3 Core Skills Every Field Leader Must Master

Troy Korsgaden

Field leaders—the sales managers, district managers, regional directors and others who directly recruit and develop agents and advisors—are vital to the success of the insurance and financial services industry. The U.S. property and casualty market, which generates over $800 billion in annual direct premiums written, owes much of its success to the efforts of these leaders who recruit, develop and retain a strong and capable field force.

Times are changing, however. And today’s field leaders face challenges that demand a broader and more diverse skill set. While sales expertise and product knowledge remain essential, they are no longer sufficient on their own. To succeed today, field leaders must excel in all aspects of agency management—from managing operations and business financials to leading and engaging teams. They must broaden their focus from recruiting and training sales professionals to developing agency owners who can build and manage successful businesses.

Although the demands may seem daunting, field leaders can rise to the challenge by mastering three pivotal roles at the heart of successful leadership: setting vision, leading well and driving results. Let’s take a close look at each, including the fundamental skills every field leader should master for successful execution as well as strategies for engaging agency teams in the process.

Setting vision

Vision is the cornerstone of effective leadership. It provides direction, inspires action and fosters alignment across the organization.

Field leaders often tell us that agency owners lack a clear vision of the agencies they want to build. Surprisingly, this same challenge frequently applies to field leaders as well. Caught up in the demands of recruiting, onboarding, training and coaching, they often neglect to step back and define a vision for their own organizations.

Some leaders mistakenly view vision-setting as a luxury rather than a necessity, prioritizing more immediate tasks like recruiting or marketing. The pressure to “show results” also often takes precedence over investing in visionary thinking. However, leaders who take the time to craft and communicate a compelling vision position their organizations for sustainable growth and adaptability. Consider these questions when crafting your vision:

• What kind of organization do I want to build?
• What kind of leader do I want to be?
• How will we make a difference for the company, our agencies and our clients?

Once defined, the vision must be communicated consistently. Field leaders should demonstrate the vision through their actions and decisions, ensuring every agency owner feels inspired by a collective purpose and shared goals.

Business planning

A well-defined vision is integral to business planning. It ensures that short-term objectives and actions contribute to long-term goals, avoiding distractions or misaligned efforts.

By leveraging a clear vision as the foundation of their business plan, field leaders can align their efforts with strategic business growth objectives, ensuring every action supports long-term success. Field leaders can create comprehensive business plans by applying the five business-growth objectives we teach agency owners in our Practice Management program, scaling these principles to achieve their organizational goals.

1. Build a high-performance team: How will you attract, recruit, develop and retain top talent to strengthen your team?
2. Maximize the sales process: What strategies will you implement to enhance productivity, increase sales and grow the organization?
3. Optimize operations: How can you streamline systems and processes to improve efficiency and deliver measurable results?
4. Deepen client relationships: How will you support agency owners in building stronger relationships with their clients? What steps will you take to deepen your relationships with agency owners?
5. Lead with purpose: How will you foster a culture of purpose and create meaningful impact across the organization?

These objectives provide a practical framework for translating vision into actionable plans that drive organizational alignment and performance.

Shared purpose

In most multiline organizations, agency owners are independent contractors. This dynamic can make leadership challenging, as agency owners cannot simply be directed through top-down mandates. (Arguably, this approach is just as ineffective with employees.)

To engage agency owners, field leaders must foster collaboration in ways that resonate with their entrepreneurial spirit. Communicating the company’s vision in a way that aligns with agency owners’ personal aspirations creates a sense of shared purpose.

Here are three strategies for engaging agency owners in your vision:

• Connect company goals with agency benefits: Show how achieving broader goals—such as increasing market share or improving client relationships—directly benefits individual agencies by enhancing resources and opportunities.
• Emphasize a shared mission: Reinforce the collective purpose of protecting clients from unexpected losses and helping them achieve financial security.
• Build confidence in products and services: Strengthen belief in the company’s offerings, highlighting their value and differentiation in the market.

