When Ray Davis took over the local 40-person South Umpqua Bank in 1994, many people in the industry poked fun at his insistence that employees answer the phone with a cheery World's Greatest Bank. Eleven years, $7 billion in assets, and 128 branches (or bank stores in Umpqua lingo) later, the moniker seems quite apt. Other banks scratched their heads when Davis sent his tellers to Ritz-Carlton to learn customer service and were intrigued when he hired a cutting-edge design firm to completely re-think retail layout. Now, with a top design award under their belt, a name change (there never was a North Umpqua bank), and a completely new definition of the banking business, Umpqua has become the darling of the entrepreneurial press and a growth powerhouse. The New York Times calls Umpqua Starbucks with tellers,

Ray Davis (Portland, OR), named by U.S. Banker as one of the 25 most influential people in the financial industry in 2005, is President and CEO of Umpqua Holdings Corporation. Alan Shrader (Moraga, CA) is an experienced writer and editor of business books.

"Ray Davis addresses many of the key issues we face in continuing to drive growth at Nike— staying connected with the consumer, leading change, building the brand, and cultivating a strong corporate culture. He offers clear solutions and creative leadership approaches for all business leaders, regardless of industry."

— Charlie Denson, president, Nike Brand

"Ray Davis is a leader for the 21st century. He understands that winning companies compete on ideas— ideas that shape the future of their industry and reshape the sense of what's possible among customers, employees, and investors."

— Polly LaBarre, coauthor, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win

"Thanks to Ray Davis's leadership, Umpqua Bank is the premier experience-stager in the banking industry. The principles that he brought to bear to lead what once was a small, sleepy company into a dynamic, growing organization are yours for the taking in Leading for Growth. Read it, apply them, grow, repeat."

— B. Joseph Pine II, coauthor, The Experience Economy, and cofounder, Strategic Horizons LLP

"Growing a business demands basic disciplines that are often ignored. Leading for Growth provides a compelling look at what's required for companies to break out of the pack."

— James Champy, coauthor, Reengineering the Corporation, and chairman of consulting for Perot Systems

"Leading for Growth presents an inspiring and powerful set of lessons about growing a company from a leader who has 'been there and done that.' The book is relevant to anyone in a leadership position faced with the need to change a culture and/or growsuccessfully— essentially, all of us."

— Eric Flamholtz, president, Management Systems Consulting Corporation, and professor of management, Anderson School, UCLA