Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

I've been in beautiful Annapolis, Maryland this week honing my leadership and management skills. MLI has been great.

I wish you were here. But have no fear - here are some of my key takeaways. 

1. You may be the problem. People often blame their circumstances for where they are. Speaker after speaker this week said to forget those thoughts. You are in charge of your future. Your life. If you aren't where you want to be, look in the mirror. What can you do to make things better?
2. Bad news does not get better with age. Share bad news when you hear it. It is better that your boss hears bad news concerning your team from you...than from someone else. 
3. Take responsibility. A problem happened in your area. Own it! You could have coached better. Or monitored better. Here's a great video about how a Navy Seal views ownership.
4. You don't communicate as well as you think you do. Remove ambiguity. Be clear. Concise. Consistent. Make sure you paint a picture of what you want so people see the movie playing in your mind.
5. Good isn't good enough. We must be exceptional. That means hiring exceptional people. Giving exceptional guidance. Communicating exceptionally. If you accept mediocre talent and performance, you've set the bar right there. 
6. When people see you and hear you speak, what do they think? Your presence and communication are a huge part of your brand. What is your brand? Here are a few more thoughts on that.
7. Know the numbers. We are in the financial industry. If you want to succeed, you must know the numbers. Can you read your credit union's financials? If not, there are ways to learn. And they are important skills. Knowledge of numbers = power.
8. Be a diplomat. You will find problems. How do you address them? Do you identify problems with grace, and coach people? Or do you rub their face in the dirt? You can win the battle and lose the war! As a leader, you'll often be able to improve situations. Your experience and skills can make things better. Sure! But you also want your teams to develop those skills and own situations. It is a delicate, but important, balancing act. Diplomacy goes a long way. So...read this book.
9. I am good at what I do, and I do it because I care about you. John Spence says that this sentence sums up what people really look for in a leader. How do you measure up?
10. The race is never done. There is alway more to learn. More to improve. Features to add. Processes to improve. Never be comfortable standing where you are. Always push forward. Learn to get used to being uncomfortable.

It has been an amazing week, and I've learned so much. I hope to see you at this conference next year. We'll host it in San Diego from October 2-6.

 

Annapolis - an East Coast Gem!