By aligning the organization’s vision with the aspirations of agency owners, field leaders can cultivate a unified, purpose-driven culture that propels success across all levels.


Leading well

Leading people—from attracting and recruiting new agents to developing and retaining experienced agents—requires more than just managing tasks and processes. It involves fostering trust, providing value and cultivating a culture that encourages growth, collaboration, and high performance.

Our research has shown that the relationship between the agency owner and field leader is a strong indicator of agency success. When field leaders approach their role as partners, they establish the trust and mutual respect necessary for collaboration and long-term growth. By focusing on leadership, field leaders can help agency owners feel supported and valued, fostering an environment where agency teams are more engaged and committed to their goals.

A leader who embodies these principles not only drives results but also lays the foundation for sustained success and resilience in an ever-changing industry.

Effective onboarding

As the saying goes, “First impressions matter.” Unfortunately, we often hear stories of poor onboarding experiences from new agency owners. Common complaints include computers not being set up, limited access to company systems and expectations to produce results before receiving adequate training.

For agents who are new to running a business, these challenges are even more daunting. They need guidance not only in generating sales but also in establishing their business and creating systems and processes to sustain it.

While field leaders may not have control over every element of onboarding, they can significantly improve the experience by implementing structured processes. An effective onboarding process should address the following key elements:

• Compliance: Ensure agency owners understand company policies, procedures and compliance requirements, including completing all necessary training.
• Competence: Equip agency owners with the tools and knowledge to succeed. This includes a training plan that combines classroom learning and on-the-job experience, such as joint work.
• Connections: Foster relationships by introducing new agency owners to the leadership team, peers and home office staff. Strong connections encourage loyalty and a sense of belonging.
• Clarity: Provide clear guidance on roles, responsibilities and key performance indicators, while aligning individual goals with organizational objectives.
• Culture: Share the agency’s cultural norms, such as core values and team meeting structures, to help new agency owners integrate smoothly.

An effective onboarding program goes beyond checking boxes—it lays the foundation for long-term success. By addressing these five essential elements, field leaders can ensure new agency owners feel supported, prepared and connected from day one. A strong onboarding experience not only sets the tone for the agency owner’s journey but also reinforces the organization’s commitment to their growth and success.

Joint work

There was a time when field leaders could excel by specializing in one area—such as life insurance sales or conducting annual reviews. That is no longer sufficient. To effectively train and develop agency owners in today’s environment, field leaders must be adept in conducting every type of client meeting. This requires comprehensive product knowledge and the ability to execute a consistent, repeatable meeting process.

Achieving this level of versatility doesn’t happen overnight. It requires intentional effort and proven strategies to ensure new agents acquire the skills they need to succeed. Joint work is one of the most effective tools for facilitating new agent development.

Key elements of an effective joint-work program include:

• Before the meeting, field leaders should outline the meeting’s objectives, key discussion points and potential client concerns. This preparation builds confidence and ensures that both the leader and agent are clear on their roles.
• Leaders should outline the flow of the meeting in advance, specifying when the agent will observe and when they will participate. This ensures smooth transitions and helps the agent focus on critical elements, such as handling objections or identifying client needs.
• After the meeting, leaders and agents should debrief to reflect on the experience. Discussing what worked well, areas for improvement and the next steps for client follow-up is essential for growth and practical learning.

This progression ensures that agents develop confidence and competence under the leader’s guidance. Joint work is not just a teaching tool; it is a strategic process that builds foundational skills, fosters professional growth and strengthens the relationship between field leaders and agents.

Build trust

Trust is the foundation of every strong relationship, and it is especially critical in the relationship between field leaders and agency owners. However, many field leaders mistakenly assume their actions inherently foster trust. Trust is too essential to leave to chance; it requires intentional and ongoing effort. Field leaders must actively build and nurture trust with their agency teams to create an environment of collaboration and success.

Researchers have identified five dimensions of trust, and each plays a vital role in maintaining strong relationships—competence, openness, concern, reliability and identification (see sidebar). When any one of these dimensions is neglected, trust can erode, sometimes irreparably. For field leaders, assessing and strengthening each dimension is a necessary step in cultivating a high-performance, high-trust culture.

