The 2019 CUYLM Conference (Discovery: Next Generation Leadership) brought together over 90 Young Leaders representing credit unions and system partners from throughout Manitoba for a busy day-and-a-half of learning, self-discovery and networking.

The conference opened with the State of the Manitoba Credit Union System address delivered by Garth Manness of CUCM. Manness touched on the economic picture for Manitoban credit unions, regulatory modernization, the evolving expectations of members, new credit union competitors, and other challenges and opportunities credit unions face going forward. He emphasized that Young Leaders are in a unique position right now to bring new perspectives and mindsets that will be of value to their credit unions as they bridge to the future.

Barry Christiansen introduced Young Leaders to Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool that helped attendees discover their preferred communication styles, strengths and value they bring to a team. Each Young Leader received a personal profile filled with detailed comments about their leadership style and tips for development. After reviewing their profiles, attendees engaged in a series of interactive activities designed to put their new knowledge and awareness into practice.

The conversations continued at Torque Brewery, where Young Leaders had the opportunity to make new friends and connections, take a tour of the brewery, and have some fun.

The Human Library session was an opportunity for Young Leaders to meet with experienced mentors from the credit union system and ask questions. In small groups, attendees took turns conversing with twelve mentors (Executives from the credit union system). The room was filled with lively conversation as learnings and ideas were exchanged.

To wrap up the conference, attendees worked in small groups to tackle some of the challenges facing the credit union system and brainstorm possible approaches to them. Some of the challenges attendees looked at were the changing workforce and necessity of new skillsets, developments in the regulatory environment, new competitors moving into the banking space, and ways credit unions could collaborate even though many are moving in different directions. Afterward, Young Leaders made short presentations about the ideas their groups had generated.

There were many valuable takeaways from the conference. Attendees left with plenty of new ideas and perspectives to consider, a bigger picture of the credit union system and its future, and a deeper understanding of leadership and strengthening relations, and connections to other driven and inspired Young Leaders throughout the system.

Members of CUYLM had the opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders CU NEXTGEN session, part of CCUA’s National Conference for Canada’s Credit Unions in Winnipeg on May 5-6, 2019, along with other young leaders from across Canada.

CU NEXTGEN, designed exclusively for credit union young leaders, was a 1.5 day session that emphasized skill development, knowledge application and networking opportunities, and featured speaker Drew Dudley, of Day One Leadership.

Called one of the most inspirational TED speakers in the world, Drew Dudley is on a mission to help people discover the leader within. With more than five million views, his TED talk “Everyday Leadership (The Lollipop Moment)” redefined leadership — it’s not a characteristic of an elite few, but one that lives within all of us. Through his high-energy talks, Dudley shares practical and actionable insights on creating cultures of leadership that lead to higher levels of pride, productivity, and happiness. He empowers audiences to believe that they are leaders and gives them the tools needed to make a difference.

Drew guided participants through a deep dive of six key leadership values, and presented ‘The Leadership Test’ - an easy-to-apply approach to consistently engage in positive leadership behaviours. Key values Drew explored were: impact, growth, courage, empowerment, class and self respect.

The National Young Leaders Award recognizes young leaders in the Canadian credit union system. The experience has been referred to as "life-changing" by some of the former award winners who have grown into executive level leadership positions in our system.

The National Young Leaders Committee wants to ensure all young leaders (or their prospective nominators) have the chance to learn about the award process before the March 1, 2019 deadline. The committee is hosting a webinar on Thursday January 17, 2019, and hopes anyone who is even remotely curious about the award and the experience takes the hour to join them.

The webinar will provide an overview of the nominations and award selection process and feature insights and advice from previous winners of the National Young Leaders Award. Register for the webinar here.

Members of CUYLM attended the Credit Union Managers Association (CUMAM) conference in Winnipeg and hosted a booth at the conference trade show to survey conference attendees. They asked attendees what advice they would give to young leaders looking to break through to the next level of their career, about personal breakthrough moments they have had, and how they encourage “breakthroughs” in their team.

We caught up with Rachelle Nato, Marie McKean and Candice Bradley of CUYLM to find out how their day went at the conference.

Q: Was this your first time at CUMAM?
Rachelle: Yes! I was very excited to be part of the CUMAM conference.

Q: What was the vibe in the booth?
Marie: Great atmosphere, the people stopping by were great to talk to.
Candice: Very upbeat and positive. Lots of great conversation.

