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When you ask athletes to describe what made their coaches special, they typically answer with colorful anecdotes that express strong leadership skills. I had the good fortune to swim for one of the greatest coaches of all time. Doc Counsilman coached two Olympic teams and won six consecutive NCAA titles and 20 consecutive Big Ten championships. While I learned a lot about swimming, it was his leadership that made an indelible mark on me. Coaches who are great leaders develop great teams. The same is true in business. Strong leaders build dynamic, innovative organizations.
Hopefully your agency has experienced great leadership. Not the kind of leadership that retreats during a financial crisis and focuses solely on survival, but the kind that casts a vision and determines a strategy to grow despite tough conditions. These are the agencies that continue to be proactive, maintain a customer-centric culture, find opportunities and maximize them.
Now that there are signs of the economy improving and the insurance market hardening, more agencies that were resisting the urge to forge ahead are making their move. Oak Street continues to lend money to agencies like these, working to position their companies for long-term success. Our lending capacity, experienced staff and servicing platform continue to be strong to help insurance agencies reach their goals.
This edition features information on leading an agency to growth. For owners who are pursuing a vision for their business, we hope you find resources to help execute your strategies.