When the word came out in late October 2008 that The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. would purchase National City Bank, the rumblings from devoted employees and disgruntled Clevelanders could be heard all the way to PNC’s headquarters in Pittsburgh.
Investors believed the $5.2 billion purchase price was below National City’s market value. Employees questioned if they would have jobs after the merger was completed and their pride was dashed as they mourned the loss of one of the oldest local companies and one of the country’s largest banks.
Despite the initial shock to the system, it didn’t change the fact that by the end of the year, National City would become part of PNC, and like it or not, everyone had to get on board, and it was Paul Clark’s job to do so as the Northern Ohio regional president.
“As we moved into January of 2009 as part of PNC, the engagement of the team of employees here was incredible — simply incredible,” Clark says. “ … It was an exciting time for us. There was a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm that continues today.”
He was able to do that because he had built an effective team environment already, one that he likens to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who can still have fun even during the toughest situations. Like during a time in January when LeBron James got clobbered to the ground and headed to the line to try to win the game. But while this was going on, you also saw Delonte West and Mo Williams, both injured, hamming it up on the sidelines before James hit the game-winning shots.
“You’ve got Mo Williams and Delonte West on the sideline having a lot of fun at the most difficult time of the game, right?” Paul Clark says. “That says something about the chemistry of that team, and that’s really good. I think an important part of having an effective team is just keeping the environment light — keeping it fun so that people can bring their whole self to work every day.”
Clark created that environment, which eventually helped him lead employees through the merger, by bringing people together, communicating effectively, and trusting and overcoming mistakes. And he started with himself.
“You have to bring a certain level of energy to whatever it is you’re doing, even if you don’t have it,” he says. “Even if your energy tank is empty, you have to find some reserve somewhere to create the energy that everyone is looking for and would create that environment and bring their whole selves to work every day, and there has to be a consistency to it. You have to keep doing the same stuff over and over, even if it becomes a bit of a grind from time to time. That’s the nature of being a leader.”