Many years ago, I worked for the president of a bank famous for aggressive bank acquisitions and rapid growth in the financial services space. The bank ultimately became the Bank of America, and the president became its CEO. Hugh McColl was famous for his swashbuckling leadership style, his brilliant strategy execution, and his sometimes irreverent style of communications, especially when the media were involved.

When the bank purchased Barnett Bank, the largest bank in Florida, McColl commissioned the construction of a large high-rise in Tampa, Florida, which the locals called the “Beer Can Building.” It was a tall circular structure that dominated the Tampa skyline. When asked if he had plans to put the bank name or logo on the side of the building, McColl wisecracked, “You wouldn’t think of putting a sign on a female that proclaimed ‘woman,’ would you?” The media had a field day with this metaphor.

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