By, Stuart R. Levine Published in, The Credit Union Times Stanford Business School recently surveyed more than 200 CEOs, board directors and senior executives of North American public and private companies and found that nearly all the CEOs surveyed thought that establishing a professional relationship to receive leadership advice or coaching would be valuable.  Only […]

Lately in our business, I have observed a disturbing trend. Companies are on a shorter planning cycle, and long term planning and visionary thinking is difficult to achieve. However, visionary planning informs every future decision, including hiring the right talent on both your management team and board. Too few leaders spend time talking about these […]

Maximizing and ensuring shareholder value and performance requires an ongoing review of the depth of talent in an organization as well as the right complement of skills to lead effectively and navigate changing strategies.  As markets become more global and technology continues to play an even greater role in strategy, the criteria established for both […]

As we begin the new year, most CEOs and C-Suite executives are thinking about how to strengthen the leadership team and management to best execute on strategy. Some leaders may have the “gene” that inspires them to naturally keep learning about the world and how it will impact their business. But many don’t have that […]

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 […]

This past month, I was invited to deliver a leadership presentation to a group of international business students at Stony Brook University at the request of a business colleague I have known for over 25 years.  These exchanges of content are an enduring commitment we make to the community.  Our hope is that the fundamental […]

Directors desire a stronger line of communication with the CEO than is presently acknowledged. Sometimes lack of dialogue is a byproduct of board rules, including requirements for executive sessions without the CEO present. Sometimes it stems from failing to make such conversation a priority. Committing to an intelligent exchange of ideas with your CEO will […]

In our many years of operating a strategic planning firm, one incredible truth has emerged. The commitment to continually learn defines whether people and teams have the energy to innovate and develop strategies that achieve results. As the world continues to evolve economically and politically, global and emerging markets become more competitive. Effective leaders understand their role in stimulating discussions that […]

There are countless books on best practices for employee motivation. An Amazon search yields more than 8,000 titles. Combined with lectures and journal articles, you could probably spend the next two years wading through all the information. Many of these writings were sound and offered excellent tools. I intentionally used the past tense “were” and […]