The Credit Union Leadership Podcast

ServiStar Consulting

We serve hope to current and aspiring credit union leaders by providing solutions to your leadership challenges. If you’re a credit union leader seeking to grow your business, tune in to this podcast. ServiStar Consulting’s Mike Neill, Taylor Murray, and Scott Albrecht draw on their extensive experience of working with countless credit unions to provide valuable insights and lessons.

  1. 6d ago

    The Culture Advantage (Leading Like Lasso) - [Winning Strategies]

    Every organization develops cracks. People change, expectations shift, new technology is introduced, and the pressure to perform never goes away. The question is whether we keep patching the cracks or strengthen the foundation underneath them. Building a healthy culture requires leaders to continually come back to who we are, what we stand for, and what we expect from our people. In this Winning Strategies session, Scott Anderle breaks down the difference between a smart organization and a healthy organization and shows why credit unions need both. Using lessons from Ted Lasso, Scott provides a practical framework to establish clear standards, communicate them consistently, equip people to succeed, and reinforce the behaviors that turn your mission into your culture.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  What does it mean to “underpin” your culture instead of simply patching the cracks?  What is the difference between a smart organization and a healthy organization?  How do cohesion, clarity, communication, and reinforcement strengthen your culture?  Why is establishing clear standards only the first step in creating consistent behaviors?  How can leaders train, coach, and catch people doing it right to reinforce the culture they want?  When should leaders redirect behavior, and when is it time to enforce the standard?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Six Steps to Build the Culture Advantage PDF  Watch Part 1 – Service is the Price of Entry  Winning Strategies webinars  Coaching for Performance  Becoming a Sales Champion  Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni  Atomic Habits by James Clear  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie  ServiStar impact stories  ServiStar case study  Book a call  Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  2. Sep 22

    The Real Reason Your Team Drives You Crazy

    Is your team driving you crazy, or do they simply not know what you expect? We get frustrated when employees do not take initiative, deliver inconsistent service, or fail to live out the culture we want. But before we blame the team, we have to look at the expectations we have created as leaders. In this episode, Scott Anderle brings together leadership lessons from Scott Albrecht, Jarrell Flanders, and Mike Neill to show how clear, realistic expectations can take leaders from frustrated to focused. We break down how to define the behaviors that matter, catch people doing them right, redirect when they fall short, and build service standards that turn culture from something we talk about into something our teams actually live out.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  Is your team the problem, or have you failed to set clear expectations?  What three leadership actions can take you from frustrated to focused?  How do you set high expectations without creating unrealistic standards for your team?  Why can expecting employees to make the same sacrifices as their leaders hurt trust and culture?  How can behavioral service standards create a more consistent member and employee experience?  What happens after expectations are set, and how do leaders measure, recognize, redirect, and hold people accountable?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Emerging Leaders  Vertex Leadership Program  Target Leadership  Go from Frustrated to Focused and sign up for our next free monthly Winning Strategies Webinar  Take the "How Strong is Your Culture?" Quiz to learn the next focused step you need to take  Good to Great by Jim Collins  Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  3. Sep 15

    Automate Your Strategic Thinking

    We ask leaders to think strategically, but how often do we actually teach them how? Strategic thinking is one of the most valuable skills a leader can develop, especially when time, people, and resources are limited. The challenge is that many leaders confuse strategic thinking with strategic planning. Strategy is not an annual retreat or another list of things to do. It is the ability to continually generate insights, focus the resources you already have, and execute on what matters most. In this Winning Strategies session, Scott Anderle breaks down the Strategic Thinking Flywheel and gives leaders a practical process to connect what they do with why it matters, measure progress, and turn insight into action.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  What is the difference between strategic thinking and strategic planning?  How can leaders generate better insights instead of reacting to the most obvious problem?  How do you focus limited resources on the people and opportunities that create the greatest impact?  What is the Strategic Thinking Flywheel and how can leaders use it consistently?  How can a clear department purpose help prevent organizational A.D.D.?  Why do strategic masters embrace calculated risk and become masters of the second idea?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Winning Strategies sessions  Vertex Leadership Program  Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  4. Sep 8

    You Don’t Deliver the Experience

    We spend a lot of time talking about creating great member and employee experiences. But what if experience is not something we actually deliver? In this episode, Scott Anderle and Scott Albrecht challenge that idea by exploring how people construct their own experience based on the moments of truth around them. Leaders cannot control perception, buy-in, or how someone feels about every interaction. What leaders can control is consistency. Consistency in behaviors, training, expectations, mission, and execution. From Disney to Unreasonable Hospitality to credit union collections, this episode looks at how small, repeatable behaviors create the environment where positive experiences are far more likely to happen.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  What does it mean to say that experience is constructed rather than delivered?  How do small moments of truth shape a member’s overall perception of your credit union?  Why is consistency more important than trying to manufacture a memorable experience?  What can credit union leaders learn from Disney and Unreasonable Hospitality?  Why should managers coach behaviors instead of trying to force employee buy-in?  How can clear expectations, mission, and accountability create better member and employee experiences?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Helio Cabral’s article, “Disney Doesn’t Deliver Experiences”  The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell  Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara  ServiStar Service Excellence  ServiStar Coaching for Performance  Winning Strategies webinars  Emerging Leaders Program  Subscribe to the ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  5. Sep 1

