CEO Mehran Assadi had a very succinct and simple explanation this week for National Life’s decade of success: It’s the company’s dedication to making itself a learning organization populated by servant leaders.
“The culture is the differentiator,” he said at the commencement event for participants in the Strategic Thinking Institute and Execution Leadership Institute.
Mehran took time during the meeting to lay out what he believes makes National Life the incredible success it has been while so many of our peers are experiencing little or no growth – and sometimes, even contraction.
“I want you to know why I put culture first and front and center,” Mehran said, recounting a conversation he had with another insurance company CEO this week. “Because that fuels who you are as an organization.”
Other companies, including the one whose CEO he was speaking to, talk about culture. But they don’t embrace it as central to all that they do as we do.
“There is a reason behind this: Our vision, mission and values are fueled by our culture, who we are as an organization, in order to serve middle America, the most underserved segment of the market. This is about results in order to fulfill our mission.”
In his conversation with his fellow CEO, he laid out the secret to the success of National Life.
“Culture and purpose equals results,” Mehran said. “We are not a nonprofit. We are a for-profit organization. At our company we provide feedback. Feedback is a tool. Culture is a framework, a set of values and beliefs. At the end of the day it contributes directly to the balance sheet of the company. We want to insure 2, 3 million people in this country.
“In order to do that we have to have the balance sheet. In order to do that, we have to have best and brightest. In order to do that we have to have the rigor or learning, teaching and meritocracy in the organization.”
Mehran conceded that we may not all be in the same place in the journey, and he says that’s OK.
“It is totally cool if you’re trying to figure it out,” he said. “This is not one of those deals where you either drink the Kool Aid or you don’t. It’s a process.”
It’s also why National Life spends so much time and money on programs such as STI and ELI. The company is committed to learning because it helps National Life thrive and serve the millions of people across American who rely on companies such as ours for their peace of mind.
This kind of learning will remain central to the company. Learn more about how our “Learning Leaders Light the Path” on a new site on National Life Today.