In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Kay Lynn McLaughlin about the relationship between the CEO and finance team, drawing on McLaughlin's experience as a lender, controller, CFO, and CEO.

The conversation explores trust, transparency, accountability, disagreements, relationships with auditors and boards, communication within finance teams, the human meaning behind financial numbers, and the importance of protecting time for family.

• The CEO–CFO relationship and the complementary roles of strategic leadership and financial detail.
• Trust, transparency, accountability, and constructive disagreement between CEOs, CFOs, boards, and auditors.
• The importance of communication and relationships for finance professionals and leaders.
• The human side of financial leadership, including the people behind the numbers and the importance of family time.

Kay Lynn McLaughlin began her employment with the Plains Land Bank in March 2010. Ms. McLaughlin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Public Accounting degree, all from West Texas A&M University. She previously served as a Loan Officer, Operations Manager, Controller, and Chief Financial Officer for Plains Land Bank, FLCA. She was promoted to Chief Executive Officer-Elect in March 2021, and has served in the role of Chief Executive Officer since October 2021.

For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Sandy Brown about stewardship in bank mergers and acquisitions, with particular attention to people, culture, transparency, negotiation, and long-term value creation.

They explore how leaders can steward employees, customers, communities, and shareholders from strategic planning through integration, including the importance of organizational readiness, relationship-building, risk allocation, and finding productive roles for strong people on both sides of a transaction.

• Why M&A leaders should treat employees, customers, communities, and shareholders as important constituencies rather than focusing solely on transaction economics.
• How transparency, early integration planning, and attention to culture can preserve value and help people navigate transformational change.
• The role of business-minded legal counsel in negotiation, risk allocation, emotional management, and moving a transaction toward a constructive close.
• Why leaders should assess organizational alignment and cultural readiness before pursuing M&A and think beyond closing day to long-term outcomes.

Sanford (“Sandy”) Brown counsels and represents financial institutions and specialty finance companies, as well as their shareholders and holding companies, in matters involving state and federal banking laws, regulations, and enforcement actions; in corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, securities offerings, and holding company matters; and on issues involving cybersecurity, privacy, and identity theft.

Sanford served in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency from 1987 to 1989. His responsibilities included a wide range of matters relating to the regulation of national banks, including the development of banking policy in the areas of risk-based capital and dividends. He is a faculty member of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking and a frequent speaker at regional and national banking seminars and educational programs.

Sanford is nationally ranked by Chambers USA in the Financial Services Regulation: Financial Institutions M&A category. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Banking and Finance and Financial Services Regulation, including in the latter category as the Dallas/Fort Worth “Lawyer of the Year” in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2024.

Representative experience:

• Counsel to over 200 buyers and sellers of community banks nationwide.
• Counsel to hundreds of community banks in issuing equity and debt securities.
• Counsel to multiple regional banks on numerous corporate and regulatory issues.
• Counsel to two bank holding companies on Section 363 transactions.
• Regulatory counsel to several specialty finance companies.

For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Ryan McCool about selfless leadership, the leadership lessons Ryan drew from his experience as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, and the ideas behind his book, It's Not About You! Discovering Selfless Leadership. The conversation explores connecting everyday work to a greater purpose, respecting employees' personal time, taking accountability rather than assigning blame, understanding leadership as a burden and responsibility to others, and practicing humility.

• Ryan's Marine Corps experience shaped a leadership philosophy centered on removing the focus from the leader and putting it on the people being led.
• Leaders can sustain motivation by helping people see how their everyday work contributes to a larger mission and greater purpose.
• Respect for employees includes protecting their personal time and thinking through how well-intentioned leadership decisions affect their lives.
• Effective leaders accept accountability, treat leadership as a serious responsibility, and practice humility rather than relying on status or authority.

Ryan McCool served for four years in the Unites States Marine Corps as an Aviation Logistics Officer. That experience firmly shaped his selfless leadership philosophy. Following his time on active duty, Ryan received his MBA in Strategic Leadership from Penn State University. He has over ten years of corporate experience as a leader in the Supply Chain Management field. Observing a need for selfless leadership training in the corporate space, Ryan founded McCool Leadership Development to instill selfless leadership principles in businesses. He recently authored a book titled It’s Not About You! Discovering Selfless Leadership. More about Ryan: McCool Leadership Development

For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).