Rick Sems: Heart at Peace

Rick Sems: Heart at Peace

"The get-rich-quick scheme is actually to do a couple of things really well for a sustained period of time, and you set yourself apart." — Rick Sems

Real leadership isn't about running fast in every direction—it's about building deep human relationships, compounding wisdom over decades, and choosing peace over perpetual conflict.
In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra sits down with Rick Sems, CEO of Equity Bank. Rick reflects on his family's immigrant roots, leading a multi-billion-dollar regional bank, applying the Influence Pyramid from The Anatomy of Peace, and why mastering three core focus areas beats chasing endless shiny initiatives.

The 5 Levels of the Influence Pyramid (From The Anatomy of Peace)

1. Shift Posture: Heart at Peace (Base): See people as human beings rather than objects or obstacles.
2. Build Relationships: Invest in deep personal trust with those you wish to influence.
3. Listen & Learn: Create space to authentically understand what others are experiencing.
4. Teach & Communicate: Share your vision, values, and expectations with clarity.
5. Correct / Fix (Top): Address behaviors—which becomes much easier once levels 1–4 are firmly established.

10 Memorable Quotes:

• "The get-rich-quick scheme is actually to do a couple of things really well for a sustained period of time, and you set yourself apart." — Rick Sems
• "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care." — Rick Sems
• "Vulnerability actually makes you stronger." — Rick Sems
• "Every time you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else." — Rick Sems
• "When you shift from seeing people as objects to seeing people as people, you shift from a heart at war to a heart at peace." — Chris Schembra
• "Compounding happens in everything we do—it happens in your decision-making." — Rick Sems
• "Change is loss, loss is grief, and grief creates anxiety. As leaders, we have to sit with people in their grief and anxiety." — Rick Sems
• "Fear and gratitude cannot coexist." — Chris Schembra
• "Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances; it changes your capacity to carry them." — Chris Schembra
• "If you can put two things together that are diametrically opposed, you create a differentiation that is hard to beat." — Rick Sems

10 Key Takeaways:

• Heart at Peace: Stop seeing colleagues and clients as obstacles; view them as human beings.
• The Influence Pyramid: Solve issues by building trust and listening before trying to correct behavior.
• Help Things Go Right: Shift focus away from crisis firefighting toward building foundational trust.
• Rule of Three: Focus on 3 core strategic goals rather than executing dozens of superficial tasks.
• Confidence & Humility: Balance strong executive drive with genuine personal humility.
• Empathy in M&A: Recognize that corporate acquisitions create loss and anxiety for acquired teams.
• Compounding Wisdom: Real expertise is built over sustained time through repeated, hands-on reps.
• Proactive Mentorship: Encourage rising leaders to raise their hands and ask for guidance.
• Genius of the "And": Combine organic growth with profitability to build sustainable advantages.
• Physical Co-Creation: Recharge resilience through manual labor and shared offline activities.

About Our Guest:

Rick Sems is the Chief Executive Officer of Equity Bank, leading day-to-day operations and growth across its regional footprint. He previously served as Chief Banking Officer at First Bank in St. Louis and President/CEO of Reliance Bank. Rick holds a B.A. from Grove City College and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.