President’s Column STARTING WITH WHY Corey Connors, President & CEO, VACB Before diving into my first column for The Community Banker, I cannot thank you enough for the warm reception I have received since coming aboard as VACB’s new president & CEO. From bank visits alongside Steve, to attending several industry gatherings including VACB’s 47th Annual Convention, it has been a genuine pleasure to begin meeting the folks that make community banking in Virginia exceptional. I am honored to serve this wonderful industry and look forward to meeting many more of you in the coming weeks and months. At previous stops, I hadn't often had the opportunity to participate in general sessions at the annual conferences that those organizations have hosted. To do so at October’s convention was a real treat. Sam Richter’s session on generative AI was a real eye-opener if, for no other reason, I could only dream of having abdominal muscles like those Sam created in the fictional AI space. Can artificial intelligence help community banks become more efficient? Maybe. But the images that he shared of an AI-generated Corey were truly haunting. User beware, to be sure! While all the speakers were terrific (all credit due to Katharine Garner and the Convention Planning Committee for the compelling content), there was a moment during Jack Kasel’s talk that captured my attention. During his presentation “How Your Bank Can Drive More Profitable Relationships,” Mr. Kasel asked the audience if they were familiar with Simon Sinek and his writings on inspirational leadership. While I enthusiastically raised my hand in the back of the room, I was surprised that few others had joined me in doing so. Though Jack moved through the concept quickly in passing, the reference struck me as an important ingredient in the “secret sauce” that differentiates community banks from other financial service providers. The background: In 2009, at a regional TED Talk in Puget Sound, Washington, Mr. Sinek presented “Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” He later published a book by the same title that went on to sell over a million copies. If you are anything like me and 12+ million other people, the 18-minute TED Talk version that you can find on YouTube suffices to get the gist of his concept. “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” 6 The CommunityBanker
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