We're all familiar with the perils Dorothy faced as shetraveled through the Land of Oz. Constantly on the lookout forlions, tigers and bears, her journey along the Yellow Brick Roadwas fraught with uncertainty. Dorothy easily could have thrown inthe towel, but she had the drive and desire to stay the course.

Examining Dorothy's path to success, several things stand out:She established goals (return home), had a plan (follow the road),had the drive and desire (help from her ruby slippers) andsurrounded herself with a strong and committed team (the Tin Man,Lion and Scarecrow). Facing challenges, Dorothy could have left herteam behind and “sold out” to the wicked witch, but she remainedloyal to her team and committed to her plan and goals.  

Similarly, the recent path for the independent agent has hadplenty of uncertainty and challenges: the everlasting soft market,the impact that healthcare reform will have on your benefits bookof business, or even the feeding frenzy of acquirers, jeopardizingtrue independence.

I have seen firsthand how the top independent agents find,nurture and protect the key ingredients to stay independent andgrow:

• The Tin Man (the heart of your agency)represents the employees that have built the agency, and isreflected in the clients retained year after year. It is commitmentto the community and your firm's investments in continuingeducation for you and your team. These efforts make up your companyculture, which is at the heart of every successful agency.
• The Lion (courage) comes from your willingnessto stay independent despite being tested every day by the economyand finding the courage not to sell out your agency's “heart” butto serve clients first and foremost. It takes courage to create aperpetuation plan that allows your team the opportunity toparticipate in the ownership of the business, and courage to forgeforward in the soft market while continuing to invest into yourbusiness.      
• The Scarecrow (brains) is your ability to see,plan and stay current with industry issues that could fall in yourpath. Wisdom and intelligence is available all around you throughconsulting firms, associations and industry lobbying groups.  

We all have a Yellow Brick Road to follow and there will alwaysbe threats along our journey. It is how you embrace your heart,courage and wisdom that will allow you to stay the course.