03.01.22
Success as a Leader
by: Arthur Osman, Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting
With the pressure and expectations that come with it, leadership positions can be intimidating. However, it is also a rewarding experience that can lead to great success for you, your team and organization. We spoke with Arthur Osman, previous executive vice president of institution services at LPL and a former BISA board member, and asked him to share his experiences of being a leader.
1) You served as Executive Vice President of Institution Services at LPL and as a BISA Board of Directors member. What would you consider to be the most rewarding experience in both positions?
Several things come to mind, though, my most rewarding experience was not a single event or outcome. It was (and is) always about making a difference and having an impact on people and on businesses. It ranged from positively impacting the results of a client institution, helping a business leader successfully develop a business case or execute on a business plan or working with my teams to develop tools, new capabilities and resources that were used and valued by hundreds of financial institutions. Those are all experiences that were rewarding, mostly because of the difference we made.
The common experience in both roles was the opportunity to serve. At LPL, it was a career of service and support of clients to reach their fullest potential. While serving on the BISA board of directors, the service was more about contributing to the bank financial advice community. More specifically, I always believed and still believe that BISA has a wonderful opportunity to continue adding value to our community and finding ways to expand that value, to expand its membership and continue making a positive impact. Both roles created experiences I will forever hold dear and cherish.
2) What advice do you have for new leaders who are starting their first leadership position?
This question makes me think about the ways of thinking and the ways of working that were the keys to success. For me, I was raised professionally believing that success was going to occur by outworking and outthinking your competition and achieving excellence through high standards and expectations was always important. The way in which that showed up for me was to always focus on preparation.
There is a famous quote I love that was a bit of a rallying cry for me and my team, “Chance favors the prepared.” Preparing for a conference presentation, preparing for a client meeting, preparing for a strategy meeting, whatever it is- preparation is key. If you put the time in to be fully prepared and set high standards and expectations, you’ve most likely outworked and outthought your competition, which always improves your chances of meeting and exceeding expectations.
3) After years in a leadership position, you decided to pursue consulting with Kehrer Bielan. Why did you make this move from a leadership role to a consulting role, and what do you hope to accomplish?
For 24 years at LPL, the mission was always the same – working to help financial institutions reach their fullest potential. A large part of my team’s role was to facilitate business consulting with institution executives and sales leaders. As is the case with many leaders and companies, the more success your business has and grows, the further away you get from the work that you were most passionate about, which for me has always been consulting with institutions.
With Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting, I couldn’t be more excited about having the ability to focus 100% on this important consulting work to continue making a difference and an impact on financial institutions and executives. The work I am doing also goes beyond consulting. We’ve been engaged to manage specific projects and see an opportunity to bring a coaching value proposition to business leaders. I still see myself in a leadership role, but instead of leading a team, I will be leading financial institutions and executives through insights, research and coaching.
4) The pressure of leadership can get quite overwhelming at times. What advice do you have for leaders in the industry in reassuring their teams and ensuring that plans pan out?
I can relate! As leaders, we should always recognize that the pressure we feel as a leader is a privilege. The role of a leader and the opportunity it affords you to serve your teams and clients to make an impact is humbling. It is so important to never lose sight of that responsibility, and during periods where plans come into question, it is time to double down on the time you spend with your teams.
Additionally, recognize that your employees and teams are your most important asset. The more you invest in them, the better they will perform and work through the challenges and tough stretches. I learned to put equal value in seeking and applying feedback from employees, the way most organizations do with their clients. The trust, loyalty and respect you earn with this approach will help build up equity and credibility as a leader with your teams when you need it most – in trying times. Lastly, when times are tough, focus on your teams. Investing in their preparation, addressing their concerns and reinforcing their successes and positives are essential in challenging times. Continuously reinforcing the vision, the mission and the plan will help maintain focus and effect.