In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Christopher Williston about organizational culture, leadership influence, and how stewardship principles shape healthy institutions. They discuss building trust, sustaining accountability, and the daily choices leaders make that strengthen or weaken culture.

• How stewardship and culture intersect inside organizations.
• Why high-trust, high-responsibility environments outperform low-trust cultures.
• How leaders shape culture through influence, transparency, and consistency.

This is the second of two conversations with Christopher. Here’s the previous one: Episode 9 on stewardship & leadership

Christopher Williston VI is the President and CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT), the largest state association dedicated exclusively to community bank advocacy. Prior to leading IBAT starting in 2019, Williston served the association for nine years in numerous roles, including Chief Operations Officer, and held the position of Director of Communications at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Texas. In addition to his job responsibilities at IBAT, Williston has been recognized for his service to the association industry. He is a Past Chairman of the Texas Society of Association Executives, and he has been recognized with the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives. Williston is a graduate of Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School at TCU. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Georgetown, Texas, and have six children. More about IBAT: Independent Bankers Association of Texas

More about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

To learn about Eric’s upcoming book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Christopher Williston about stewardship, leadership, and the responsibility carried by leaders in community banking. They explore how trust, humility, and healthy culture shape effective leadership and how shared burdens within teams create stronger organizations.

• The stewardship responsibility community bank leaders carry for customers, employees, and communities.
• Why trust is foundational to banking relationships and leadership credibility.
• How leadership privileges belong to the position rather than the individual.
• The importance of culture and teamwork in carrying leadership responsibilities.

Christopher Williston VI is the President and CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT), the largest state association dedicated exclusively to community bank advocacy. Prior to leading IBAT starting in 2019, Williston served the association for nine years in numerous roles, including Chief Operations Officer, and held the position of Director of Communications at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Texas. In addition to his job responsibilities at IBAT, Williston has been recognized for his service to the association industry. He is a Past Chairman of the Texas Society of Association Executives, and he has been recognized with the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives. Williston is a graduate of Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School at TCU. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Georgetown, Texas, and have six children. More about IBAT: Independent Bankers Association of Texas

More about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

To learn about Eric’s upcoming book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Bill Chittenden about leadership, stewardship, and the role community banks play in strengthening local communities. They discuss succession planning, board governance, lifelong learning, and how steward leadership and servant leadership shape effective bank leadership.

• The mission and impact of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking in developing future banking leaders.
• Why succession planning is a critical stewardship responsibility for community bank leaders.
• The distinct governance role of bank boards and the importance of asking good questions.
• How community banks serve as essential institutions for economic vitality in local communities.

Dr. William T. Chittenden is President and CEO of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business. Prior to joining SMU, he served at Texas State University as Presidential Fellow, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, and Department Chair. Dr. Chittenden holds a B.B.A. in Finance and an M.S. in Economics from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Texas Tech University. A recognized authority on banking, finance, and economic analysis, he is a past president of both the San Antonio Association for Financial Professionals and the Academy of Financial Services. His work and insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, USA Today, American Banker, and numerous other publications, and he has appeared on television and radio in the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Germany, and Singapore. Dr. Chittenden is the co‑author of The Art of Transforming Data: A Banker’s Guide to Dashboards and Scorecards. He has consulted for numerous financial institutions and speaks regularly to professional organizations across the United States and Canada on financial, economic, and banking‑industry topics. More about SWGSB: swgsb.org

For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com sixarrowsconsulting.com.

Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever.

See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders

Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).