What will happen to interchange fees?

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COMMUNITY BANKER

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o day is an ordinary day for Wacobanker Brian Townley. On any givenday, he could be visiting branches to

sort out human resources issues, speaking atleadership conferences, setting up shop atanother bank for a week as an in-house lead-ership consultant or developing creativeincentive plans involving a “Mission: Possible”theme and bank shirts autographed by TomCruise. During one particularly stressfulbranch-wide computer conversion, he even ledthe branch’s employees in an outdoor heydayof Office-Space-style destruction of brokencomputer parts destined for the trash. In his job for the National Banks of

Central Texas, Townley serves both as a full-time banker in charge of human resourcesand marketing and as a full-time motiva-tional speaker and consultant through thebank’s side consulting business, MotivationalManagement Group Inc. The bank formedthe consulting business to help cultivateTownley’s growing reputation in the bankingworld and drum up some business in theprocess. The success of his unconventionalapproaches to encouraging employee motiva-tion have earned him much word-of-mouthattention and are the subject of his new book,“Inspiring Leadership: Unleashing

Motivation in the Workplace,” out thismonth.“It is a firm belief of mine that a true

leader finds fulfillment in helping others suc-ceed,” Townley said. “My great uncle GradyAsh, a great leader and business owner,always tells me that the view is alwaysbetter from the top. But it can also be alonely place at the top, unless you’ve helpedpeople along the way who are right therewith you. That’s why motivating employees isso important, not to mention the effect on thebank’s bottom line.”

No ordinary bankerTownley realizes that his employment situa-tion is a unique one, but he attributes hisout-of-the-box success to the thinking of twogreat leaders at his bank, Chairman DavidBarnard and Executive Vice President KenPoston.“I have been very lucky that our bank’s

chairman has always been very good at rec-ognizing talent, and my direct supervisor is adeveloper and a very creative man who isalways looking outside the box,” Townleysaid. “Between the two of them, they havenurtured my career and created a workplacevery open to innovation. They’ve alwaysallowed me to lead and try new things, eventhough the places it leads may be unconven-tional.” Aside from the consulting work, Townley’s

actual job is also a direct result of the uncon-ventional thinking of his superiors. Townleyserves in a unique position in his bank, aposition created specifically for him, as thehead of both the human resources depart-ment and the marketing department. “It’s not a common combination, but I

greatly enjoy finding ways to bridge the twotogether,” Townley said. “I have to hire theright people and get them proper training,but those people are what make our market-ing engine run. I love this dual role; it’samazing how much the two departmentsactually do intersect.” Townley actively juggles these two roles

together with the role of consultant and moti-vational speaker, but he said it helps himretain a fresh perspective.

An uncommon combinationBrian Townley, Senior Vice President, The National Banks of Central Texas, Waco

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N“I’m not just an

ex-banker with

abstract ideas;

I’m dealing with

the same things

that bankers

everywhere are

dealing with on

a daily basis.”

Brian Townley explores New Zealand’s highest mountain top on a recent trip.

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“It makes for a very busy worklife, but it’s a good thing that I amboth an active banker and a consult-ant,” Townley said. “I’m not just anex-banker with abstract ideas; I’mdealing with the same things thatbankers everywhere are dealing withon a daily basis.”

A runaway successThe Texas Bankers Associationplayed a key role in launching themotivational speaking portion ofTownley’s career. After hearingabout Townley’s unconventionalmethods in his bank, TBA invitedhim to speak at an educationalevent, his first speaking engage-ment. Townley presented on thevarious themed incentive programshe came up with at his bank, includ-ing the “Mission: Possible” campaignand others with themes based on“Survivor,” “Head of Household” anda Las Vegas theme. The presentation was a runaway

success, and Townley’s speakingcareer was launched. Townley hassince spoken at various leadershipconferences and to marketing groupsacross the country, as well as at theeducational events of various bank-ing associations, including theAmerican Bankers Association and anumber of state banking associationsnationwide. Townley will continue his partner-

ship with TBA with presentations

at the upcoming Human Resourcesand Training Conference in Augustand at the new Branch LeadershipSchool in September, both in SanAntonio.

An unlikely startTownley did not set out with theintention of becoming an expert onmotivation. In fact, he didn’t evenintend to become a banker. “Thethought never even crossed mymind,” Townley said. Townley’s banking career found

him as a hesitant high school stu-dent. “My dad was always on me toget a job, and every day he wouldask if I had applied anywhere yet,”Townley said. “I kept avoiding it,until finally I just got tired of mydad’s nagging and applied for a jobat the local bank. I was not expect-ing or even hoping to get the job, butjust looking for a different answer togive my dad, so I could tell him Ihad applied for a job and he wouldleave me alone.”But Townley’s indifference was

rewarded in an unlikely way: hewas offered a job as a part-timedrive-thru teller at $3.10 an hour.He has worked for the same bankever since, advancing through theranks with discipline and effort andfinding ways to stand out above thecrowd through a number of variousdepartments and an ownershipchange in 1991.

