“When people go through the Emerging Leaders Academy, it keeps them engrained in the association. But most importantly, it keeps them curious and wanting to continue to develop themselves.” – Megan McGuire, Vice President of Government Relations and Member Relations for the Oklahoma Bankers Association
The Oklahoma Bankers Association’s motto is “We Make Bankers Better.” The organization does this by providing a variety of resources, services, and support to bankers across the state.
In collaboration with Francis Tuttle Technology Center's Workforce and Economic Development team, the OBA established the Emerging Leaders Academy in 2016. This program is designed to equip the next generation of banking leaders with the skillset needed to grow in the industry.
“It’s to help bankers who want to take that next step in their career,” explained Megan McGuire, Vice President of Government Relations and Member Relations for the OBA. “We talk about banking through the OBA, and in partnering with Francis Tuttle, we’re able to focus on a different spectrum of skills that are outside of banking but will help them be better bankers.”
The academy welcomes 30 bankers each year and features one session a month for six months. These meetings feature a variety of topics, and the 2023-2024 program included sessions about communication styles, team building, cultivating your own personal brand, emotional intelligence, crucial conversations, and reducing stress and burnout. Participants graduate at the OBA’s convention in May.
Each year, the academy also holds a “Powerful Presentations” session where all participants give a six-minute presentation over any topic of their choice. Topics this year included how to smoke a brisket on a pellet smoker, the history of cocker spaniels, the Wichita Mountains, Taylor Swift, and more.
“Knowing the topics that are available and the tier of presenter that Francis Tuttle demands to have with them, I’m excited about the academy every year,” McGuire shared. “We’ve seen the results. We’ve heard people reference things they’ve learned in the academy, and we see people who now serve in a leadership capacity on our board or as chair of our Emerging Leaders Division.”
Bankers from all over the state sign up for the academy. This year, that included one from Altus and another from Miami, and McGuire added both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros were well represented.
Planning is currently underway for next year. This is a collaborative process between McGuire and Francis Tuttle Consultant Molly Scalf and Trainer Tami Shaw as they talk about what sessions they want to keep and where they might want to see a new presenter or topic.
“Francis Tuttle is honored to partner with OBA’s Emerging Leaders program to bring relevant, engaging, and practical training to the yearly Emerging Leaders Academy,” Scalf said. “Continuous improvement is a vital part of what we do, and for me, that’s what I value most about this partnership. We stop, reflect, take feedback each year, and find ways to improve for the following class.”
The training has positively impacted not only academy participants but also their banks. McGuire said some banks have connected with Francis Tuttle because they were already aware of the OBA’s relationship with the technology center, while others have learned more from their employees who attend the academy.
During one academy session, the class completed the True Colors Personality Test. Later, an attendee told McGuire their coworkers had also completed the personality test, which improved communication among the group. Recently, McGuire saw a LinkedIn post about a bank doing its own series with Shaw, and she knows of others who have scheduled on-site trainings through Francis Tuttle.
“When you’re offering something like that to people, you’re showing that you’re investing in them,” McGuire stated. “When people feel empowered, they want to try harder and stick around and then there’s loyalty. We’re all going to push the ball forward together, and training really pays off. You can feel that.”