Speaking Event
Event Announcement: 2026 Caribbean Islands CU Educational Cruise
Join Tom and Jennifer Glatt for the 2026 Caribbean Cruise Conference, Feb 15-25. Attend expert-led sessions on CU strategy, governance, and member experience.
Leadership
Governance
What is Governance, Really? (Hint: It's Not the Binder on Your Shelf)
For most boards, "governance" is a dusty binder. This is a failure of the system, not the people. Learn what governance is really about: a "Living System" for proactive, strategic oversight
Strategy
From Plan to Action: Closing the "Execution Gap" in Your Strategy
At the Reaching Members conference, Tom Glatt detailed why great strategies fail: The "Execution Gap." Learn how to close it using the OKR framework to connect your board's vision to real, measurable results.
Strategy
Employee Happiness Isn't a Perk. It's a Strategic Outcome.
Credit unions are spending fortunes on wellness perks to fix burnout. But the cure for burnout isn't a perk; it's a purpose. Learn why employee happiness is a strategic outcome, not an HR initiative.
Strategy
Is Your Organizational Structure Sabotaging Your Strategy?
In strategic planning sessions across the country, credit union leadership teams build ambitious roadmaps for the future. They chart out new member-centric initiatives, innovative digital channels, and diversified revenue streams through CUSOs. Yet, months later, many of these critical "explore" initiatives are stalled, suffocated by the very
Governance
Reputation Risk Isn't Gone, It's Yours: A Board's Guide Post-NCUA Shift
The NCUA recently announced a significant shift in its supervisory framework: it will cease using "reputation risk" as a formal category in examinations. Citing the subjective nature of the assessment, the agency aims to ground its oversight in more data-driven conclusions. While this change streamlines the examination
Strategy
The New Bottom Line: How Workplace Flexibility Became a Strategic Asset
For years, the debate around remote and hybrid work has been framed as a culture war: a battle between traditional office norms and a new demand for flexibility. Groundbreaking research from economists at Harvard, Brown, and UCLA, however, is reframing the conversation. Workplace flexibility is no longer just a perk;
Governance
Building the Perpetual Board: A Leader's Guide to Succession Readiness
At the recent 2025 National Director’s Roundtable, I led a session on one of the most critical duties of governance: proactive board succession planning. In today's landscape of accelerating change, a reactive approach to filling board seats is a significant strategic risk. The question for every board
Governance
The Manager's True Superpower: A Guide to Scientific Talent-Spotting
We often attribute the success of a great manager to broad traits like vision or empathy. However, a groundbreaking 10-year study suggests their single most impactful skill is far more specific: the ability to identify an employee's unique strengths and guide them into the role where those
Governance
You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat: A Risk Analysis of the Leadership Team in "Jaws"
In the summer of 1975, a Great White shark terrorized the community of Amity Island, forcing Police Chief Martin Brody to famously conclude, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." That line became an emblem of being dangerously underequipped for a known threat. For today's
Governance
What's Your Team's Risk DNA? An Introduction to the Risk Type Compass
Every leadership team has an inherent "risk personality." Some are predisposed to caution, meticulously analyzing every variable before acting. Others are naturally composed, embracing challenges head-on with confidence and decisiveness. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong, but an unawareness of this natural disposition can lead to
Governance
Recruiting for the Future: A Modern Approach to Board Succession Planning
For many credit union boards, succession planning is a reactive process. A long-serving director retires, and the nominating committee scrambles to find a replacement—often someone with a similar background and skill set. This "like-for-like" replacement model feels safe, but in a rapidly changing industry,