The track to leadershipTownley says the real turning pointin his career was when he was work-ing in his first supervisory role over asmall branch. He was only 21 yearsold at the time, and, after the bank’sownership change, was thrust into aleadership position supervising anumber of more experienced employ-ees. One day his own supervisor tookhim out to lunch and told him thatsome of his employees were complain-ing that he was difficult to work with. “I started to get angry because

these employees just thought theycould go over my head because theywere older than me,” Townley said.“But then I realized that their rea-soning didn’t change anything.There’s immense power in perceptionand even if you’re not doing some-thing, if it appears to others that youare, that’s almost as bad. You haveto remove any shadow of doubt. So Iwent in the next day, completelyresolved to be the nicest, most help-ful person ever, and the respect camealmost instantly. They began to lookat me as a true leader.”It was then that Townley began

to realize that leadership is alearned skill, he said.

Leadership and skillsThe difference between a true“leader” and a dictator-style “com-mander” is a cornerstone ofTownley’s leadership philosophy and

Brian Townley discusses financial topics on air with Moms Everyday host Kira Hanney.

Brian Townley presents on topics from his new

book, “Inspiring Leadership,” at a conference.

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a topic he often addresses in consult-ing work and speaking engagements.He now requires all employeestaking on management responsibili-ties for the first time to complete aleadership training course thatmakes them aware of the changingscope of their job.In fact, good leadership skills may

be even more important than techni-cal skills, Townley said. He specificallyrecalls when he was tasked with start-ing a brand new Data Centerdepartment for the bank. “I asked whythey chose me because I had no expe-rience with the new technology wewere launching through this depart-ment,” Townley said. “They told methat they could easily teach me theskills, but that true leadership wasrequired to run this department.” As it turns out, the group of

employees slated to start up thisnew department were overflowemployees from other departments,“extra” employees whose jobs hadbeen swept away by technology andwere, in many cases, lacking visionand direction. “They would be thefirst to tell you that they were the‘problem’ employees at the bank,”Townley said. “They were the oneseveryone wanted to get rid of. Theywere a ragtag group, and I wastasked with building a new depart-ment with these ‘castoff’ employees.”Around this time, Townley saw a

news story on parenting reportingthat children know when talk is justtalk. When parents threaten to pullthe car over and never actually do,children recognize the empty threat

and refuse to behave. Townley pulledhis employees aside on day one andtold them about this news story.“Make no mistake,” he told them,“with me, talk is not just talk. Ireally will pull the car over.” Theemployees believed him, and in time,treated him with respect and grewinto wonderful employees.

Banking with peopleThe National Banks of CentralTexas has seven locations in widelyvarying markets with widely varyingfinancial needs, including agricul-tural, military, suburban, urban andretirement niche markets. “We are the embodiment of not

putting all our eggs in one basket,”Townley said. “In any crisis, whetherit’s a drought or a deployment, ourother markets are able to pick upthe slack.” The bank’s focus has always been

based on trust and customer serv-ice. “People bank with people,”Townley said. The bank’s unusual

focus on leadership has also grantedit an edge with its customers.“When our employees are happy, ittrickles down to the customers andshareholders,” Townley said.

Beyond the bankIn addition to juggling his variousroles at the bank, Townley juggles aside job as a concert promoter forinspirational singer David Phelps.Townley saw Phelps in concert forthe first time in 2001. “His musicwas so inspiring that it motivatedme to look at life through differenteyes,” Townley said. “I then resolvedto bring this inspiration to my home-town, Waco.”Townley is also an avid traveler.

He has resolved to take at least oneepic trip per year. Last year he vis-ited New Zealand and the SouthPacific, and slated for later this yearare Hawaii and Paradise Island,Bahamas. He has already startedplanning for a Europe trip in 2012. “We, as Americans, are often in

blinders, thinking that life is justthe way we know it here,” Townleysaid. “But the world is a really bigplace, and there are places to getinspired all over the world. Travelcan open your mind, but it can alsorest your mind. Travel recharges mybatteries and ensures that I don’tget burned out.” Townley also serves as a financial

expert for KWTX, a local TV station.He began with a six-week segmentcalled “Money Tips” that coveredbasics of budgeting, saving andcredit and answered questions fromviewers that were emailed in. Hestill serves as an on-air expert whenneeded and offers money tips on ashow called “Moms Everyday,”where he presents segments on bankaccounts for kids, saving for college,how to give allowances and financialeducation to mothers at home. “It’s the same, whether you’re deal-

ing with problem employees or tryingto get the general public educated onthe necessity of saving,” Townley said.“No one can actually motivate some-one to do something. But someone caninspire people to motivate themselves.Then there is no limit to what can beaccomplished.”

Brian Townley, right, poses with inspirational

singer David Phelps. In his spare time, Townley

works as a concert promoter for Phelps and

donates his earnings to charity.