FROM STRATEGIC LEADERS TO STRATEGIC THINKING

Rough Notes, Apr 2005 by Hicks, Bruce

CPCU Society president urges members to follow their dreams

"We are in a fantastic industry. ... At any given catastrophe, insurance people are often right behind safety personnel who are working hard to restore order."

Don Hurzeler, current president of the CPCU Society, has a wonderful habit of sharing messages that inspire others. The Society demands a lot of travel from its presidents and, on this occasion, Hurzeler was visiting the Cincinnati area. The local Society Chapter, along with the Ohio Casualty Group, had invited Hurzeler to speak at an educational event. The two organizations were co-sponsoring a presentation of "Strategic Thinking," one of the Society's National Leadership Institute (NLI) courses.

As a preface to the morning-long course, Hurzeler took to the podium. Addressing the group of more than a hundred people at Ohio Casualty Group University, Hurzeler began with an admission that he could not understand how people make the excuse that they are too busy to reach certain goals, particularly achieving a CPCU designation. He illustrated the matter by talking about an Ohio Casualty executive who recently got her designation while handling a demanding job along with a very active calendar of professional and personal pursuits. It demonstrated that being busy isn't a barrier to accomplishment, just an excuse for avoiding it.

New perspective

Hurzeler is a storyteller and his messages are woven amid personal stories. One that stood out concerned a recent trip that he made to Europe. Hurzeler went to Valkenburg, Holland, to run a marathon. It was unusual, not because of the distance, but because of the setting. Each ontestant had to run the course while wearing a lighted helmet. The course consisted of a system of caves and tunnels. Why the marathon? The answer requires a time machine. Four years earlier, after being diagnosed with cancer, Hurzeler underwent a long series of radiation treatments. The experience caused him to create a new set of personal priorities. Life's new demands became first, faith; second, family; third, job; and a distant fourth, himself. (As an aside, Hurzeler mentioned that his wife once asked whether he was sure he got the order right.) With a new lease on life and a new perspective, Hurzeler devoted more of his time fulfilling the needs of his top priorities, but he had been neglecting himself. It was past time to do something "selfish."

His athletic background began with running (participating in track in high school and college), so it seemed that a marathon would be a fitting major challenge. He gave himself six weeks to prepare for the course. He explained that it was his way to give time to himself and to stop playing things safe. He admitted that committing to running the race put him in a position to fail and was a risk-taking opportunity. Hurzeler made a point that youth is a (natural) time to take chances and, at older ages, most people play things safe. He finished the marathon, but he "failed" because he didn't complete the course within its maximum time limit.

Fulfilling your dreams

While treating his illness, Don was at home on sick leave for three weeks. It was the first time in his career that he had missed work for such an extended period and it left him with a lot of time to think. He spent the time considering the dreams that he hadn't fulfilled. Hurzeler's employer provided him with a "life coach" (Loretta Malandro, Ph.D) who helped motivate him to pursue some important goals, particularly writing a book. He locked himself to a keyboard for six days cranking out the 400 pages that were transformed into "Designated for Success," his book about his career and his life philosophy.

Hurzeler asked the audience what dream or goal were they six days away from completing? And what commitment was necessary to get it done?

Resignation

Hurzeler then talked about resignation, which he described as a state of mind of just "giving up" on a situation that needs to be changed, but hasn't. He asked the audience: "What situation have you resigned yourself to?"

He offered another story from his past. Hurzeler walked into a new assignment where he had to head up an office that typified resignation. In an initial meeting with the office's employees, he asked if anyone could explain the meaning of a motto that was prominently displayed throughout the office. The motto mentioned a commitment to world class performance, but no one could tell him what the words meant. Hurzeler realized the answer-the words didn't mean anything. It was his responsibility to provide an answer.

He continued the meeting discussing what good performers and good organizational performance meant. Top tier people and organizations put themselves into a position to call their own shots, to take control of their own destinies. Hurzeler spoke of the belief that he held then and does today:

"It's important that everyone work toward becoming the ultimate expert, the best at what they do."

Hurzeler described resignation as a dream-killer that has to be fought. His final point to his fellow insurance professionals was a solid one: "Chasing dreams allows you to be able to look back and say that you're proud of what you have accomplished. Go after your dreams and fight resignation."