concept for Build-A-Bear Workshop® was born from the desire to reinvent retailing for the 21st century. The idea was the result of years of retail experience and a desire to bring the fun back to shopping- the way I remembered it when I was a child. The ‘light bulb’ went off for me when I was shopping with my friend Katie, who at the time was 10-years-old. It was during the height of the Beanie Baby craze and Katie was frustrated at not being able to find the one she wanted. Katie suggested making them. She meant to start a craft project, but I heard something else.
I envisioned a unique concept, highly scalable to 300-400 stores in the US and as many worldwide, which would provide the opportunity for kids to get truly involved and participate. Early in my career, Stanley Goodman, then CEO of the May Department Stores said, “Retailing is entertainment and the store is a stage and when the customer has fun they spend more money.” It was the goal to make the stores a fun place to go not only for kids but for their friends and family members.
JOE SCARLETT
SCARLETT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Interview with Joe Scarlett, Founder of Belmont University’s Scarlett Leadership Institute and retired CEO of Tractor Supply Company, a retail chain based in Nashville, TN.
- What created your passion for leadership?
When you work in retail and are in charge of multiple locations running 15 hour days, you have to work smart. It just made sense to find leaders who are great people and get the job done. Strong leadership was a necessity, not an option.
- How do you define leadership?
Leadership involves empathy, respect (which includes empowering, not micromanaging), recognizing people as individuals and team members, and celebrating performance. Those behaviors incent more great people to continue to raise the high bar, and you have a repeating cycle with increasingly higher payout. There is absolutely no room for ego in leadership. Eventually it will isolate you.
WILLIAM TAYLOR
FAST COMPANY MAGAZINE
Interview with Bill Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine and author of Mavericks at Work, Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win.
- What led you to the development of Fast Company magazine in 1994? What were you hoping the magazine would accomplish?
My partner, Alan Webber, and I felt that there was a point of view missing; not about where business was going, but where it could be going. We wanted to showcase business at its best, encouraging both entrepreneurs and executives to aim higher and think bigger. It was an opportunity for us to create a soapbox of sorts, get people to affiliate with the philosophy and start a movement to achieve a smarter approach to business. We chose to feature the top 5-10%—the best of the best—the businesses that were creating economic value by being true to their own unique set of truths. We hoped it would establish a bar for people to shoot for. The high road is the right road—we believe that value-driven businesses are successful businesses.
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- Describe your growth “ride” since your inception in 1997, and what factors you most actively managed to achieve it?
