A Fathers Advice on Leadership | Whitaker-Lachance Insurance

by: Jerry Whitaker

Growing up in the country, my days were filled with fun and a lot of work. Dad allowed us to have fun, but only if our chores were done. I remember those days and all the different seasons that required different chores to be done. Spring, mowing the lawn, weeding flower beds and landscape work. Summer, mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool and sweeping the driveway. Fall, raking the leaves and cleaning up all the tree limbs. Winter, shoveling the snow, shoveling the snow and only bare pavement was allowed on the driveway!!

My Dad believed that if my brother and I were kept busy, we would learn how to work. He also believed in each task being done correctly and to his standards. He taught us that any task worth doing was worth doing well. I believe this teaches lessons in leadership.

Leadership is about having fun, but not until the work is done. There are many seasons in leadership, Growth, like Spring, is a time to make sure everything is ready to accept growth. Stability, like Summer, is a time to maintain your business landscape. Decline, like Fall, a time to clean up and get things in order. Disappointment, like Winter, a time to get down to the “bare pavement” of problems and fix them.

I think growing up in the country taught me a lot about leadership…..and my Dad too.

@WLAinsurance

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About the author:
Jerry joined Acrisure in July of 2010 as an investor with over 25 years of commercial and employee benefit insurance experience, specializing in large contractors, large property management companies, surety, Captive Insurance Programs, Alternative Risk Financing and Professional Employment Organizations. Jerry brings strategic risk management that focuses on the true costs of risk, then attacks the cost drivers within the insurance program and uses risk management to mitigate risk for his clients. His expertise is on the effects of wellness on workers’ compensation, disability and employee benefits. Jerry graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1984 with a BS in Business Marketing and Minor in Communication and Economics. He earned the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 1995 and the Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) in 2006, and is a member of the Risk Insurance Management Association (RIMS).

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