By Treating Employees as Leaders, Bank takes 1st Place in "Best Places to Work" Statewide Competition

Leaders Bank ranked as the “Number One” small/medium-sized company in the Best Places to Work in Illinois award program in 2006. Leaders topped all other entries from numerous companies throughout the state. The award recognizes companies with exceptional commitments to employee well-being in two categories: small/medium-sized companies (25-199 employees) and companies with 200-plus employees.

This program is spearheaded by a partnership of the Illinois State Council of the Society of Human Resource Managers, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, The Business Ledger, and the Best Companies Group of Harrisburg, PA. By identifying the best places to work, the program strengthens Illinois’ economy, workforce, and business communities.

Workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics were evaluated for 30 percent of the score. An employee experience survey comprised 70 percent. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Illinois with assistance from ModernThink LLC, New York, which used its expertise to analyze the data and determine the final rankings.

Leaders Bank was honored at The Business Ledger’s Annual Awards for Business Excellence and Best Places to Work in Illinois awards ceremony April 26, 2006, in Glen Ellyn, IL.

Celebrating its six year anniversary in May of 2006, Leaders Bank has grown to approximately $350 million in assets without the help of mergers, acquisitions or buyouts. “With every merger or acquisition, a whole layer of customers and employees gets displaced,” says Jim Lynch, President and CEO.  “Shuffled from one contact to another, customers get to feel their business is no longer important, while employees become less and less involved in decision making.  My vision was to establish a bank that is a viable alternative to that depersonalization. We treat customers as leaders with our undivided attention, quickest response and best business thinking,” Mr. Lynch points out.

To make sure Leaders Bank can deliver on that promise of exceptional service, Mr. Lynch hand picked his key executives to include only experienced bankers who can respond instantly to customer needs; for example, reversing a service charge or paying a customer a higher than published rate on a category of deposit.  In addition, Leaders Bank has virtually no officer turnover so a customer can work closely with the same banking professionals as his or her business grows and prospers.

Leaders Bank has created an environment where privately-held businesses can thrive, according to a client who took part in an independent survey. “All employees are friendly and make us feel like valued customers even though we don’t have a tremendous amount of money on deposit and aren’t big borrowers. I’ve worked with many different banks, both large and small, and this is by far the best service I’ve ever received,” says the Leaders client.