Atlanta Business Chronicle in July named our list of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs of 2017. They were honored on Aug. 24 at a sold-out awards event at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. Here’s a Q&A with one of the honorees, Bill Linginfelter, area president of Regions Bank:
Q: You’ve been named one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs of 2017. Please share your thoughts about what other CEOs can do to win such great admiration from their stakeholders.
A: It is an honor and privilege to be named one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs and I am humbled by the recognition. As long as leaders consistently focus on the execution of their firm’s vision and mission, the final outcomes have a better than even chance of success. Also, if you don’t care who gets the credit, your wins may be bigger and better (I heard that from a very successful executive of long ago).
Q: What are the keys to CEOs building a high level of trust in their organizations?
A: Be transparent. Prevent useless silos and be proactive in building collaborative teams. While there may always be internal competition, my experience has been that people and teams who work together towards a goal(s) find it to be meaningful and rewarding. Particularly when they succeed.
Q: Please tell us what leadership and being a leader means to you.
A: The responsibilities of leadership are awesome and energizing. The most gratifying result of effective leadership is celebrating the development and successes of your associates because if they are truly successful, so too are our clients and communities. It has been a privilege to coach and sometimes mentor young people who have gone on to become leaders at Regions and other companies. Sharing what you know and helping others avoid pitfalls, you may have suffered, is a lot of fun especially when you get to see them experience an “aha” moment.
Q: Who is a favorite leader you admire, and why?
A: On a global scale, Ronald Reagan and on a more local level, Senator Johnny Isakson. Both were(are) such great communicators and both were(are) able to bridge people of very different beliefs and ideas. Within my own Company, starting at the top with our CEO, Grayson Hall, we have had tremendous leaders who successfully led us through the most difficult times since the Great Depression. As a result, Regions is the strongest we have ever been. Throughout my own career, I’ve had the benefit of 5-6 strong leaders and mentors who are a key to my own personal success.
Q: Please explain how you and your organization make tough decisions.
A: It is always challenging to make a tough call, but I think, in general our decisions must be resolved within the concept of shared value. In other words, is what we are doing best for our clients, our shareholders, our associates, and the communities we serve? That can be an extremely difficult balancing act, but you must stick to your core values and mission and do your utmost to achieve shared value.
Q: Please give some details about one of your top accomplishments of the past year that you are most proud of.
A: Both our Consumer and Commercial Banking Groups are experiencing solid growth this year and that follows a very successful 2016. I am particularly proud of the fact that our household growth is exceeding the general growth in population. We continue to support a number of significant non-profit organizations and have provided thousands of hours in financial literacy education in our communities this past year.
Q: How is your organization changing or adapting to prepare for the future?
A: The rapid pace of change in technology continues to impact the manner in which we communicate, offer and deliver financial products and services to our clients. Both businesses and consumers can take advantage of multiple delivery channels at Regions with choices that include face to face contact as well as interactions using a variety of electronic devices. We continuously invest in innovation and in associate development so that we excel in meeting our clients’ needs and expectations. Finally, we still strongly believe that providing quality service, for the people who bank with us, is a key component of our success regardless of how a client chooses to do business with us.
Q: What top piece of advice would you share with other CEOs?
A: Listen more than you talk.
Q: What one of the best books you’ve read recently, and why?
A: I read mostly for pleasure and enjoy John Grisham and Tom Clancy (and those authors who continue Clancy’s characters).
