KeyBank’s Most Influential Black Leaders Share Their Advice on Being Successful in Corporate America
KeyBank’s James Waters, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, and Jeffery Weaver, Chief Qualitative Risk Officer, have much in common despite differences in their backgrounds. James has more than 20 years of experience in corporate law with a focus on finance. Jeffery, a seasoned risk management practitioner, focuses on risk assessments by using qualitative and emerging risks. Both are savvy, seasoned leaders in their respective roles. They support the arts, including the San Antonio Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra. They are also Ivy-League-educated. As two of Key’s most senior and influential Black leaders, their advice for up-and-coming Black leaders epitomizes them both: fair, analytical, inspirational, grateful, and hopeful.
Their advice:
1. Solve the problem of the moment. “To remain relevant, be customer-centric and advocate for your clients. Listen to the cadence of your organization and focus on furthering their priorities, Jeffery shares. Over the last 10-12 years, I’ve made a living solving the problem of the moment, as opposed to trying to recreate the wheel. Use your skillset to solve the problem.”
2. Always operate from a standard of integrity and excellence but give yourself a little grace. “I believe in an operating standard grounded in principles of integrity and excellence without regard to race, ethnicity, gender or other traits,” James explains. “All should strive to perform at the highest level of effort and output at every turn, in matters quotidian and consequential alike. Likewise, demanding excellence out of those around us is important. To be clear, excellence does not mean perfection. There must be room for grace, margin for imperfection and space for learning and growth.
We must remember isolated success is not nearly as impactful as collective success.”
3. While the social game is critical, it’s more important to be your authentic self. “I’m unapologetically Black,” Jeffery says. “About 12 years ago, I decided I was going to bring my authentic self to work, every day. Generally, all my white colleagues know where I stand on issues generally taboo in the office. Consequentially, I’m invited to meetings after meeting; I’m more engaged in informal dialogues; and I’m consulted frequently because I’m transparent, authentic, and trusted. I’m logical and rational and no longer the byproduct of curiosity.”
“[Authenticity] is fundamentally critical,” James adds. “You’ve also got to have relevant skills – not just credentials – and you’ve got to be able to build relationships. You must have trusting relationships with people to create opportunities for yourself and others. When you build a relationship, you earn a chance to perform, produce and deliver. When you’ve done so, you’ll have additional opportunities. It’s important to look at relationships horizontally
and vertically, senior and junior, within and outside of the workplace. I can learn something from everyone. If I meet an individual and, upon parting, I haven’t learned something new about the person, myself or the world, then that falls to me alone.”
Finally, Jeffery speaks on what he’s learned as a leader: “Words matter. We’re trained to lead humbly, to be servant leaders and to respond. What I say and what I don’t say have impact.”
James speaks to the obligation all leaders have. He cites author Toni Morrison, quoting the pointed advice she gave her students: “When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.”
Wherever you might be on your professional path or whatever your aspirations may be, the wisdom and advice shared by Jeffery and James can aid in your journey.