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The CUInsight Experience podcast: Resilience (#205)

“Don’t just bounce back—bounce better.” - Randy Smith

Jill and Randy 205 Site

Welcome to episode 205 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei

This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience.

In this season, Jill and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.

In this episode, we discuss the idea of resilience, stressing that it isn’t just about weathering a storm; it’s also about coming out stronger on the other side of it. We talk about what it means to be a truly resilient leader and how organizations can build resilience into their DNA.

We talk about how leaders who thrive through difficult times are not just the ones who endure but those who adapt, inspire, and create opportunities out of challenges. We also discuss the traits that set resilient leaders apart—how they embrace setbacks and create adaptability in their teams.

As we further explore this topic, we talk about how it is not just an organizational trait; it’s also personal, and we look at the importance of leaders maintaining their own well-being, recognizing when to push forward and when to step back.

We hope you’ll enjoy this conversation as we cover practical ways to put resilience into operations!



Shout-out: Mike Valentine
Shout-out: Herb Wegner Memorial Awards
Book mentioned: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara
Shout-out: Harvard Business Review
Shout-out: airbnb
Shout-out: Zoom
Shout-out: Uber
Shout-out: FedEx
Shout-out: ChatGPT
Shout-out: Google
Shout-out: Amazon
Shout-out: Audible
Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Mike Valentine (episodes 128 & 204)

[02:00] – Resilience is key to success, allowing for growth through challenges.
[05:48] – Adversity presents opportunities for growth, and resilient leaders capitalize on challenges to emerge stronger.
[08:22] – It is important for leaders to balance high expectations with emotional intelligence to prevent employee burnout.
[11:03] – Resilient leaders provide clear vision and guidance, even through uncertainty, to keep teams aligned.
[13:40] – Resilient leaders prioritize long-term goals, make timely decisions, and prepare for disruptions.
[15:21] – Organizations build resilience via anticipation, cushioning, adaptation, and shaping their industry’s landscape.
[18:56] – A culture of psychological safety encourages adaptation.
[21:03] – Transparency and communication empowers tellers to recognize financial struggles.
[24:01] – Not taking time for recreation, spirituality, and physical well-being will lead to burn-out faster.
[25:43] – Self-awareness, boundaries, and curiosity help leaders deal with work-life integration and personal growth.
[28:28] – Curiosity leads to resilience, making change less daunting and encouraging continuous learning.
[31:12] – Leaders create resilience via creating stability, confidence, and adaptability while prioritizing self-care.