Lee Baker’s Post

Give me strength Caught an article on here (posted by Rachel Viger on the new the Lloyds bank rebrand (good post, have a read), and wanted to write something semi-literate in reply about if a rebrand is hardly noticed, does that make it a big win? That if the customers (users, whichever) just go ‘oh, yeah, fine’ and carry on, surely that’s good news. That thing, that spin doctors and PR’s always say, never becoming the news (or somesuch) means you’ve done the pitch-roll and unless you’re looking for a fight, spite or right bin-fire, all’s good. As you were. But I can’t (write about that), as this morning… …train (to work) arrives (late) on another platform. Up two flights of stairs away platform, announced as it arrives. I’ve a bicycle. Well, you can imagine and we all love waiting for the next train, eh? Then a (insert impolite word here for the driver in a stupid SUV) blasts past in a muddy lane, and I’m showered - completely - in muddy puddle water. Spluttering and recalling the reg number - because it’s small village, where the office is. I shall be calling - roll into work. And because things always come in three’s, a client’s site is down and they’re supposed to be presenting it. And, guess what! The support team is eight hours behind me! Yay! Yay!! The lesson here, if I was a grown-up who wouldn’t be tested not to go postal of the whole day, ought to recall all those excellent articles about resilience and patience and resolve to not try and control the things you can’t… but honesty, some days. Right, who wants some? Come on then. #friday #fightday #frightday #fateday #fday #andrelax

Maybe this is a battle you recognise? I remember the first time I stepped into the bank branch I'd eventually managed; its marble floors and buzz of transactions made my heart race. I was an assistant, eager and brimming with pride. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself as the branch manager. Our branch hit the top of the national league tables three consecutive years - a metric of success that should have been my shield against doubt. Should have been. Despite the accolades, something insidious followed me home each night, casting a shadow on the trophies that lined my office. I couldn't shake the feeling that I did not deserve any of it - that I was an imposter. "How could someone like me, who was partially deaf, lead a top-performing branch?" I'd ask myself. I played my part well. Focused on developing my team, provided mentorship, and made decisions that steered us through relentless crisis. But the whisper of doubt grew louder with every achievement. "It's just my team not me," I'd tell myself. "Soon, they'll find out you're not who they think you are." You see, Imposter Syndrome doesn't regard your status or successes. It's a shape-shifter, adapting to cast shadows on any victory. I realised that our branch's performance wasn’t a cure; it was a temporary salve over a deeper wound of insecurity. It took a failed internal audit - in a new branch I’d just taken over, something out of my control - for the facade to crack. The fear of being 'found out' was now a reality. It was in that crisis, oddly enough, I found solace. I owned the mistake, put corrective measures in place, and we became even stronger. It was a real problem, and I had solved it. That's when it hit me; frauds don't fix problems - leaders do. I slowly started to dissect the roots of my feelings of fraudulence. I dedicated time to personal development, sought feedback from mentors, and yes, I finally accepted that being successful doesn't mean being mistake-free. The real breakthrough came from reaching out to others and discovering I wasn't alone in this struggle. Sharing my story not only aided in my recovery but also helped others to voice their experiences. The success of our branch became a collective narrative, not an individual burden to prove myself. I'm sharing this now because, while that chapter of my life has passed, the lessons are more pertinent than ever. Leadership isn't about being immune to doubt; it's about pushing forward in spite of it. —————————————— Wrestling with Imposter Syndrome isn't a solo battle. If my story resonates with you, I encourage you to explore my free ‘Imposter Assessment’. Let's shed light on those self-doubts and transform them into success. Begin your journey to self-assurance today. And if you're ready to dive deeper, consider our detailed 39-page "Conquering Imposter Syndrome" workbook, designed to guide you towards claiming your achievements as your own. #impostersyndrome