Trust is the glue that binds agency teams and field leaders, fostering open communication, collaboration and mutual respect. Field leaders who focus on building trust create a culture where agency owners feel valued, understood and motivated to succeed.

Driving results

Field leaders play a pivotal role in driving results for agencies and the company by serving as strategic partners and business coaches. They act as a bridge between company goals and agency execution, ensuring alignment and fostering success at every level. Through consistent support and expert guidance, field leaders empower agency owners to navigate challenges, optimize performance and achieve sustainable growth.

Business acumen

To effectively coach and develop agency owners, field leaders must cultivate expertise in every facet of running an agency. This includes a deep understanding of sales and marketing strategies, building and managing high-performing teams, analyzing and monitoring business financials and optimizing operational workflows. By mastering these business acumen skills, field leaders are better positioned to guide agency owners in diagnosing challenges, making informed decisions and delivering strategic insights to drive business success.

Developing business acumen isn’t just about understanding concepts; it’s about consistently applying them to help agency owners navigate complexities and seize opportunities. Field leaders can establish their credibility and value by adopting a structured approach to analyzing agency operations. A consistent process should include regular reviews and discussions in key areas such as:

• Current book of business and business development strategies: Analyzing the performance and composition of the agency’s current portfolio while identifying opportunities for expansion and diversification.
• Client retention and the client experience: Evaluating client satisfaction, loyalty and the quality of interactions to ensure long-term relationships and business stability.
• Operational alignment and efficiency: Identifying areas for streamlining processes, reducing costs and maximizing productivity to support scalable growth.
• Organizational structure and staffing: Assessing team dynamics, resource allocation and hiring practices to ensure alignment with business goals.
• Culture and team engagement: Fostering a positive and inclusive work environment that motivates and retains top talent while aligning the team with the agency’s mission and vision.

To ensure agency owners feel consistently supported and equipped to achieve their goals, field leaders should schedule quarterly meetings to review performance, celebrate achievements and identify areas for improvement. These meetings provide a structured opportunity to align strategic priorities, address challenges and collaboratively develop actionable plans. By adopting this proactive and collaborative approach, field leaders not only strengthen their partnerships with agency owners but also position themselves as indispensable allies in their success journey.

Tailored support

Agency owners value partnerships that respect their autonomy while providing meaningful support. By tailoring their guidance to meet agency owners’ unique needs, field leaders demonstrate that the company’s vision includes agency success.

To guide agency owners through different stages of growth:

• Provide structure for new agency owners. For new, inexperienced agency owners, structure and discipline are paramount. Teach fundamentals such as sales techniques and operational processes. Help new owners create a schedule for daily, weekly and monthly activities. Monitor their progress and provide regular feedback. Providing structure helps new agency owners avoid costly mistakes and instills habits that lead to long-term success.
• Empower growing agency owners. As agency owners gain confidence and competence, they need less oversight and more guidance. Use open-ended questions to guide decision-making. Work with agency owners to optimize their operational processes. Encourage them to explore options and take calculated risks. Coaching fosters autonomy, growth and resilience, equipping agency owners to handle challenges while still feeling supported.
• Partner with experienced agency owners. Experienced agency owners seek strategic input rather than operational guidance. They have mastered the basics and day-to-day operations but may need a trusted advisor for strategic decisions. Collaborate with agency owners to refine strategies. Serve as a sounding board for their ideas and decisions and help them to align their operations with their long-term goals. This consultative approach empowers agency owners to lead confidently while leveraging external perspectives and expertise.

The journey to becoming an exceptional field leader is demanding but profoundly fulfilling. By embracing the roles of visionary, leader and results-driven partner, field leaders can transform the businesses and lives they influence. They will drive success for their agencies and the company while cultivating stronger relationships and empowering agency owners to reach new heights. In doing so, they contribute to the legacy of an industry that plays a critical role in protecting individuals, businesses and communities.