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 your organization. The CEO’s communication philosophy and actions sets the tone, whether it be openness with the […]

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 story.  His face is […]

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 members they serve. From the outset, it was critical to identify people-related risk factors as […]

This week I attended the 34th Annual National Director’s Convention in Las Vegas as a speaker on the topic of “Relentless Strategic  Leadership to Ensure Member Value ”.  The sessions were attended by both directors and CEOs.  The topic most commonly asked in both sessions were concerns about toxic board members who are defined as […]

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. […]

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 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 […]

On January 25th, 2011, The Credit Union Leadership Forum held its first Web Seminar entitled, “A Practical Perspective: Regulatory Realities”, featuring Paul Peterson, NCUA Associate General Counsel, Teresa Halleck, President & CEO, San Diego County Credit Union and Sarah Snell Cooke, Editor-in-Chief, Credit Union Times and myself. We discussed the practical and real-world implications of […]

As we consider regulatory changes for board governance and the business environment gets more complicated, boards and CEOs have to define and clarify their roles and responsibilities.  This will require more direct communication and understanding of strategy. Committing to an intelligent exchange of ideas with your CEO will require some discipline, but will yield a […]