Credit unions are entering a period where growth is neither automatic nor evenly distributed. Loan demand fluctuates. Deposits are increasingly price sensitive. Talent costs remain elevated. In moments like these, the instinct is often to wait: wait for rates to settle, for demand to rebound, for clarity to return.
The most resilient credit unions do the opposite. They use slower growth periods to sharpen focus, not retreat. They make disciplined choices about where to invest, where to simplify, and where leadership attention truly belongs. This is not about contraction. It’s about precision.
Treating “Full Potential” as an Ongoing Discipline
High-performing credit unions don’t view strategy as a static plan. They continuously test assumptions about where value is created, where it leaks, and where momentum has stalled.
That means stepping outside legacy narratives—field of membership definitions, branch footprints, product traditions—and asking harder questions:
- Which member relationships truly deepen long-term value?
- Which activities consume talent and capital without advancing mission or performance?
- Where could this credit union outperform peers if it focused more deliberately?
When done well, this discipline produces more than insight. It produces a short list of priorities tied to execution, ownership, and measurable outcomes.
A 10XCU™ Example: Precision Over Activity
One mid-sized credit union I’ve worked with entered a period of slowing loan growth and margin compression after several years of expansion. On paper, performance still looked solid. Beneath the surface, leadership felt stretched, initiatives were piling up, and staff energy was diluted across too many “important” efforts.
Instead of launching a new strategic plan, the credit union paused and conducted a full-potential review through a 10XCU™ lens. Leadership evaluated the organization as if they were new stewards of the institution; challenging assumptions about products, staffing, delivery channels, and time allocation.
Three things stood out.
First, revenue quality varied significantly by product and member segment. Some growth areas looked strong in volume but consumed disproportionate operational effort and balance sheet capacity. Leadership didn’t abandon growth—but they refined it, reallocating resources toward relationships that produced stronger long-term value.
Second, leadership roles had drifted. Several executives were accountable for broad functions but not clearly responsible for strategic outcomes. The CEO realigned responsibilities so that each senior leader owned one or two enterprise value drivers tied directly to the credit union’s future—growth in a targeted market, digital adoption, or balance sheet efficiency. Performance discussions changed almost overnight.
Third, execution had become cluttered. More than 40 active initiatives were underway, many with good intentions but limited impact. The credit union narrowed focus to fewer than a dozen priority initiatives, reviewed them weekly, and made progress visible across the organization. Momentum returned—not because people worked harder, but because they worked on the right things.
Within a year, the credit union didn’t just stabilize performance; it improved clarity, engagement, and decision-making. Growth resumed, but more importantly, leadership confidence returned. The organization was no longer reacting to conditions. It was shaping its future deliberately.
Aligning Talent to the Strategy Ahead
A recurring constraint in credit unions isn’t capital or technology; it’s role alignment. As strategies evolve, leadership structures often lag. Executives are expected to stretch into new realities without a reset of expectations, authority, or success measures.
High-performing credit unions are explicit: leadership roles are designed around the strategy, not historical job descriptions. Incentives, evaluation, and time follow value creation, not just operational continuity.
This doesn’t require constant turnover. It does require clarity.
Simplifying to Create Capacity
Purpose-driven organizations are especially vulnerable to complexity creep. Over time, processes, reports, committees, and controls accumulate, often without clear ownership or impact.
Slower growth periods are ideal moments to simplify. Not by cutting indiscriminately, but by asking what truly improves member outcomes and organizational strength. When low-value work is removed and performance standards are clear, strong performers thrive, engagement rises, and leaders regain time to focus outward.
Execution Is the Differentiator
Strong strategies fail most often at the point of execution. The difference is rarely intelligence or intent, it’s cadence.
Credit unions that execute well translate strategy into a small number of visible priorities, track progress consistently, and address drift quickly. Momentum is not accidental. It is managed.
A 10XCU™ Perspective
In the 10XCU™ framework, this approach brings together results and relevance. A 10X credit union commits to a clear value thesis, aligns leadership and KPIs to that thesis, simplifies relentlessly, and treats time and attention as strategic assets.
When growth slows, these institutions don’t stall: they recalibrate. They emerge clearer, stronger, and better positioned for the next cycle.
That’s not private-market thinking. It’s high-performance leadership applied with discipline and purpose in a credit union context.
Jeff Rendel, Certified Speaking Professional and Principal of Rising Above Enterprises, is widely recognized as a leading strategic advisor to the credit union industry. Through his 10XCU™ platforms, Jeff partners with CEOs and Boards to drive growth, relevance, and long-term performance across strategy, governance, leadership, and execution. Learn more: jeffrendel.com; jeff@jeffrendel.com; 951.310.7275.