Published May, 2012 By, Stuart R. Levine Last month I participated as a panelist on a National Association of Corporate Directors webinar entitled, “Capitalism, Transparency and Ethics.” Following the global financial crisis, directors are increasingly concerned with how to effectively navigate the new environment.  Being held under greater scrutiny by the public, members and the […]

By, Stuart R. Levine As we go deep into the fourth quarter of this year, I’d like to reflect upon lessons learned as well as thoughts for the new year and beyond.  This morning, after Thanksgiving day, I walked through my rose garden.  In some strange way, there were still roses in bloom, unlike most […]

By, Stuart R. Levine Successful leaders live by fundamental leadership principles with discipline and focus.  They commit to continuous learning and strive to have their behaviors serve as a reflection of their values — setting the standard and expectations for others in their organization. The CEO’s communication philosophy and actions sets the tone, whether it […]

By, Stuart R. Levine As I reflect on my travels to over 20 cities in 2011, I am struck by a conversation I’d like to share with you.  Upon arriving late one evening in Las Vegas to speak at a credit union conference, I asked the cab driver “how’s business?” I heard a profoundly sad […]

By, Stuart R. Levine Our firm recently facilitated the successful merger of two credit unions.  One of the fundamental issues that we focused on was the ability of the post merger team to quickly establish and maintain productive working relationships with employees and the people they serve. From the outset, it was critical to identify […]

This past month, I attended a Deloitte conference hosted by their Center for Corporate Governance, including 1,000 directors across 30 locations, live from New York City.  One of the most important topics and issues discussed is the board’s approach to succession planning. The departure of your CEO is the most important and challenging board responsibility. […]

Last week I attended a conference in New York City hosted by the National Association of Corporate Directors.  Core to this organization is the belief in education of directors who serve shareholders and other important stakeholders. Here are some directional issues that will redefine standards and behaviors and will require boards to transform their governance […]

Having just returned from NACUSO’s 2011 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, I thought it would be appropriate to share some perspective on current issues and trends that will impact your credit union and its ability to survive and thrive. Gigi Hyland, Board Member, NCUA, spoke about the unprecedented challenge of addressing the worst economic recession […]

Last week I attended a governance conference in New York City.  The primary focus of the meeting was education of directors who serve members and other important stakeholders. The real challenge that CEOs and boards face, is to learn as fast as the world is changing.  This implies a commitment to strengthening our skills to […]

This past year IBM released it fourth edition of their biennial Global CEO Study series entitled,  “Capitalizing on Complexity.”  Over 1500 global CEOs were interviewed in person, throughout 60 countries and across 33 industries.   The insights gained from this study have major implications for how leaders should view strategic planning, valued leadership qualities and decision-making […]