Advisory Leadership: Using the Seven Steps of Heart Culture to Create Lasting Success for Any Wealth Management Firm

Chapter 8 Implementing Heart Culture in Your Firm Get Started Today, Not Tomorrow

Ask people to describe a great business leader and chances are you will get a wide, varied list of attributes. Some will say that truly great leaders are also great listeners, or that they are diplomatic, considerate, and fair. Others will say that great leaders should be innovative, confident, and fearless. Nobody is wrong, really. The truth is great leaders can be any of these things, but what they should all have in common is heart. This is certainly not to say that there aren’t other forms of leadership that have been tremendously successful (if success is defined in terms of growth and finances) that would certainly not be characterized as caring about people—and while this is true, there are many more examples of successful companies where heart is at the core!

My approach to leadership has always been focused on cultivating a culture based on the most basic of human values. These values are seeded deep within us as we strive to do good, be better people, and find ways to live fulfilling personal and professional lives. Holding on to those values in the workplace helps cultivate a very centered and gratifying corporate culture. A culture that centers on what the heart wants first.

And what does the heart want? It’s simple, really. Happiness. People want to feel that they make a difference, that their efforts matter. As a leader, I want happy employees who come to work in a healthy, happy ...