NAFCU Journal November December 2021

15 THE NAFCU JOURNAL November–December 2021 Q: Has your style changed over the years? If so, what prompted the changes? Head: Yes, most definitely! I’ve learned that sitting back and taking the stance we will not change our management or leadership styles to “make the younger generations happy” doesn’t work. You must have the wherewithal to change as the landscape does, or you’ll find yourself as a museum artifact. For example, MAC had begun moving to a remote work- force well ahead of the pandemic. It took quite a bit of convincing to me that the positions given these options would truly perform in this environment, however, today’s workforce is well equipped to do just that! Madden: Like many of my peers, I’ve experienced different situations in my career like 9/11, the Great Recession and the pandemic, and I’ve found that what worked in a more stable environment won’t work in a crisis. Good leaders can be flexible, creative and listen closely to others’ perspectives, but in the end they need to make the final, often tough deci- sions, own them and then communicate them effectively. Q: Did your leadership style undergo any changes during the pandemic? Head: I don’t think at the heart of who I am or how I lead changed. My executive team and I tried to be more visible and reassuring to our staff and community. Folks were understandably afraid and stressed so, as a leader, my team and I needed to portray confidence and calm. This was a challenge because most meetings in large settings were handled remotely via Zoom, which makes any type of personalized interaction difficult. However, we tried to break down inter- actions to smaller groups and individuals and constantly reached out to listen to concerns. Madden: The pandemic underscored the necessity to be flexible. With staff working remotely as well as serving members in person, it became even more critical to communicate, communicate and then communicate again. Everyone on staff knew exactly what our goals and priorities were throughout the pandemic, and I was amazed and immensely proud how our staff came together—in spite of their own personal adversity—to focus on our members and getting the job done for them. Q: How do you identify, support and develop other leaders within your credit union? Head: Leadership development is a constant initiative. I have the mindset that leaders should always be actively seeking their replacements, at all levels. At MAC, it is imperative that we grow our talent because of the lack of resources in our area to backfill leadership positions. Doing this requires leadership to have a “Any organization is dynamic and organic, evolving and adapting as needed. I stay focused on our purpose, maintaining alignment across the organization and fostering accountability across all levels.” — Mary D. Madden