ELS Spotlight With Beth Presley
Beth Presley is the Marketing Manager for Arvest Bank in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
As the marketing manager for Arvest Bank Fort Smith Region, my duties are varied. I help coordinate and enforce our brand reputation and standards. I help generate ideas and content for advertising, social media, and internal and external events. I also conduct competitive analysis, manage a local marketing budget, and provide a connection between the bank and the communities we serve. No day is ever the same, which is one reason I love my job, and the culture at Arvest is amazing! I have been in this role for a little over 8 years. I am also very involved in our community and serve on several local boards.
What is the most important leadership lesson that you’ve learned?
I have experienced many different types of leaders in my life, starting with my parents. My mom took care of the household and my father was a 22-year Army veteran. Both of them taught me valuable lessons. Dad taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to and that leaders need confidence and strength. My mom taught me how to soften my leadership style and believe in people and the roles they play in life and to focus on being a servant leader. I also learned from several coaches how leadership styles are different but most all have the same intentions. They want the team to succeed. As a professional, I have learned there is a big difference between good leaders and not-so-good leaders. The boss who embraces change that is decisive and inspirational vs. one that never encourages and only finds faults. Throughout my life many leaders have come and gone, some of whom I still miss every day and some I am glad they are gone. But I have learned from all of them, and for that I appreciate the mark they left on my life. So, the most important leadership lesson I have learned is that you can learn from everyone, the good, bad and the ugly and strive to make yourself better from these experiences.
What’s your biggest leadership struggle?
I struggle with my personality. If you are familiar with the DiSC profile test, DiSC is an acronym that stands for the four main personality profiles described in the DiSC model: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness and (C)onscientiousness. Well, I am a high D; which People with D personalities tend to be confident and place an emphasis on accomplishing bottom-line results. There is nothing wrong with being a D but as a leader you need to learn to work with the other personalities as well as understand the personalities you are working with. It took me over half my life to understand this. My personality wants results and usually we want them now, but in a work environment that is not conducive to a successful team atmosphere. I had to learn to delegate and allow people to contribute. By learning this I have led so much better and believe that a great team is made up of many different personalities supporting each other.