Macon Magazine

ADVERTISEMENT Raymond H. Smith, Jr. SMITH, BROWN AND GROOVER, INC President 4001 Vineville Avenue Macon, GA  31210 (478) 474-7004 Raymond@SmithBrownandGroover.com When you were younger, were you in leadership roles and if so, what were they? When I graduated from The University of Texas with an MBA, I was recruited by Prudential Capital, a financial subsidiary of Prudential. Within four years, I reported directly to the Chairman and was head of asset/liability management, new product development, and strategic planning. I was subsequently recruited by E.F. Hutton to do similar work for them. It was this early success on Wall Street that gave me the confidence to come back and run Smith, Brown & Groover, Inc. What do you credit with your early success? I found that responsibility seemed to be sitting in the middle of the conference room table waiting to be seized. Most people who work for a large organization are quite concerned with doing the wrong thing. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I found that by expressing my opinion, I was rapidly rewarded with increased responsibility. As an investment advisor you are constantly taking a position by investing clients' money… it helps to be confident. when they really learn, and sometimes they will truly surprise you with what they are capable of handling. By hiring talented people, and then delegating responsibility, more can be accomplished. What is the most important leadership lesson you have learned over the years? A leader should never correct an employee in front of others. A simple rule to remember, "Praise in public, scold in private". This does wonders for building morale and earning the respect of your employees. What do you look for and how do you hire good people? I look for two key attributes: intelligence and honesty. If I don't see those traits, I am not interested in employing that person. One out of three brokers fail in this business, so you have to be smart and capable. But to be successful, you have to earn a client's trust. That's where the honesty comes in. Once a client trusts that you are honest and working hard in their best interest, the relationship can flourish. Smith, Brown & Groover, Inc. is now in our 80th year, so clearly we are giving sound, honest advice, and have earned our clients' trust. In your opinion, what is the single biggest mistake a leader can make? Micro-managing is the single biggest mistake that I see, especially in small businesses. Learn to delegate, give guidance and direction, but allow enough room for an employee to make some mistakes. That's MACON MAGAZINE I 57

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