Started working officially at The Alternative Bank Sterling Bank exactly a year ago. In that one year I have laughed, been excited, learnt, questioned myself and grown. I am definitely so proud of who I have become. From working with customer experience :Quality assurance(auditing calls and social media interactions ), contact centre(making calls myself and answering customers first hand), to Projects , then to working with strategy and innovation (starting a branch from the scratch, organizing events and telling people first hand who we are as well as managing several projects). Working with diverse teams has helped me hone some of my skills and pick up new ones. Here are ten lessons I have learnt on this job that I would love to share: -Customers are king: They are the reason we do what we do and their needs and satisfaction is to be prioritized -Ask questions: Being inquisitive will do you a lot of good, it makes it easier for one to discharge their duties effectively -Never think of yourself as too small: You are enough and there is a reason you are currently where you are, so never think less of yourself -Continue to learn and develop yourself :The world is ever changing, read that book, take that course, and learn from your colleagues -Hold yourself accountable but never beat yourself up: You should take responsibility for your actions but while at that never dwell on your mistakes -The numbers matter: Use numbers to track your progress at work and to know where you are defaulting so you fix up -Always know when it is time to rest and recharge: You need to find balance and take regular breaks to avoid burnout -Be kind: Always ensure you leave people better than you met them and be empathetic. -Do your duties diligently: Always strive to do your duties diligently and respect everyone while at it -Collaborate: Team work makes the dream work, never isolate yourself from others I am extremely grateful for my bosses Khafil Animashaun Daphne Akatugba who have given me an avenue to discover more about myself while working on several projects. My incredible managers at work whose leading and directions have made work easy, my incredible colleagues Felicia Alamu Adedolapo Aderoju and so many others for being the best colleagues one could ask for. Indeed this has been a journey, one of several highs and lows. Let’s see what the second year holds!🚀

Lloyds Banking Group

Absolutely agree with this! Building a consistent, reliable process is crucial for long-term success. It’s a journey of growth and learning, and sometimes the biggest challenge is getting past our own ego. This resonates deeply, as this was exactly the problem I faced not-too-long ago. What I learned is: no matter how well you get to know someone, it’s essential to approach every conversation with an open mind and avoid assuming you know how they'll answer. When we give clients the space to voice their preferences and consider their options, we not only builds trust but also ensure that the decisions we make together are aligned with their evolving needs and aspirations, ultimately fostering a more authentic, lasting partnership.

🚨 Credit Control Woes 🚨 There are highs and lows with any business and credit control has definitely become one of the most challenging parts of ours. It's disheartening that we put our hearts into delivering great service, only to face issues with getting paid. We understand that life gets busy, and things slip through the cracks, but the constant chasing can be demoralising and exhausting. This being said, we’re super grateful for our incredible clients that make it easy for things to run smoothly and that make our work so rewarding. Speaking to other business leaders, credit control woes aren't synonymous to Glu Recruit LTD. There are ways around it which we are considering, including asking all our clients to sign up to Go Cardless. We love to be transparent about the difficulties we face at Glu and I’m keen to know what the most frustrating part is of your role. Share your thoughts.. #business #recruiting #sheffield #creditcontrol #rotherham

In July I will have been working in Banking for 38 years, the initial 31 with NatWest and the last 7 here at Handelsbanken in Colchester. I've somehow managed to go through this journey with only having to have 2 job interviews (which given the changing world we all now have to operate in is probably a good thing for me!). Over this time, I have met a wonderful range of people and professional contacts many of whom have become long-term friends both inside & outside of the work environment. However, life is too short and I have now made the difficult decision to call time upon my Banking career & allow someone else the opportunity to continue in my footsteps. At the moment, I'm undecided as to where my destiny lies. As many of you will be aware, outside of the bank I am a very keen amateur photographer, having been short-listed in a number of high profile National & Global Photography competitions over the years. With this in mind, I'm thinking it might be an opportune time to spend more time on my photography, both commercial and retail (who wouldn’t want a limited edition award winning print hanging on their walls?). However, these plans are still in the very early stages & as we all know, nothing is set in stone. I'm sure other opportunities may well present themselves in various ways over the course of time & as such, I'm not discounting anything. The last 7 ½ years at Handelsbanken have been refreshing and at times a revisiting of the halcyon days of banking when the Bank Manager, based in the same area as the clients actually knew their customers and could make credit decisions at a local level. The advantage of having a true local relationship service has been clear to see with many clients benefiting from introductions made over the years, particularly for those operating in the local property sector. This way of working was somewhat different in my latter years working for NatWest/RBS when I was expected to look after large Law firms based throughout Essex & Kent. I can readily admit now that my knowledge of the local market in Maidstone, Ashford & other Kentish towns was somewhat lacking! The conversations I have had over the years with ex banking colleagues have confirmed that the skills learned throughout the banking career are clearly transferable to a multitude of other businesses & sectors. When you’ve done the job for as long as I have you really do become a little institutionalised and what others see as a strength is just ‘normal’ behaviour for you. With this in mind, I look forward to using these skills built up over the years in whatever venture I decide to pursue. Thanks to all & everyone one of you for everything we have achieved over the years & for my existing clients, I know you are going to continue to be well looked after and as such there is nothing for you to worry about.  I’m going to still be about until the end of July and as such if you need anything in the interim please don’t hesitate to contact me.  

