Raymond James CEO Says This Is More Important Than Money

Raymond James Financial CEO Paul Reilly reveals how he handles the cut-throat environment of business in the FBN Suite Spot.

Claman: Paul, talk to our viewers, people who are watching right now, what’s the number one characteristic you feel you or anybody successful has to have to achieve the highest levels?

Reilly: There’s multiple. First, you have to be open and honest. People have to trust you. Second, you have to be willing to learn. Through my whole career, every job was a new learning experience and I always took positions not for the money, but for what I could learn -- and the money comes along. And thirdly, be willing to take risks. Work in teams, work in new projects. Not only can you show your skillset and your ability to work with people, but you can show people you can accomplish things that other people are afraid to.

Claman: There’s a lot of cut-throat behavior out there in the corporate world, I don’t care what industry you’re in. How do you avoid that?  You just mentioned team building, instead of saying, “I’m the one… it’s all about me!” How can you pass on success to other people?

Reilly: I look at some of the jobs I have had, and I’ll go back to my career at KPMG, where there were lots of people in the big company. And I was chosen for the job, I think, because my peers said they trusted me versus other people. So, you almost have to ignore the cut-throat part. If people think you care about the organization and you care about them, they’re going to follow you and those leadership opportunities come.

Claman: Many more successes to you. Thank you so much, Paul.