David Norris began his banking career in 1981. For the next 25 years, he helped his bank grow from a two-location company with $20 million in total assets to a bank with 35 locations in 24 communities and nearly $3 billion in total assets. It is now the 18th largest bank in Texas.
David was also the team lead on nine different bank mergers and acquisitions. Afterwards, he decided that it was time for him to pursue a new goal. Now, he provides transformational leadership coaching and development as a solo entrepreneur.
Before making this transition, David spent a couple of years preparing himself and helping the company prepare for his transition. To prepare himself, he studied many of the top authors in the leadership space and even got some certifications. One of David’s core principles is that it’s not just experience that develops a leader but “evaluated experience” through applied action. This is where his one-on-one coaching comes in.
On Creating Your Encore Career, I got to talk with David about his insights on transformational leadership.
Transformational Leaders Find New Rooms
If you find yourself to be the smartest person in a room, you need a new room. David said that, though he doesn’t know if he was the smartest person in the “room” of his bank and despite all of his shared values with his colleagues there, there was something else calling him. When something else is calling you, you're supposed to answer it and go seek out another room.
This is part of the ongoing process of the ever-upward spiral of becoming. You will never find a room that will last you for the rest of your life. You always have to be looking for the next step forward so you can continue to grow.
Transformational Leaders Seek the Truth
Many people think that entrepreneurs are just looking for that next level of success. However, what they're really looking for is someone who will speak the truth to them. They're looking for feedback.
The best coaching clients want to know what they're doing wrong, what they're doing right, and what they need to be thinking about. Therefore, the best coaches create an “inner circle” with their clients that acts as an environment of accountability. They point out their clients’ blind spots and tell them what they can do to move themselves and their business forward. This is where real growth occurs.
Transformational Leaders Always Carry Two Books
Leaders should carry one book to read and one book to write in. In the book you have to write in, you should write everything down that comes up throughout the day: phone numbers you receive, appointments you schedule, projects you assign yourself, things that need to go in your calendar, etc. David calls this “the vaccine that can cure the pandemic of personal disorganization.”
Additionally, when you're waiting somewhere for a few minutes, your instinct is likely to start playing a game on your phone or perusing social media. If you carry a book around to read, you can pick that up and read it instead.
Implement some of these tactics today and you will be well on your way to becoming a transformational leader.
