Leadership should come from every level of your organization.
By Jeff Rendel, CSP
Several years ago, I was speaking for a credit union at its all staff in-service day. Before the activities began, I was going about the meeting room visiting with staff. I introduced myself to a young lady and asked what role she served at the credit union. “Oh, I’m just a teller,” she replied, with a sinking tone that focused on the word “just.”
Swiftly, I pointed out the credit union’s CEO, who was chatting with colleagues. “Do you see your CEO?” I asked the teller. She responded with an affirmative nod. “I’ll bet that you see and serve more members in one day than your CEO sees and serves in one month, maybe one year,” I continued. “In your members' eyes and experience, you are the CEO of the moment and transaction.”
A credit union CEO friend of mine backed up my “from-the-hip” claim and analyzed the number of member interactions among five staff member levels over one month. In a month, the credit union conducted 19,564 member interactions. Of those interactions, the CEO interacted with members five times; front-line leaders interacted with members 17,548 times. A member was 3,510 times more likely to interact with a front-line employee leader than the chief executive.
Every year, I’m privileged to work with hundreds of credit union CEOs and thousands of credit union professionals. In this capacity, I’m able to witness many successful characteristics and attributes of CEOs of prosperous credit unions. What’s most amazing is that these “CEO” qualities and traits aren’t reserved just for CEOs. There can and should be a CEO at every employee desk.
What if your leadership development and training program reinforced the idea that leadership does not just reside at the top of the organization chart or in the executive suite? What if your program asserted that leadership comes from the middle and front line–right where your members and colleagues benefit most?
Leadership is everyone’s business. Execution is everyone’s job. Accountability is everyone’s duty. As you enhance your leadership programs, consider including features that highlight the abilities and proficiencies necessary at the CEO level and how they apply to daily life in sales, service, and operations.
When your members’ most likely experiences and assessments of your credit union occur outside of the executive office, leadership and execution from your front line are indispensable. You may even consider having your CEO lead a training session or two. Your benefit comes from developing a workforce committed to being CEOs of their jobs and in every interaction with your members. You strengthen engagement and advance enterprise-wide innovation. You drive commitment to sales, service, and growth. Your return is significant: strategic-minded, results-focused, and entrepreneurial/CEO-minded leaders at every level.
As I finished my chat with the teller referenced above, I asked for her business card. She handed me a general card for the credit union; her name was not printed on the card. I wrote her name on the card with the title, “CEO of My Job” and congratulated her on her promotion. She smiled, we laughed; today she is a branch manager for the credit union. And she’s still CEO of her job.
Jeff Rendel, CSP, is president of Rising Above Enterprises. Rendel works with credit unions that want elite results in leadership, sales, and strategy. He is the creator of “A CEO at Every Desk™.” Each year, he addresses and facilitates for more than 100 credit unions and their business partners. Reach him at 951.340.3770.
