We build on foundations we did not lay.
We warm ourselves by fires we did not light.
We sit in the shade of trees we did not plant.
We drink from wells we did not dig.
We profit from persons we did not know.
-Rev. Peter Raible (paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:10-12)
Who was your mentor? Who taught you the ins and outs of leadership?
There’s always someone. And there was someone who mentored them. And someone before that. Truly, as Raible says, “We sit in the shade of trees we did not plant.”
But the work is never done. You have the opportunity (and responsibility) to plant new trees for the next generation of leaders to sit under. Community bank and credit union leadership training is an essential part of both your legacy and the future viability of the institution.
Up In the Clouds
Great leaders have principles.
There’s more to leadership than ideals, but you still need the ideals as your guiding stars. Living your principles for so long means they’re second nature to you…but they’re not second nature to everyone. It’s important to pass down these lessons.
These lessons might include:
- How to always have integrity
- How to act during challenging times
- How to view and treat employees
Even though these are at a 30,000-foot level, they serve as the foundation for the nuances of everyday community bank and credit union leadership training. So, don’t forgo the ideals!
Down on the Ground
Great leaders live in the real world.
Pie-in-the-sky ideals are useless. You must teach new leaders how to apply principles to the struggles of daily leadership. This is often more grey than it is black-and-white, and you probably made many mistakes while you learned.
While your rising leaders will make their fair share of mistakes too, you can coach them to avoid the ones you made.
Coaching sessions might include:
- How to conscientiously deal with troubling employees or coworkers
- How to work through professional disagreements with other leaders
- How to manage workplace wellbeing
- How to bring others through institutional change
- How to communicate effectively (or overcommunicate)
These subjects are closer to the 10,000-foot level, and they are vital parts of community bank and credit union leadership training. Just like a strategic plan…great ideas are nothing without effective real-life implementation.
Breaking Bread
Great leaders masterfully build relationships.
The point is not to have meals with mentees (although you certainly can). The point is to develop personal relationships with them. Encourage them to develop personal relationships with their mentees too.
Without a relationship, your new leaders won’t fully trust you. And they won’t learn anything.
Rita Pierson said, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” It’s true for adults as well, even if a better word than like is respect.
Let’s be real: this isn’t some fantasy world where everyone likes an institution’s leaders all the time. But if they respect you, they will learn from you. Respect overpowers momentary dislike.
Build relationships with new leaders. Genuinely invest in them. Teach them the large and small.
Earn their respect.
Does it all feel intimidating to do alone? You don’t have to fly solo!
On The Mark Strategies helps with community bank and credit union leadership training all over the country. Modules cover everything from high ideals to on-the-ground techniques to relationship tips. Book a free consultation today.