    The Engagement Crisis - What Leaders Can Do About It

    Employee engagement is falling, and leaders are feeling the impact. When managers experience burnout, that stress can quickly ripple through the team and create an environment where disengagement becomes the norm. At the same time, AI, remote work, and changing workplace expectations are reshaping how people communicate and connect. So how do leaders create a culture where people feel emotionally safe, understand what is expected of them, and are equipped to succeed? In this episode, we look at the difference between disengaged employees and those who actively damage team culture, and why leaders cannot afford to ignore either. The answer starts with mission-driven leadership, clear expectations, the right tools and training, recognition of desired behaviors, redirection when performance falls short, and accountability when it matters.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  What is causing employee and manager engagement to decline?  How is AI changing productivity, communication, and the way we work?  How are remote and hybrid work environments affecting connection and emotional safety?  What is the difference between an engaged employee, a disengaged employee, and an actively disengaged “poo flinger”?  How can leaders address behaviors that damage team culture without losing their high performers?  How do clear service standards, expectations, coaching, and accountability create a healthier team culture?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Sign Up For Coaching for Performance  Jim Collins' Good To Great  Simon Sinek's Start With Why  Subscribe to the ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  6. Aug 25

    Transforming Our Belief About Sales

    Many credit union employees believe sales means being pushy, hearing "no," or having to memorize every product detail. Unfortunately, those beliefs can prevent us from helping members discover solutions that could improve their financial lives. In this episode, we challenge some of the most common misconceptions about sales and explore how top-performing credit unions approach member conversations differently. When sales is viewed as raising awareness rather than applying pressure, employees gain confidence, members feel respected, and credit unions fulfill their mission more effectively. If you or your team have ever felt uncomfortable selling, this episode offers a practical mindset shift that can transform both service and results.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  Why do so many credit union employees feel uncomfortable with sales? How can leaders help employees overcome the fear of being pushy? What causes the fear of rejection and how can we reframe it? How much product knowledge do employees really need to be effective? What does it mean to sell with the heart of a teacher? How can raising awareness create better outcomes for members? Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Becoming A Sales Champion Program  Coaching for Performance  Watch the Credit Union Leadership Podcast on YouTube  Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  7. Aug 18

    Winning Strategies - Service Is The Price Of Entry

    Service is often treated as the ribbon that sets credit unions apart, but what happens when the basics of service are missed while we are chasing the next big opportunity? In this episode, Scott Anderle challenges credit union leaders to rethink service as the price of entry to becoming a member's primary financial institution. Friendly and fast are no longer enough. Members want to be understood, helped, and guided toward better financial decisions. Scott breaks down the evolution from the goods economy to service, experience, and transformation, then provides a practical framework for building a service culture that connects the mission of the movement to the work of every department and individual. The goal is simple: build a culture where service is consistent, intentional, and strong enough to support everything else your credit union wants to accomplish.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  Why is service the price of entry rather than the ribbon that differentiates your credit union?  What happens when credit unions focus on innovation and growth before mastering the basics of service?  How are member expectations changing from fast and friendly service to being understood and genuinely helped?  How can leaders connect the movement mission to their organization, department, and personal purpose?  Where does your credit union fall in the four phases of service culture: reactive, build, connective, or thriving?  What practical steps can leaders take to build consistency and strengthen their service culture?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  Take the ServiStar Service Culture Quiz   Sign up for the ServiStar Emerging Leaders Program  Book a discovery call with ServiStar Consulting  Subscribe to the ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

  8. Aug 11

    From Rock Band to Boardroom - The Leadership Journey of Scott Anderle

    Leadership is not about finding the perfect title. It is about discovering the purpose that drives every decision you make. In this special episode, Scott Albrecht turns the microphone around and interviews co-host Scott Anderle about the experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy. From struggling as a musician and discovering the credit union movement to building a personal mission centered on inspiring and equipping others, Scott shares how purpose evolves over time. They also explore how leaders can create stronger cultures through intentional development, continuous learning, and a commitment to raising the production value of every member and employee experience. If you've ever wondered how to align your personal purpose with your organization's mission, this conversation provides a practical roadmap.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  How can your personal purpose evolve as you grow in leadership?  Why should your department's mission align with your organization's mission?  How do books and continuous learning sharpen leadership effectiveness?  What does "production value" mean, and how can leaders apply it to member and employee experiences?  What leadership framework helps create accountability while developing people?  How can practice and preparation build confidence before difficult leadership conversations?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions   Links from show:  Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara  Atomic Habits by James Clear  Start With Why by Simon Sinek  Emerging Leaders Program  Subscribe to the ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service

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About

We serve hope to current and aspiring credit union leaders by providing solutions to your leadership challenges. If you’re a credit union leader seeking to grow your business, tune in to this podcast. ServiStar Consulting’s Mike Neill, Taylor Murray, and Scott Albrecht draw on their extensive experience of working with countless credit unions to provide valuable insights and lessons.

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