Westphal: The biggest take-away for me personally, was how proud I was to be part of the financial technology industry. Every one of the leaders who joined me made it very clear why they are successful at leading teams through adversity. The willingness to share ideas, experiences, and best practices that have worked for all of us I think provided advisors a beacon of positivity and hopefulness that we’re all going to get through this time in history by working together.
Another key point was the realization that just because you are surrounded by uncertainty and stress, that does not mean you have to hide. By leading through change, advisors heard from all of the Roundtable CEOs that, no matter the difficulties, you can make a positive impact in the lives of your clients and community through communication and perseverance.
My advice to advisors considering virtual engagement events - just do it! Do not let the possibility of technology issues or event structure difficulties stop you from leading through change. Your clients will appreciate your effort, and I promise they will welcome more engagement from you, their trusted advisor. This is the time to show clients that you are there for them, and willing to adapt your engagement solutions to communicate your message.
The Institute for Innovation Development is an educational and business development catalyst for growth-oriented financial advisors and financial services firms determined to lead their businesses in an operating environment of accelerating business and cultural change. We position our members with the necessary ongoing innovation resources and best practices to drive and facilitate their next-generation growth, differentiation and unique community engagement strategies. The institute was launched with the support and foresight of our founding sponsors — Pershing, Voya Financial, Ultimus Fund Solutions, Fidelity, and Charter Financial Publishing (publisher of Financial Advisor magazine). For more information, click here.