Passion and Leadership; Leadership and Passion

Gung-ho and leadership are not the same things. We’ve all worked for a boss that was all about getting it done at all costs, striving to get all the wins at any cost, take the hill without caring about consequences. This behavior is not leadership. Passion is a leadership attribute that cannot be denied, but…

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Three Things Every Leader Must Know

Leadership is not for sissies. Leadership is not about you. Leadership has a price. Let’s diagnose each of these requirements. Leadership is not for sissies – To be an authentic leader takes courage. This courage is realized in many ways. Sometimes it is the courage to do what you don’t want to do, to do…

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Career Setback or “The Sky Is Falling”?

If it hasn’t happened yet, it will. Suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, you get – pick one – demoted, laid off, fired, passed over, or criticized for your execution of a project. What happens next will determine your future for a long, long time. When a career setback happens, it will most likely be…

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How to Create a High Performing Team

The most extensive expense line on the income statement is compensation and benefits, and this expense must be maximized and leveraged. To get the most from your comp and benefits expenses, starts with performance management. Unfortunately, performance management has become an annual or semi-annual exercise in futility for too many organizations. When performance management becomes…

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Leadership: Don’t leave it to Amateurs

If you were to describe your leadership style, what would you say? If you were to define the leadership style of your credit union, what adjectives would you use? Like it or not, we all have a leadership style, and if your credit union has not defined their preferred leadership style, you have many varieties,…

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Is There a Place for a Humble Leader?

Some lead with ego, and some lead with humility. Which are the most successful leaders? Let’s look at history. Leading with ego, we all have a list that jumps to mind because you’ve probably known or worked for these leaders. I immediately think of Ken Lay of ENRON fame and Joe Nacchio of USWest, leaders…

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3 Steps to Finding the Right CEO

At the top of the hierarchy, there are all kinds of leaders from all sorts of backgrounds. But typically in a world of shareholder returns, ROE, ROA, capital ratios, and expense ratios, the corner office is often a numbers expert, usually from the CFO ranks. Is this leadership succession the best thing for an organization?…

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