One of the things I was thinking about today is how come it is that leaders have a greater desire for their people to succeed than their people do sometimes?
Leaders are leaders because of their mindset. They’re wired tighter than other people and are more driven. They want to see people succeed. At the end of the day, though, I think that leaders have a fault. Sometimes we want to see other people succeed more than they want to succeed, and I don’t understand the thought process behind that even though I’m guilty of it.
I think we have people in our organizations that we really believe in and can see their potential. And it’s our job as leaders to reveal that potential to them and believe in them at a greater level than they’re willing to believe in themselves. But at the same time, there has to be a time when we as leaders cut the cord. We can’t consistently want people to do better than they want to do for themselves.
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The truth is, in many organizations, people become cancerous victims that do nothing except complain about everything that doesn’t get done for them. Leaders cave. They go above and beyond. They do everything they can to honor the commitment they’ve given to that person when they come into the organization. But at that point, they’re in the death spiral. As leaders, we need to recognize when this happens. We need to remember when we need to quit. We need to recognize when we have to do something that we don’t like to do. We have to give up. I’m not particularly eager to give up, but we’re also responsible for running profitable organizations, and sometimes that’s what it requires.
As you think about how you’re going to go about your week, think about making sure there’s equality. Identify the congruent patterns of how you want someone to succeed and how they see themselves as succeeding. Everybody has a desire. It’s just a matter of what level. Ramp that up and get it. If you can do that, you and your team will kill it in commercial insurance.
Influence is one of the most powerful tools we have in business, leadership, and personal life. Used well, it inspires people, builds trust, and creates ethical results. Used poorly, it can slide into manipulation and self-interest.
Reinvention is one of the most powerful themes in the insurance industry. Some of the best commercial producers in the country did not grow up wanting to sell insurance. They did not study risk management in college. They did not come from an agency family. They found this industry after they tried something else. They found it after life pushed them toward a career where performance, autonomy, and mindset determine the outcome.
The most successful producers in the middle market did not get there because they quoted faster, smiled bigger, or knew how to talk longer. They got there because they learned how to differentiate themselves so clearly that prospects had no choice but to see them as trusted advisors. They learned to operate like businesspeople first and insurance technicians second. They learned how to tie operational mechanics to insurance outcomes. They learned how to control their time, their pipeline, and their future.
In commercial insurance, the most dangerous threats to your book of business aren’t always visible on the loss runs. One of the most overlooked vulnerabilities for middle market producers is ignoring the personal lines needs of their business owner and executive clients.
The commercial insurance industry is one of the few professions where someone can enter with no experience, no connections, and no background in risk management and still build a long, lucrative career. But success is never automatic. It requires hunger, humility, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the process feels overwhelming. That is why the story of Pam Seidler has already started making waves among new and aspiring commercial producers.
In an industry where tradition often outweighs innovation, artificial intelligence and automation are slowly but steadily reshaping how independent insurance agencies operate. The push toward smarter, more efficient workflows is no longer a matter of if—but when. While many agencies are still evaluating how AI fits into their operations, early adopters are already reaping the benefits of streamlined submissions, faster processing, and actionable data insights.
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