This presentation was given at the Insurance Networking News Women in Leadership conference held in September 2011. It was designed to help women in leadership positions develop their own personal brand and to be comfortable with their unique differences from men in the workplace. It provides templates, tools and insights for women in leadership roles. Although specifically targeted for women in the insurance industry, most of the principles apply to women in any leadership role.
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FLRP Spotlight Mark Pizzi, President & COO, Nationwide Insurance Thank you to Mark Pizzi who agreed to be featured as our FLRP Bi-Weekly
Messenger Spotlight. The following summarizes the Q&A session with Mark on August 1, 2011. 1) What led you to a career in the insurance industry? I had actually planned on joining the military after college; however, was injured in basic training. My brother was working at Nationwide and so, with an injury inhibiting my plans, I applied and accepted a position as an underwriter. I’ve spent most of my career in the field and love that I still have the opportunity to lead people. 2) What characteristics distinguish a great leader? Leadership boils down to working with and through others. It’s all about the people. Great leaders are good at hiring competent people and creating an environment for the team to thrive. The best leaders are focused on developing their team and providing them with the right resources. I probably dedicate at least 40% of my time to people-related issues which includes everything from one-on-one development discussions to teaching to asking questions. In addition to focusing on the development of others, great leaders are able to clearly define their vision. Often times where you are going is somewhere the team has not been and thus, clearly articulating a goal-state and demonstrating your passion to achieve is crucial to success. Confidence is another important characteristic of great leaders. Leaders must make tough decisions and thus, a healthy amount of confidence is necessary for success. That said there is a difference between confidence and arrogance and the best leaders recognize that line.
3) What challenges do you face as the leader of such a diverse portfolio (e.g.: claims, NI, D&CS)? As you move up in an organization the biggest challenge is recognizing that what made you successful in your past role is likely not what will make you successful in your new role. Specifically, early in my career I had to be great at the tactical piece of insurance – underwriting. As I’ve taken on leadership roles throughout the organization; however, I’ve learned to back-away from the tactics, trust my team to do what they do best, and become more focused on leading the team. Great leaders also love to learn. Taking on a new role – whether lateral or upward – means taking on new challenges. It is important to continue learning about a new business, a new function, or how to effectively work with a new team. Ultimately, leading any team successfully is about trust. You need to trust your people and they need to trust you. 4) What do you believe characterizes a strong partnership between finance and its respective BU? I believe the best finance partners are those that work hard to understand the business – not just the finances of the business. In order for finance to understand the business, individuals should speak with underwriters, agents, CSRs etc. By understanding the nuances of the business, finance can not only conduct the heavy analytics but also help the business become more creative and successful problem solvers. Of course a successful partnership is a two-way street. The business needs to have respect for the staff office expertise whether finance, marketing, or human resources. 5) We hear a lot about expenses being one of NW’s greatest challenges. What do you see as our greatest opportunity? Simplicity. Nationwide is an eighty year old company made of up hundreds of past decisions, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and a deeply rooted culture. I believe the greatest opportunity is to strive to simplify across our organization.
Dress on the formal side
Posture
Vocabulary, Articulation
Confidence
Development of Pilot
Leadership Rotation
Team-building call
center visit
Spotlight Interviews
Expense strategy
Billing recommendations
Assignments outside
rotation
CFO / Finance
Leader
Technical
Leadership
Project
Leadership
People
Leadership
Executive success hinges on
three forms of leadership
EXERCISE
VALIDATING YOUR BRAND
1. Personal Mission Statement
2. Career Interests & Objectives
3. Personal SWOT Analysis
4. Assessments (Updated)
5. Development Plan
6. Elevator Speech
7. Networking Plan
8. Feedback
9. Personal Board of Directors
10. Social Media Strategy (NEW)
11. Communication Strategy (New)
Career Branding Toolkit
Why do you exist?
What do you value most?
What makes you happy?
What do you want your
legacy to be?
An Example
My purpose in life is to help my
family, friends and colleagues live
a fulfilling life and achieve their
ambitions.
I find I am most happy when I am
doing things for others; particularly
when I know that they need me.
I want to be known for fostering
the development of others by
encouraging personal
development and continued
education.
Personal Mission Statement
One – two minute speech that effectively introduces
you and answers the questions “Who are you and what
do you do?”
Include the most important three – four words that you
want to be sure that others experience when they
interact with you
Practice delivering your speech in front of a mirror
Create multiple versions for different audiences
Elevator Speech
Exponentially increase your weak ties and potentially
develop strong ones
Establish yourself as an expert (or not)
You may want (or need) to develop a social media
strategy as part of your career branding toolkit
Social Media
Employers Pre-Screening
through Social Media Sites
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2008 2009 2010*
* 2010 Estimated
Social Media and Your Career
Source: 2009 Career Builders
35% Employers Found Data That Caused
The Candidates Not to be Hired!
Provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53%
Content about drinking or using drugs – 44%
Bad-mouthed previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35%
Poor communication skills – 29%
Discriminatory comments – 26%
Lied about qualifications – 24%
Shared confidential information from previous employer – 20%
Used text language such as GR8 in e-mails – 16%
Source: 2009 Career Builders
Source: 2009 Career Builders
18% Employers Found Data That Caused
The Candidates to be Hired!
Profile was a good fit– 50%
Profile supported qualifications – 39%
Candidate appeared creative – 38%
Showed solid communication skills – 35%
Well rounded – 33%
Good references – 18%
Go Ego-Surfing
Find Your Passion
Define What You Want Others
to Experience When They
Experience You
Get Started on Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter & Google
Buzz, then Evaluate other
Social Media Sites
Create Your Own URL and Link
It to Other Accounts
Join Communities of Interest
Contribute to Other Sites
Use Multiple Media Types (e.g.
video, presentations, blogs)
Position Yourself as an Expert
by Getting Endorsements
Begin Writing a Blog
Evaluate Your Effectiveness
through Online Analytics (i.e.
Google or Yahoo)
Leveraging Social Media to Build Your Brand
Private Public
Personal What do you want
to share with your
family & friends?
Keep others
engaged in your
relationships
What do you want to
become known for?
Share your interests
Learn from others
Update regularly
Professional Become known as
an expert at work
Demonstrate your
willingness to help
others and learn
Increase your
recognition in industry
Increase knowledge
Build peer relationships
Find new opportunities
Social Media Strategy Framework
Objective
Motivation
Energy Flow
Connect with Others
Know What You Want
Your Audience to Get
Let Your Audience
Know Why You Care
The Art of Presentation
Source: Nancy Houfek, American Repertory Theatre, Harvard University
Define Desired
Outcomes
What you Want to
Accomplish
What’s in it for Others
Focus Your Thoughts
List and Group your
Ideas
Impose a Logical Order
Rehearse
Anticipate Others’
Reactions
Ask Others for
Feedback
Communicating
Challenge yourself to try something different
Track and report your progress towards your
developmental priorities and goals
Continue Learning - Attend at least two educational