GAMA Global - March 2023 Take-5 - The Self-Learning Leader

Make Friends with Change

By Gary Schwartz

I recently completed a hefty book on the history of China. In the book, an emperor was advising his son on how to prepare to rule. His advice was simple and powerful, “Make friends with change.” Most of us resist change or let it flow over us as it happens. We will be more e ective as leaders when we make friends with change.

My best practice as a self-learning leader is to lead into change. Look for change, embrace change, and be the catalyst for change. I saw a quote from Gandhi recently that captures this perfectly.

It says,

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Maybe easier said than done?

I think of the words we used when I started some 40 years ago. We had agents; now we have advisors. We referred to our business as an industry, like it was a factory. Now, we more appropriately refer to it as a profession. We thought in terms of FYC or first-year commission. Now, we think more about fees. Agents in the past built huge books of life insurance with recurring trails. They would retire on these trails. Now, trails are mostly something of the past. Recently I heard life insurance described as being “mutual funds with a free physical”– there is some truth in humor.

We would refer to product manufacturing as king, but then it moved on to distribution is king. Now, it is suggested that the new “king” is the client. We are all striving to provide the best client experience. Organizations sometimes get tripped up in thinking they own the client. I think we all know the client owns the client, and they get to pick their advisor. The client has always been the king. Some things don’t change.

I started my career in a life insurance home o ce, which was a great place to start. However, it will not be where my career ends. One oddity from those early years was that people in the next cubicle or o ce would smoke at their desks. This was a life insurance company, after all. Eventually, with much e ort, we went to a non-smoking environment. What are we doing today that will be considered ironic?

Today, I am a senior leader in what was once referred to as a general agency, now a firm. Two weeks ago, our life insurance company broker/dealer and RIA were sold to a large independent B/D, RIA. Our firm, in one way or another, has been a liated with this life insurance organization since 1908. In total, 1,000 advisors are checking out the new home. It will likely be better for the advisors and our clients once we are through this significant change. Again, I have learned to lean into change, accept the certainty of uncertainty, and keep moving.

At LAMP 2023, I will be moderating a breakout session under the heading “Where Have We Come From? Where Are We Today? Where Will We Be Tomorrow? " . Our panel will be a mix of field leaders, academics, veterans from the profession, and early career talent.

Let’s work together to make friends with change and be the change.

IGNITE Your Self-Learning Leader

How intentional are you about what you are learning?

We are living in a world of rapid and constant change. This requires an up level in our individual and collective leadership. Self-learning leaders understand there’s always a “next level” and that regardless of “title,” they strive to LEAD in all areas of life. Leading yourself and others in today’s chaotic and noisy world demands new leadership skill sets.

Master leaders are constantly learning, expanding, and growing.

By Tina Paulus-Krause

Self-learning is self-development.

Self-learning leaders are intentional about growth and continuously ask for feedback on how they are doing so they can pivot and move on.

Here’s a three-step repeatable process on how to ignite a self-learning leadership plan:

ASSESS

Journal around the following questions and then ask five people for the same feedback:

What’s working in my leadership?

What’s not working in my leadership?

What’s in the gap?

CREATE

From this feedback:

Get clear on YOUR vision (strategy/goal) and what you desire to create. Document what is needed and create a step-by-step plan to implement.

Get into committed action and GO!

FOLLOW-UP

Create accountability and follow up each week to check in on the following:

What’s working?

What’s not working?

What support is needed?

Master leaders are intentional self-learners. This continuous improvement is critical for Teams That Thrive as it opens up space for the team to grow individually and collectively.

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Owning Your Personal Development

You are responsible for your own professional development. I am, you are, and we all are. If you look at the most successful people in our profession (and in the world), you’ll see that they take control of their own paths and seek out growth opportunities.

A mentor told me over 20 years ago, “Five years from now, your life will be the same except for the people you meet and the books you read.” No truer words have ever been spoken, and it has played out in my life since he gave me that coaching.

By Michelle Hubert

I will share three beliefs that have supported my personal and professional growth throughout my career. They are simple but powerful.

Continuously Expand Your Circle

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Are you spending time with people pushing you to get outside your comfort zone and be the best version of yourself? Find opportunities to put yourself in a room with people who are at a higher level of success than you are. It can be intimidating, but that little twinge of anxiety that you feel can be energizing. The relationships you build by expanding your circle outside of your comfort zone will enrich your life in ways you never imagined.

Pay Attention to What Influences You

What content are you consuming? Whether it is books, podcasts, articles, videos, or even TV, is what you consume making you a better human being, family member, or leader for your organization? There is nothing wrong with using any of these purely for entertainment, but be careful what you allow into your life. It’s influencing you whether you recognize it or not.

