management
To Be a Great Leader Requires You to Be Wrong
Have you worked for a boss with all the answers and didn’t need new ideas or recommendations? In your humble opinion, was he/she that smart? Would the department, project, or organization have benefited from a boss that was not a “know it all”? As you start to add leadership to your job description, remember the…
Read More3 Steps to Team Alignment
How often have you worked with a team that isn’t on the same page? This familiar work situation of being misaligned is not the team’s fault, but the leader/manager’s responsibility. What Elements are required for Team Alignment? 1. Purpose 2. Culture 3. Values When any of these three elements are out of alignment, the result…
Read MoreThe Eight Attributes of a Transformational Leader
I have been very lucky to work for CEOs who understood the principle that leadership is not about doing business as usual but about transforming the organization. Transformation is what differentiates a capable leader from a great leader. Transformational leadership is not easy. It is fraught with risk and reward, angst and celebration, stress and…
Read MoreA Leader’s Dilemma; Punish or Pamper?
On CBS Morning, there was a piece titled Punish or Pamper. The news story was about how to maximize productivity in the workplace. Why is this an either/or issue? Is managing a team about punish or pamper? I don’t think so… There are times when employees need and deserve to be pampered, and conversely, there…
Read MoreLeadership of Knowing When to Hand It Off
Leadership is about knowing when to step forward and knowing when to step away. Many times in my career, I have had a chance to do both. In my experience, stepping forward is much easier than stepping back. In every leadership role, there is a tipping point. Most leaders’ error is not seeing that tipping…
Read MoreWait, let’s not be emotionally driven – Really, NOW?!?
Why us it anytime something extraordinary happens, the “anti-change” elements of our organizations say, “Well now, we have to be careful, we don’t want to be driven by emotion?” Let talk. People who say, “let’s not be driven by emotion” are typically change-resistant. This “catchphrase” is a way to stop innovation and change conversation. They…
Read More5 Post-Covid Strategies
Everyone seems to be talking about the new normal. I am not a fan of the phrase “new normal.” Normalcy has always been the siren’s call to irrelevancy and plateauing for credit unions. Here the five things your credit union needs to consider as we move out of this pandemic: 1. Branches that don’t transition…
Read MoreBranching Strategy, It Starts with the Member
Historically branches are seen as transaction channels. Today, this view of branches has changed and continues to evolve. Members and potential members like the convenience of brick and mortar, they like the demonstration of financial strength and security. Still, the truth is, they rely less on branches for their daily, weekly, and monthly transaction business…
Read More5 Reasons to Redefine Leadership
Too often, leadership is seen as the job of the chosen few and dictated by the org chart. Let’s move past this arcane concept and change our paradigm. Leadership isn’t for the few; leadership is for the masses. Here is why I know this to be true: Marine Corps boot camp taught me that when…
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