BANKER
A Style of Banking
Leadership
Luis Valls was a natural leader whose strategy was to try to influence rather than command. His team assimilated this way of conceiving business and corporate organization. At the same time, he shied away from the spotlight, as one of the chroniclers of the time noted1 : “If I were to adorn one of his portraits with a caption, it would be this: A figure in the shadows.”
Personal Ethics
A great lover of literature, he was a writer of high caliber. His written reflections made it clear that professional work can and should be built and carried out on the solid foundations of personal ethics. Decades have passed, but they still serve as principles of leadership. Some profound messages, in few words2 , are transcribed here:
Personal Virtues at the workplace
– Never lie — it’s better to remain silent. Lost credibility won’t return. Keep your word. Therefore, think carefully before giving it. – Be kind but firm, very firm — politeness doesn’t detract from bravery. Be fair: give everyone what they deserve. Don’t be selfish. – Think of others. Practice empathy. Treat others as you would like to be treated, or better still, as they would like to be treated. – Be polite, don’t disturb. Don’t hurt people’s feelings. Be tolerant of ideas, but not of rudeness. – Avoid arrogance, avoid pride. Don’t discriminate. No person deserves to be mistreated, respect people’s dignity. – Don’t be prejudiced. Don’t be dogmatic.
Eight Keys facets of a Good Leader
- Devote a lot of time to organization—all your life. The flatter the organization, the better. Fight bureaucracy. Don’t act by mimicry. Don’t let yourself be defeated by pressure—of any kind—or by fads. Maintain your criteria. Let yourself be persuaded but never coerced.
- Never, ever bypass the hierarchy. In case of misconduct, it must be reported to superiors. Trust people. Delegate — clearly. If they fail you, replace them. Don’t allow disloyalty or infidelity. Lead by example. Words are fleeting.
- Worry only about things you can influence. Influence is better than command. Don’t give direct orders. Seek to have authority, not command or power. Authority is earned, and power is received. Don’t provide solutions. Help people find them.
- Ask the right questions. Motivate (in the sense of “giving or explaining the reason or motive for doing something”).
- Rectify when you are convinced you have made a mistake or that there are better options—as many times as necessary. It doesn’t show weakness but strength. Acknowledge your mistakes and those of the organization. It’s healthy and educational.
- Be patient, very patient. Work on intelligence. Listen, listen, listen… Speak only when necessary. Let others speak — the quality of conversations depends not on what we say but on what we make others say. Never shout. Use gestures.
- Stay clear of mountains of information. Know what you need to know. Nothing more. Keep sight of day-to-day matters. Monitor by sampling.
- And, of course, have goals. As the Cheshire Cat said to Alice when she didn’t know which way to go: “That rather depends on where you want to go.”
Bibliography
(1) Book “Portraits of Interior. The Human Side of Twenty Powerful Men” (Pilar Ferrer y Luisa Palma. Temas de Hoy, 1994). (2) Excerpt from the chapter “Personal and Professional Decalogue. Definitions from the Spanish Royal Academy” from the book Documents>Version 2 Luis Valls-Taberner (Luis Pérez Salas, Fundación para Atenciones Sociales, 2007).
