Even if you are not a sports fan you are likely aware that the National Football League is holding its annual draft. Tuning in to the radio on the drive home Thursday, I heard a story of a football team general manager taking draft prospects to dinner. Working with the waiter, he would have the wrong meal brought to the football player.

Why such trickery?

To see how the player reacted. Did the player make a scene? If they did, this showed that the player was a prima donna, self-centered and not a team player. The GM would then pass on drafting a player who could be a troublemaker and not think of the team first.

On the other side was the player who accepted the meal and ate it even though it wasn’t what he ordered. The GM considered this player humble, but also placid by not standing up for himself. How would he stand up to adversity surely to be faced in competition?

In the middle is the player who quietly and politely calls the waiter over, sharing that this was not the meal he ordered, and asked for the correct meal to be brought. Here, was the player who was humble yet stood up for himself. That is balance and the player the GM was looking for.

For banks, this balanced “middle” way combines the best of community banking (knowing your customer, appreciating character) with the good things of larger banks (depth of products, professional training). The middle way is not an easy way, but it is the way that leads to long-term success for Banks and their customers. It’s the way PVB pursues continually.

Have a great week.
– Leton

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“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.