There I was, in a high stakes meeting, all eyes on me. Story time…… 😊 This was back in my banking days. I was in a conclusive negotiation meeting with a Client. Winning this relationship meant a 2.5x jump to our book size over just the next six months. The kind where the result is binary, and the entire account goes to one bank—no second chances. It was a do-or-die meeting, and it was all on to me and I had to crack it. Period! Three top Banks as contenders, neck and neck at the finishing line. The pressure! Immense. I was confident in our value proposition and knew we were best poised to win. But at this stage, there was no room for complacency, error or even afford the client to have a shadow of doubt on his choices. And then, it happened. A complex, “deal-breaker” question landed on the table. The answer would make or break everything. The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me. At this point, most people usually feel the urge to respond, to prove they have all the answers. But here’s the thing—there’s something really powerful, about admitting when “you don’t know”. Instead of scrambling for a half-baked answer, I paused, took a breath, and said, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” In that moment, the weight of expectation felt lighter. The room didn’t lose respect for me—if anything, respect deepened. I did find out the answer soon enough and that’s a different story, but yeah! We went on to win the deal, and looking back, I realized that moment was pivotal. I believe it was a demonstration of confidence wrapped in humility. Because it isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about having the courage to be honest. Sure, knowing everything helps, but when you don’t, pretending only digs a deeper hole. Over the years, I’ve learned that people respect transparency far more than they do bluffing. In a world that often rewards appearing all-knowing, it takes guts to say, “I don’t know.” But that honesty builds trust faster than any rehearsed line ever could. Leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about being real, being human, and embracing the fact that we’re all still learning. #Leadership #SalesStrategy #TeamBuilding #ClientEngagement #SalesSuccess #BusinessGrowth #SalesMentor #SalesCoaching #PersonalDevelopment #Taught2Teach

I reached out to the top 100 bankers to learn how they were achieving such great results. One thing became clear. They all had a structured process they followed with every client. At that time, I was struggling. I wanted to be a top banker but had no idea how to get there. Even after discovering the importance of a consistent process, my ego got in the way. “I don’t need a process,” I told myself. “I’m good with people—I can just wing it and win clients over with my charm and charisma.” It took me six more months of inconsistent results to admit I was wrong. I needed a reliable process I could trust. So, I got to work. I built my own process and followed it religiously. A year later, I was recognized as the top banker in my market and began coaching others. Here’s the lesson: if you want consistent results, you need a consistent process. You develop one through trial and error until you figure out what works - or you learn one that's already proven. And, most importantly, you have to silence your ego to let it work.

Branch Story Throughout my eight years at RHB, I had never worked as a front-liner in the bank. I never interacted directly with customers and wasn’t even accustomed to using the word "customer." Previously, I referred to everyone as "clients," whether they were internal or external. It was a term I consistently used in my role. I also never imagined that working in the Operations team would expose me to so many unexpected and, at times, “unusual” questions. Occasionally, the questions were entirely out of the box, challenging my perspective and understanding. From the very first day I reported for duty, I’ve been learning and growing in ways I hadn’t anticipated.I believe this journey of learning will continue to evolve as I further serve and contribute to the bank. To be honest, I was incredibly nervous in the weeks leading up to my transfer. The thought of working face-to-face with customers filled me with a mix of anxiety, nervousness, and fear. I worried about being reprimanded in front of others due to my limited knowledge of the bank's products and services. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure from customers, that I might provide incorrect or outdated information, or that I wouldn’t fit in at the new place. There were so many uncertainties that scared me. Even when I tried not to think about it, the questions kept lingering in my mind, making it hard to focus. However, when the day finally came, and I faced it successfully, my perspective on working in the bank shifted positively. I’m not saying there are no challenges, or that every moment at work is filled with beautiful memories, but over time, I’ve grown and learned how to handle those challenges. I’ll share more details next time, but I can say that working in the branch is not as bad as I once thought. As a child, I always admired people who worked at the bank. Who knew that Allah’s plan was the best? He placed me in the bank so I could experience the anxiety, nervousness, fear—and of course, the joy of meeting wonderful people. Alhamdulillah...