Leadership Talk with Ginger Laurent

For emerging leaders, learning from the people who’ve been there and done that is an invaluable part of development. In our Leadership Talk series, we’re sharing nuggets of wisdom from community leaders who have forged paths, overcome challenges, and set the stage for the next generation of people-centered leaders.

Get to Know Ginger Laurent

Ginger serves as the CEO of the Louisiana Banker’s Association (LBA). Previous to joining the LBA, she spent over sixteen years as a banker in the Acadiana market. In addition to her executive role at LBA, Ginger manages the Louisiana Bankers Service Corporation, Bankers Benefits of Louisiana, and Louisiana Bankers Education Foundation. She received her undergraduate degree in Communications and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. In 2022, Ginger was named an Influential Woman in Business by the Baton Rouge Business Report.

Leadership Talk with Ginger

Ginger has a few tips and pieces of advice to pass on to emerging leaders in all fields. Take her leadership insight and apply to your own career journey!

You can’t buy experience.

Ginger’s banking career actually started in high school, when she met with the Bank of New Roads president and asked for a part-time job. She was hired on the spot, and continued to work summers and breaks through college.

Sometimes it’s easier to approach others and ask for things when you are the new person. If you are brand new in a role, organization, or industry, make that appointment with the president! And be ready to say yes when there is an opportunity. The experience you gain from seizing these opportunities has the potential to transform your career.

As Ginger’s post-grad banking career progressed, she experienced enormous change in the industry through multiple mergers and acquisitions. Ginger says that the opportunity to grow through all of these changes was invaluable, as it required her to be involved in every part of her organization and industry.

Be relationship-driven.

Ginger points out that banks are the backbone of communities, and a banker’s work touches people in every field and industry. Leading the LBA, she’s focused on providing banks with advocacy, resources, education, and connections so they can build relationships and do their jobs well. It’s a good reminder that no matter where you are, your work impacts people far beyond you – so be mindful to steward those relationships well.

Leaders exemplify selflessness, honesty, and empathy.

Being selfless enhances a leader’s ability to move a team forward. It’s not a “you either have it or you don’t” trait – Ginger says that she has seen this quality grow in others, starting with the ability to be honest with yourself and invite others to be honest with you. She says, “if you think back, somebody at some point was honest with you. They told you to calm down, or you need to keep stepping up, or you need to go about this in a different way. Hearing this can totally change the trajectory of your path.”

Ginger says that when she encounters a challenge, she keeps doing the work. Working with a team is rewarding and effective when everyone is moving forward in the same direction. Even in stressful times, it’s important to remember that everyone needs each other. Every person’s part in the process is vital.

Leaders practice consistency.

COVID brought huge changes to everyone’s working environment, and banking was no exception. In times of volatility and change, Ginger recommends making an effort to make some consistent decisions, and stick with them.

Hiring and managing workers in a more remote environment will be a challenge for leaders moving forward – but we need to learn from the companies that do it successfully, and create a consistent process. Figure out the skill set you want to hire for in remote workers, figure out a system for training those skill sets, and teach managers and staff how to manage and work differently. It’s up to you as a leader to develop a clear, consistent process for guiding others.

Thank you Ginger for sharing these tips from your incredible leadership journey! No matter where you are in your journey, these insights are sure to help you lead others well while forging a meaningful career and community impact.

Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to grow leaders, build teams and drive results through great people strategy. Contact us to get proactive about expanding your company’s potential, and stay up-to-date with our latest news and leadership development updates here.