Prioritize Your Personal Development Plan

Does your calendar reflect your commitment to growth? Show me your calendar, and I’ll tell you what is important to you. Ensure you have opportunities scheduled on your calendar for personal and professional development. We need regular doses of energy, motivation, and inspiration in addition to specific growth opportunities. I mark two cornerstones in my calendar every year and find additional opportunities to build around them. They are:

LAMP Global Leadership Summit

If you’re not registered for LAMP, get registered today! It is the best opportunity to drive your professional development for 2023. And while you’re there, come visit me at my “Serve First” breakout session. We’ll discuss how serving your team starts with serving and leading yourself well. We can’t help our team be the best version of themselves if we don’t invest in becoming the best version of ourselves!

Level Up Through Learning

Being a self-learning leader is essential in today's fast-paced business world, where new technologies, market trends, and customer expectations can quickly change. It is crucial to be self-motivated and committed to continuously learning and growing. These values prioritize your impact when leading others.

By Sina Azari

Here are four best practices I continue to apply:

Set Specific Learning Goals

As a self-learning leader, you need to set specific goals for what you want to learn and achieve. Start by identifying areas where you need to improve, whether it's communication skills, strategic thinking, or emotional intelligence. Then, create a learning plan that outlines how you will achieve your goals, including the resources you need, such as books, courses, or mentorship.

Practice Reflective Learning

Reflective learning involves evaluating your experiences, identifying what you learned, and applying those lessons to future situations. As a self-learning leader, you should make reflection a regular part of your learning process. Take time to think critically about your experiences, document your thoughts in a journal, and seek feedback from others to gain di erent perspectives.

Develop a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset believes you can develop your abilities and intelligence through dedication and hard work. It is crucial to cultivate this mindset as a self-learning leader, as it will enable you to embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, and learn from failures. Practice reframing setbacks as opportunities for growth, and seek feedback from others to identify areas for improvement.

Seek Out Diverse Perspectives

To become a better self-learning leader, exposing yourself to diverse perspectives and experiences is essential. This can include reading books by authors from di erent backgrounds, attending conferences or events with diverse speakers, or seeking out mentorship from people with di erent skill sets or perspectives. By broadening your horizons, you will gain a deeper understanding of the world and be better equipped to lead diverse teams and navigate complex challenges.

By adopting these strategies and committing to continuous learning and improvement, you will not only become a better self-learning leader and achieve greater success in your personal and professional journey but also increase your e ectiveness in creating more leaders.

To learn more, be sure to attend my LAMP 2023 breakout session, "Raise The Bar By Holding The Rope". Attendees will walk away with a plan that addresses the systems, engagement strategies, and accountability you need for a winning culture where everyone can identity and execute to their greatest potential.

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Leadership Development Lessons From Around the Globe

In 1993, I sat in the audience at my first GAMA Global conference as an attendee. Thirty years later, I am honored to be a breakout speaker at LAMP USA 2023. The priceless lessons on leadership I have learned throughout my journey with GAMA have shaped my career in the insurance and financial services industry. There were times over the last thirty years when I thought about leaving the industry. GAMA came to my rescue every time and showed me the value of being a leader in this field.

Now, GAMA has given me an opportunity to tell my story and the lessons I learned to thousands of fellow managers. During my LAMP USA 2023 session, I will share three key lessons I have learned during my management journey and my experiences with GAMA.

By Aamir Chalisa

First, I will tell you how I developed a sincere passion for my profession. I always say that I didn’t choose this profession; the profession chose me. I truly believe that those of us who get to do this every day are fortunate that we were chosen to help our clients become financially secure. We are responsible for elevating our profession and garnering respect. Hearing about the disparity in financial services available globally reminds me of how important this work is and makes me proud of my role. This passion makes recruiting easier. People want to work where they feel excited about what they’re doing and feel their work truly matters.

Next, I’ll explain how implementing these best practices allows me to support my top producers. When I talk to other managers at GAMA, I realize that we all face similar issues and failures. Putting our diverse experiences together helps us develop the best solutions for success. Through these conversations, I have learned new ways to incentivize my agents to both become top producers and maintain that standard. Recruiting agents and motivating them to become top producers builds a legacy of strong leadership and ensures continuing success.

Finally, I’ll end by sharing how connecting globally has helped me develop personally. We, as managers, need to treat self-development as a priority because that is how we innovate and build a sustainable business. Our industry can be highly challenging but also very rewarding. Continuing to learn about it has made me a better leader and person. For me, that is the most important part of my job.

This profession is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle, and I would not give it up for anything. I look forward to sharing more lessons about passion, recruiting, and networking with you, but most of all, I look forward to connecting and making new friends, so make sure you have plans to attend LAMP USA in Las Vegas from April 30th – May 2nd, 2023. This will be my 28th LAMP, so I can say with great authority that it only gets better every year—looking forward to seeing you all there!

I invite you to join my LAMP 2023 breakout session, "Leadership Development Lessons from Around the Globe". By attending, you will learn how to tap into your passion for the profession to bolster recruiting, give the right support to your top producers for sustainable success, and connect globally to find the best ideas for your own development.