5 Books That Will Change How Credit Union Leaders Listen and Lead

Jackie Brown, ACC, founder, JB Communications Group

A small credit union was on its way to being acquired when the board made a bold move, hiring a new CEO who wasn’t from the industry. They knew something had to change and this candidate brought a new energy, leadership approach and a strong connection with financial retail organizations. Right away, he made time to visit branches, departments, and members. He sought to understand them first before expecting them to understand him or his vision. And this wasn’t simply a 90-day plan, three years later, that credit union is now in a position to acquire others. The difference? He listened first.

Listening at the level he practices creates a true shared experience. The people he’s interacting with feel understood and then naturally lean in, paying much closer attention to what he says.

Listening at this level earns trust. The new CEO created conversations that felt safer, welcoming ideas and innovations. And when some ideas weren’t implemented, his team knew why.

At this level of listening, the new CEO felt more human. Some might call it being vulnerable, the employees simply treasured his open and honest curiosity.

This turnaround story might seem too good to be true. Yet, while the names have been omitted to protect those involved, it is a very real experience of a very real and very small credit union. But don’t let the “small credit union in dire straits” position deter you.

This same approach is happening in all sorts of industries and with fantastic results. And yes, those results can happen even in your credit union. And it can start this very day, with your very next conversation. That kind of leadership isn’t a personality trait. It’s a practice. These five books will show you how.

A perennial bestseller since it was released a few years ago and for good reason. Duhigg brings a ton of solid research to who Supercommunicators are and what it takes to become one. I love his fresh take on how to create better conversations, which starts with identifying the goal of your next one. Is it to make a decision, deepen the connection or to process emotions? Most conversations fall into one of those three categories.

One of my favorite takeaways from this book is a question we can ask someone when they want to start a conversation: do you want to be helped, hugged or heard?

Imagine listening to members’ input with that lens! They often feel so much better once someone actually understands their situation, even if there’s not much that can be done to help it.

A book that’s flying under the radar yet is so full of important takeaways, the premise is simple and transformative: most of us are listening to respond rather than to truly understand. This book changes that with six easy-to-remember listening activities, confirming that yes, listening is much more than simply nodding at the right time.

Use those six activities yourself then teach them to your staff. Better member support and inter-departmental collaborations are just a few of the business benefits from Radical Listening.

Another bestseller, this one is very practical, straightforward and easy to read with your Saturday morning coffee. Heck, take it to work and read a short chapter with your office coffee. You’ll find having it close at hand for tricky conversations will help you help your staff to find their own, often better, answers to the questions they’ve been bringing you. The subtitle says it all: say less, ask more and change the way you lead forever. This is one of the books I recommend the most, especially to those early in their leadership journey.

This book takes listening and trust into the team environment with fantastic examples and research for why and how collaborations can be more effective. Coyle makes a great case for the importance of safety, vulnerability and shared purpose. And as we’ve seen in the credit union space, that shared purpose needs to go deeper than people helping people.

Are we listening enough to truly understand what others need and then helping to remove the barriers? This book helps us identify and mitigate prevalent barriers. One of the most common barriers? Reactance: the instinct for us to react away from a recommendation. Turns out those rebellious teenagers who do the opposite of what they’re advised are just more upfront about it than the rest of us!

We see this in members when they drag their feet about budgets and investing – they hear the advice yet rarely act on it, often holding on even harder to their current habits.

That CEO didn’t attend a seminar on listening. He simply decided that understanding others mattered more than being understood himself. These five books will help you make the same decision and give you the tools to act on it.

Your next conversation is waiting. Which book will you open first?

Related Article:
The crucial collaboration step most credit union leaders miss