“When you’re in a smaller group, that tends to foster people’s willingness to communicate. Once they see one or two people [talk] and that it was OK, then the others feel more comfortable,” Johnson says. “It doesn’t happen overnight, but after four to six months of consistently doing it, they see that you really do care about their opinions.
“You have to make it about other people. You’re in the wrong profession if you make it about yourself. It’s a job requirement, kind of like you need to have good eyesight to be a pilot. You need to be tall to be a center in the NBA. You need to care about other people more than yourself to be a competent leader.”
How to reach: Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, (713) 658-1200 or http://www.ml.com/
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. is wholly owned by Bank of America Corp.
Barron’s named more financial advisers from Merrill Lynch to its 2010 list of 1,000 Top Advisors than any other firm — 317 to be exact. Merrill Lynch also had the most No. 1 advisers in each state. Six advisers from Bob Johnson’s complex made the list.