Authority Magazine: Five Things You Need to be a Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times

Authority Magazine: Our readers would love to "get to know you" a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your 'backstory' and how you got started?

Shilo Lockett: My father was a poor farm kid who put himself through college working 40 hours a week. He was accused of never having been a kid, and still tells a story of when he and my mother, early in their marriage, had to pool change together to share a yogurt for dinner. Over time, he achieved what most would consider financial success, and both he and my mother always instilled in my brother and me the importance of identifying what you want and then working for it. As a child and teenager, if I wanted to go to the movies or make a purchase, the conversation was: "Here's a list of chores and here's what we're willing to pay for the," and then it was up to me to motivate myself to do the jobs and reach my goal. My first major purchase was a Nintendo Game Boy in the early 90s. I did household chores for about a year to save up, and to this day I literally cannot get rid of it. I have such a strong connection to it after working so hard for it, and it's symbolic of what I can do when I put my mind and effort toward something. That focus on hard work paying off led me down the road of wealth management, and it's where I an other members of our team have found our passion.

AM: Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?

SL: There have been many ups and downs over my years in the financial industry, including the 2008 recession, but the biggest recent challenge has been, of course, the global pandemic and the uncertainty it's brought to the financial markets. Every business has felt the pressure, and CWM is no exception. But truly what's help get us through it is a laser focus on our mission. Intentionality isn't just for our clients - we practice it at every level of our organization. I take mindful approach to leading my team, meeting people where they are and taking the time to understand individual needs and motivations.

AM: What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?

SL: The pandemic has taught us that it's vital for leaders to provide a sense of calm and stability. You can't panic - or show that you're panicking - when a whole team is looking to you for guidance. The team performs better when they know someone has their back and is rooting for them to succeed, and tough times can actually bring a team closer together with mindful leadership. I hope that's what my team knows they have from me.

Read the entire interview in Authority Magazine.