Twinsight 22 of 50: Balance Confidence with Humility

Steve Wagner

Today is my last of four posts featuring friends of mine who are age 50+. Each of them is particularly gifted at one of these leadership qualities that can converge in your 50s - energy, interdependence, wisdom, and humility. I'm excited to introduce you to Steve Wagner. When I thought about leading with a measure of humility, he was the first person who came to mind. I had the privilege of working with Steve at Hewitt Associates (now Aon Hewitt) before he retired in 2006. When I went to client meetings with him, he was usually the smartest, most experienced person going to the meeting, and also had modestly prepared the most. So where did that humility come from, and how does it strengthen his leadership? Here's what he had to say.

How did you get started in the business world?
I grew up on a farm in Nebraska, and started working when I was 13. When I went to the University of Nebraska (yes, I bleed red), I decided to study math because it was always easy for me. Because I didn't have to study, I could also work and socialize. I didn't really want to teach, and one of my math teachers said, "You should be an actuary." It sounded kind of interesting, so I took the first of 10 actuarial exams and passed it.

I graduated from college in 1971, and then joined the Army for three years. When I was discharged, I learned that through the GI bill, the Army would pay for me to get my Masters in Actuarial Science at Nebraska as well. When I was graduating in 1976, I interviewed with eight companies that came to campus - four consulting firms and four insurance companies. Because ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) had just passed and there was a real need for actuaries, all eight organizations offered me a job. I ended up deciding to join Hewitt Associates because consulting sounded interesting, and my mom and I thought there was just something classy about Hewitt. My dad didn't want me to work in the big city of Chicago, but I told him I'd be in the suburb of Lincolnshire where there was bound to be some cows and chickens nearby. I worked in Lincolnshire for four years - working 40 and studying 20 hours a week while continuing to pass the exams.

One day in 1980 after I'd passed all my exams, the manager of the actuarial practice came into my office and presented me with a decision. He asked if I wanted to be an actuary working in the office on client projects or an account manager out with clients. I said that I'd rather be out meeting people. The next thing I knew, the Hewitt CEO offered me the opportunity to open another office. Of the options, I chose Denver. I was 31 and starting the adventure of my life. Computers were just starting to get good, and the fax machine had just come out. I remember the first time I saw a fax come through our machine. It was like magic!

I obviously had no experience running anything, but I did know how to work hard. I committed to learn something every time I got hired for a project and apply it to my future work. In 1984, the Denver office was running successfully, and I was asked to move to the Minneapolis office. "Too cold!" I said, but somehow they persuaded me, and I've lived here ever since. Because my first love was solving complex retirement design issues for clients and I never really liked the internal management part, I was able to carve out a great niche.

With all your accomplishments, how do you live with confidence yet stay humble?
I really don't think I'm a great leader and not really a great people manager, and I used to tell the big wigs at Hewitt that. But I have learned to capitalize on my strengths and the talents that God has given me. Through a "Living Your Strengths" program, I discovered my top five strengths in the Strengthfinders model:

1) Harmony - building consensus and focusing on what brings us together.
2) Responsibility - taking the lead in getting things done.
3) Includer - accepting everyone and casting few judgments.
4) Communication - being able to explain things clearly.
5) Input - gathering ideas and insights from everyone along the way.

How have you been spending your time since you retired?
At least five years before I retired, I started reading about retirement and planning what I'd do. Everything in my life revolved around my job and I was going 100 mph, so it was important for me to learn how to make the transition well. Now I'm as busy as when I was consulting, but I don't really have stress.

I've been spending a lot of time with my family. My wife, Dee, has had some significant health issues, so it's been a blessing to have more time to devote to her as well as our two sons who've been at home, and our adult daughters and their families. And I'm involved in volunteer work at our church around issues that are important to me and what I believe Jesus would do. I'm on a justice counsel in the southwest suburbs with the goal to make a dent in eliminating poverty in our corner of the world. It's amazing how close homelessness and poverty are to us in suburban America. I also like to cook, garden, and take fishing trips with my brother.

I've also tried to become more humble. You can always do better.

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