Most credit unions don’t suffer from lack of effort. They stumble from well-intentioned tunnel vision. Strategy is often assumed to be handled: a few planning sessions a year, a good dashboard, a new initiative or two. But assumptions are where strategic blind spots love to hide.
What’s dangerous is that these blind spots don’t look like weaknesses. They look like momentum. Growth that’s good, but not great. Service that’s solid, but not differentiated. Capital that’s strong, but static. And leadership that’s busy, but not boldly aligned. Credit unions can be remarkably good at staying in motion, even if that motion leads to the middle of the road. But as Jim Collins says, the middle of the road is where you get run over.
As the strategic horizon gets more complicated – AI, fintechs, consolidation, Gen Z’s financial apathy – credit unions can’t afford to let strategy slip into autopilot. That’s where the 10XCU system comes in: helping high-performing credit unions make sure strategy is not just a planning event, but an operating mindset.
Let’s take a hard look at where strategic blind spots form—and how you can build a system to expose and eliminate them.
1. Overreliance on Yesterday’s Metrics
Net worth and ROA still matter. But if those are your only strategy metrics, you’re staring in the rearview mirror. Growth, service, and financial capacity aren’t just outputs; they’re predictors of future relevance. Yet many institutions avoid forecasting what could go right, instead bracing for what might go wrong.
Action: Add predictive metrics to your strategic dashboard. Member engagement trajectory. Digital adoption velocity. Value per relationship. These are the indicators of tomorrow’s balance sheet.
2. Treating Service Like a Slogan
“Member-first” sounds good in a brochure. But real service strategy means making hard choices: where you invest, who you prioritize, and how you deliver. Many credit unions talk about service as a value. Few treat it as a driver of long-term financial strength.
Action: Design a Service ROI strategy. What member experiences generate the most value? Which ones cost more than they return? Build service around impact—not just intent.
3. Underestimating Your Own Capacity
Some leadership teams confuse capacity with bandwidth. They say no to strategic bets not because they’re wrong, but because they’re “not ready.” And that’s fair—until you realize that some of your peers are doing more with less. That’s not luck. That’s leadership capacity at work.
Action: Build a Strategic Capacity Map. Where do you have untapped talent, technology, or trust? One 10X credit union in the Midwest added 25% more in annual loan volume without adding staff simply by rethinking how its strategic goals aligned with its digital delivery and underwriting capacity.
4. Board Engagement Stuck in Oversight Mode
Boards that only review past performance will miss the opportunity to shape future strategy. A blind spot forms when strategic discussions are backward-looking – safe, predictable, even well-governed, but ultimately disconnected from where the institution must go.
Action: Shift to forward-focused governance. Devote 25% of every board agenda to future opportunities. Frame decisions with “what if” questions. Reward curiosity over caution.
5. Avoiding Conflict Around Strategic Tradeoffs
When everyone agrees too easily, chances are something strategic is being avoided. The truth is, good strategy involves tradeoffs. You can’t be everything to everyone. But blind spots grow when leaders prioritize consensus over courage.
Action: Create a Strategic Choices Charter. List the tradeoffs you’re willing to make—and those you aren’t. Use it to test new ideas, align leadership, and challenge your most comfortable assumptions.
The 10X Perspective
Blind spots don’t reveal themselves. They have to be hunted. That’s why 10X credit unions take a different view. They zoom out to see what’s next. They zoom in to align leadership, service, and capital with bold strategic intent. They ask harder questions. They build better habits. And they never confuse planning with performance.
If your credit union wants to grow beyond good – and build a truly 10X future – you’ll need more than a plan. You’ll need the discipline to challenge what you don’t see…yet.
Jeff Rendel, CSP, is a leading strategic advisor to America’s credit unions. Through the 10XCU system, he helps high-performing institutions deliver exceptional growth, service, and leadership. 📩 jeff@jeffrendel.com | 🌐 jeffrendel.com