Over the past several months I have had the privilege to work with several people who are in the millennial generation who are already CEOs, becoming CEOS, or aspiring to be CEOS. There is a distinctive energetic pulse with the millennial when we are discussing how it is being a CEO, developing Board–CEO relationships, leading a team that is older in age, and balancing life as a new CEO with a young family and community commitment. These CEOs’ deep commitment to doing things right is palpable and compelling. I certainly do not feel a sense of righteousness or entitlement from them; rather, what is present is a deeply felt sense that they are becoming a certain kind of leader.

My research says this: if you are a board member, a team member, or a strategic partner with a millennial CEO, you are in a situation with a strong value proposition. So pay attention, sit up straight, ask powerful questions, offer support, and be leadership champions with your CEO.

Millennials, as a generation, advocate for advancing the organization, the community, and global issues and will do so with innovative thinking and action, cohesion, collaboration, tolerance, and a high standard of excellence. Born between 1980 and the early 2000s, millennials experienced a number of nationally and globally transformative events during their leadership-formative years: 9/11, Enron, BP, the Great Recession, multiple systemic banking crises, war on multiple fronts, currency crises, sovereign debt crises, baby boomers retiring in thousands everyday, and now, a disruptive presidential election cycle. Some research indicates these crises created mistrust in millennials; I say they created a leadership opportunity.

Millennial

• Do not promote social responsibility (SR) to advance the company brand; they advocate SR because it is the right thing to do because the community and world become a better place when SR is embodied in workplace values.
• Consider products and services a waste of time if they don’t make a difference for the community.
• Are not overly risky with other people’s money; they are pragmatic and will invest in today to ensure future relevance and sustainability.
• Care about organizational and employee fitness and work to build a strong core of the organization, team, and self.
• Expect collaboration, commitment, and completion; to be a member on their team, you are expected to fulfill on expectations and do so with passion.
• Lead with purpose.
• Have a standard of excellence that does not track the number of hours worked and rather will look at the economic and qualitative value of the employee.
• Expect high-performing board members who are rigorous with strategic thinking, decisions, and continuous learning and who are committed to the organization through thought and action.
• Add more value as a new CEO with onboarding especially after a long term sitting CEO.
• Increase their immediate value as a CEO with boards that acknowledge a potential shift in their thinking and communication style is needed to best leverage the value of the millennial CEO.
• Are intelligent and have cross-functional expertise.
• Are educated with graduate degrees and pursue ongoing and continuous industry learning.
• Are natural-born mentors and coaches.
• Implement corporate social responsibility that is authentic and transparent.
• Build and maintain trust.
• Understand their personal reputation is entwined with the organization’s brand.
• Are masters of a broad range of communication skills to deliver a range of messaging with increased complexity.

From my perspective, to choose a millennial as a CEO is a defining transformative moment!

Deedee Myers, Ph.D., MSC, PCC
DDJ Myers, Ltd.

First published by CUInsight.com

Does the threat of not being reelected discourage incumbents from shirking their duties to be a high-performing board member or engaging in empire building with other board members and the membership at large? My hope is that all board members are committed to serving on the board to the best of their ability and adding value to the membership.

One of my favorite questions to ask a board member is “Are you willing to step aside and make room for someone who can add greater value?” One board member shared that every morning she asks herself, “Am I giving the value needed? If not, why? If yes, how do I know?” Self-reflection, such as these questions, is a courageous leadership move. How much do I live in the legend of myself?

Most credit unions have a semi staggered board of directors wherein a certain number of directors are up for reelection every year. A staggered approach to board elections has both benefits and potential problems. A major benefit is that the board has a constant supply of trained and ready board members for continuity. A potential challenge is presented when the chair and vice chair are up for reelection at the same time. In a high-performing board, this simultaneous reelection is not the same issue as when the boardroom is full of posturing and politics. If each board member is adding value, the membership will notice. Here are ways a board—and, hence, board members—can be seen as high performing.

• Elect a strong chair, one who provides leadership and direction; stay away from the “next-in-line” concept for electing a chair.
• Work in partnership with your CEO.
• Understand the role of the board.
• Hire and retain a high-performing and compelling leader as an expert CEO.
• Be in strategic partnership with the CEO; ask strategic questions and engage in strategic conversations. If you don’t know how, learn.
• Hold a compelling vision of the organization’s potential for serving the needs of the membership.
• Reflect the membership with relevant board diversity.
• Create a true strategic plan with emphasis on strategic.
• Stay in your lane and out of operations.
• Adopt a robust board meeting agenda.
• Establish a purpose to add value.
• Maintain an efficient board structure, including size of board, meeting agenda, 
committee structures, and officers who serve the greater good above and beyond 
self-promotion.
• Establish a strategic approach to board recruitment and composition to ensure the 
membership is represented.
• Adopt board learning plans and update them every year.
• Have frank conversations on how each board member adds value.
• Conduct periodic assessments to find out what you are doing well; invite the 
executive team to assess the board for effectiveness.
• Adopt a rigorous onboarding program.
• Create a plan to build the board with the right people and prepare them for their
• Identify and transition to the right board leaders for ongoing board renewal, 
development, and leadership succession planning.
• Dust off your governance structure and fine tune it for the board of the future, 
 
This is a long list, and yet, everything falls into place with a committed, high-performing board. My suggestion is to take time in the next few months to discover the true potential of your board and lay a solid foundation that holds up for many generations to come.

First published by CUInsight.com

Recently I had the honor of facilitating a group conversation for 80 board members.  The topic was how to be seen as an engaged, committed, and high-performing board member.  The organizing principle used as the basis of conversation was the board is responsible for strategy, policy, and advocacy.  This list of 15 common sense behaviors is both simple and provocative especially in the context that boards have a high degree of potential turnover in the next three years, 35%. Email me your thoughts and I will keep the stream going.

1. Believe in and advocate for the credit union
2. Know the vision, mission, and strategic plan
3. Passionately talk about the credit union
4. Show appreciation
5. Separate your personal and professional life from the work at the credit union
6. Invite members to the annual meeting
7. Update your black book list on potential board member nominees
8. Read the packet and be prepared to ask strategic questions with a lens of helping
9. Stay in your lane, focus on the big stuff
10. Proactively and brilliantly participate in strategic planning
11. Use the credit union products and services
12. Step into difficult conversations with passion for the member
13. Create your learning plan and take care of your board education requirements
14. Proactively support board decisions
15. Show up for your CEO