What I Learned as Commissioner

For four years I served as commissioner of insurance in the state of Iowa. During this journey I met many people, learned a lot about the industry and about myself. At times it was the best job I have ever had, or will ever have, and at times I was humbled by the myriad of issues I faced. All in all, I loved the role and would do it again, as serving the people of Iowa was incredibly rewarding.  During the past four years I grew tremendously as a professional and hope to pass on some of the things I learned. 

(1)   Hiring good people and letting them do their job is imperative. None of us can do the job alone, nor is it worth even trying. No one can effectively run anything if they do not have good people joining them on the journey.

(2)   You are not that important. I try not to take myself that seriously. A smile and a laugh can go a long way. One of my colleagues recently told me that somehow I made the challenges of the Affordable Care Act fun (his definition of fun should probably be examined but I save that for later). Work can be crazy and stressful at times, work to know your colleagues and laugh some. I learned that spending time with your colleagues and getting to know them on a personal level adds a critical level of humanity to the office that advances your strategic agenda much further.

(3)   Hand written notes still work. I am a big fan of still writing notes acknowledging the good works of people and for saying thank you. This little gesture goes an incredibly long way to the people you recognized and work with. 

(4)   Culture eats strategy. Creating a good culture is critical to implementing any strategy. We worked on setting high standards, but also worked to have fun. We set up an employee recognition committee and hosted quarterly staff wide meetings where we recognized employees for their good work and accomplishments. Creating a culture where people work well together and know one another and the value each brings helps lead any team forward. An organization can have the best-made strategic plan, but I challenge you to implement anything without a good culture. 

(5)   Never stop learning. My wife reminded me that when I took this job I was just a dumb life insurance lawyer (back to the you are not that important part). I read the entire Affordable Care Act before starting as commissioner, I met with numerous stakeholders and consumer groups and spent an enormous amount of my time out of the office learning about emerging issues and technology trends. This learning and relentless preparation served me very well during my time as commissioner. 

(6)   Give back to others. I spent time meeting with people that wanted to learn about the industry and offered what advice I could. I did this with seasoned executives, concerned citizens and recent college grads. Along my career, amazing mentors and community leaders have invested time in me, and I learned how important it is to be that type of civic and business leader. 

(7)   Balance is key. Learning to balance work and family is an ongoing struggle for many people. However, without a balance we will find ourselves entering burnout stage quickly.  By balancing work and family well you are more productive and actually will accomplish more.

(8)   Ask Questions. Good leaders ask questions. I read this in a book by John Maxwell and it stuck with me. Asking questions helps you learn and provides opportunities for those around you to add more value. While asking questions is important, it is more important to listen to the responses from those you trust. No one can know everything there is to know so ask questions to help get to a more informed position. 

(9)   Do Not Chase Chickens. I love the scene in Rocky when Rocky is told to catch a chicken. We own chickens, so I have now tried this several times! What I learned as commissioner is that we cannot spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the perfect information. In many cases I could spend an entire day, if not a week, chasing a chicken in hopes of finding better information. However, I learned that with regularity I needed to make decisions with imperfect or limited information. The people I had in my immediate circle were subject matter experts and trusting them was critical. I found that they were the best assets I had to get to the right decision. While the people I had working with me were a great asset and amazing help, I never lost site of the fact that as the leader or decision maker the decision always rested with me. Do not spend so much time chasing that chicken as sometimes it is fruitless. Trust me I have done it!     

(10) Being comfortable even when I was uncomfortable. One person asked me what is the one skill needed to succeed in a job such as an insurance commissioner. I responded, almost instinctively, one needs to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I believe this skill parallels making decisions with limited or imperfect information. I learned that even if I am in a position of discomfort (professionally) it is important to remain collected and still lead through the discomfort. Your team members need you to lead them through good times and bad. Showing emotions and frustration is totally acceptable, but it is important to remain focused on the mission at hand. 

I will continue to read books, meet with others and develop myself in an effort to hopefully impact my family, employer and community positively. My continuous process improvement project on myself is a lifelong effort. I know that anyone reading this can improve his or her leadership skills with good work ethic and positive attitude. Take steps today to start this continuous journey.