What separates a good leader from one people actually want to follow?

Scott Erkonen, COO of Performance Bankers and former CIO at Great Western Bank and First Interstate Bank System, has spent more than two decades figuring that out. In this episode, Scott joins Andy and Brandi to talk about the leadership traits that matter most: raising your hand when you don't know something, building the kind of confidence that doesn't crumble under pressure, staying present in a world built to distract you, and keeping it simple when everything around you is telling you to make it more complicated.

Scott Erkonen is COO of Performance Bankers, Inc., the management company for the Farrar family. His career spans executive leadership at Great Western Bank and First Interstate Bank System, and service as a U.S. international representative to the ISO standards body.

0:00 – Introduction & welcome
2:45 – Tell me something good
4:54 – Raising your hand: curiosity as a leadership trait
7:43 – Vulnerability, the Dunning-Kruger effect & psychological safety
14:43 – Making mistakes — and building a culture where that's okay
17:02 – The rule of three: how to get things done in the C-suite
19:38 – Investing in yourself every day
21:35 – Imposter syndrome and believing in yourself
26:30 – Being present: focus as a leadership skill
37:42 – Simple Wins: cutting through the noise in IT leadership
41:30 – Question from the jar
42:51 – Closing & where to find Scott

🗨️ Mentioned in this episode:

“Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters” by Lisa Bodell — goodreads.com/en/book/show/28695464-why-simple-wins

The Eisenhower Matrix — https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/

The Dunning-Kruger effect — https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dunning-kruger-effect

Connect with Scott: linkedin.com/in/scott-erkonen-49670a2

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Get to the Point is produced by High Point Networks for informational purposes only. Guests include High Point Networks professionals as well as subject matter experts from across the industry, each speaking from their own experience and expertise. Content shared is intended as general information and should be evaluated within the context of your specific organization and circumstances. Views expressed by outside guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Point Networks or its affiliates. High Point Networks assumes no liability for decisions or actions taken based on content discussed in this podcast.