Each year since 2005, Chief Executive magazine has sought to identify those companies that excel in leadership development.

"Who cares what you ate for breakfast?" was my first thought when I learned about Twitter during its early days. I thought it was just me. But recently I saw a presentation by technology journalist Clive Thompson, author of Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing our Minds for the Better.

There I was, minding my own business, scrolling through Facebook to see what I'd missed that day. Someone's kid said something cute. Someone else ate a delicious-looking lunch. Then I saw it: A post by a local friend and small business owner about her frustration with her large, national bank. She was asking for opinions on where she should take her business (and personal) accounts. She really wanted to join a credit union.

One of the things I look at when choosing speakers for big CUES events is what books potential presenters have written. Here are three-sentence summaries of books by upcoming presenters that I thought were neat. Hope you'll agree, and add them to your summer reading list--then consider hearing the speakers in person at a CUES event.

 

Leading Change by John P. Kotter Change is inevitable for survival (think “Darwin”), but change can often be difficult, painful and slow.

Imagine you’re on the board of an art museum. A priceless collection of the museum’s art is being loaned to a hotel in Las Vegas. As a director, what do you need to know and do in response? This exercise, undertaken in much more detail by the CUES Board at its May meeting, showed that—for the most part—being a director of an art museum didn’t require knowledge of the art world.

Cultural alignment makes creativity possible. There are lots of great case studies on innovators and innovative companies. Some tell the story of ongoing innovative developments and brand extensions of companies like Nike--stretching from the legendary waffle sole to its newer digital business. Others focus on the race to a specific objective, often something that seems impossible, like flying, walking on the moon, or powering the globe without fossil fuels.

Your credit union’s board members are a reflection of your institution, and your brand image.

Help us pick the cover for the July issue of Credit Union Management magazine! Three cover options are now being featured on CUES' Facebook page. To vote, visit CUES' Facebook page, click your favorite cover, and like it. We'll close this poll at midnight on Wed. June 11. How will you decide? Will you choose based on the topic?

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