Q: What was your favourite part of the trade show experience?
Rachelle: I loved how busy our booth was! People were coming to say hi. I got to see CUYLM alumni as well as meet new people.
Marie: Getting to talk to other people in the system and listening to their advice. And, of course, getting to meet up with other CUYLM members.

Q: Did you see some familiar faces?
Rachelle: All CUYLM alumni made a point to come to our booth and say hi.
Candice: Yes! It was so great to catch up with so many people I’ve met at other system events!

Q: What are your favourite comments?
Marie: Take the good with the bad. Every moment is an opportunity for growth. Get involved, observe… everyone is a coach. Take what resonated with you and run with it.
Candice: Don’t be afraid to take chances and go outside your comfort zone.

Q: Did you learn anything new from this experience?
Rachelle: Credit union managers and executives are happy to share their knowledge. I love that our booth made them think. I can’t wait to share the info with our membership!
Candice: Just reinforces how glad I am to be part of the credit union system!

Here are the comments collected from the CUYLM booth:

Question 1: What advice could you give to a young leader looking to break through to the next level of their career?

1. Take the good with the bad! Every moment is an opportunity for growth!  (Natalie B., CCCU)

2. Be open to feedback and advice given by others. (Marie McKean, Westoba)

3. Don’t wait for opportunity or the perfect time. Seek it out and take control.  (Cora, Sunova)

4. Never give up, keep going. (Vicki, CCCU)

5. Be true to yourself about your goals and values. Pursuing a career path with those in mind will help enthusiasm shine through. (Lisa Prays, Cambrian)

6. It won’t get done for you so you need to take ownership and make it happen by talking to your boss, networking and continuing to add to your toolbox. (Bennie, CFG)

7. Keep learning and trying new things. (Jody, Noventis)

8. Take an active roll to meet many people within the system. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get out of your comfort area. (Tyler Booker, Fusion)

9. Always volunteer to take on that task that no one wants. (Norman Neil, Westoba)

10. Get involved, observe. Everyone is a coach. Take what resonated with you and run with it. (Jen, Sunrise)

11. Set long and short term goals and communicate to your organization what they are! (Leanne, Stride)

12. Don’t be afraid to take changes. Believe in yourself! (Lavonne Tyschinski, Fusion)

13. Try! Ask! Go outside your comfort zone. (Amanda, Noventis)

14. I would advise to keep curious, ask questions, experiment, share your ides and forge forward. (Anonymous)

15. Always keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities. (Rachelle Nato, Caisse)

16. Be patient and be willing to take on additional responsibilities or be a team supporter to show all the skills and competence you offer. (Marcel Gauvin, Caisse Financial Group)

17. Take a chance. (Justin, CCCU)

18. Be you.  Learn everyday.  Listen, listen, listen! (Lindsay Hextall, Westoba)

19. Network and be humble. (Shahani, Westoba)

20. It doesn’t have to be a straight line as you progress through your career.  (Mike Brolund, Sunrise)

21. Get involved in your organization. Absorb as much info as you can from experienced peers. Challenge yourself. (Brent Budz, Stride)

22. Ask Questions, continually learn. Be confident in yourself! (Leanne DeGrave, Stride)

23. Always be willing to take on any challenge, whether you see them as small or large – you never know who is watching or what the result will be!  (Sarah Ferguson, Westoba)

24. Ask questions and learn as much as you can about every area of the organization. (Leanne, Fusion)

25. Always be willing to learn and try new things. (Mona W., Cambrian)

Question 2: What has been a breakthrough moment in your own career?

1. Never get comfortable – comfort zones change too. (Trevor K, Stride)

2. Great management empowering me and leading me. (Patti McEvoy, Westoba)

3. Taking on a project no one else would do. (Dave Hyde, Westoba)

4. When my manager believed in me and supported me in achieving my goal to transition to a management position. (Kim S., Assiniboine)

5. Discovering the value of empowering other. (Rob U., Access)

6. Finding an inspirational mentor in the industry. (Brittany Gulowaty, CUCM)

7. The moment I realized I was worthy! Take time for yourself. Health comes first. (Nicole, Steinbach)

8. Learning to share knowledge! (Sherri, Cambrian)

9. Having the courage to step outside my comfort zone and challenging myself to take on a new role that forced me to learn and grow. (Leiha Fiddler, CUES)

10. Applied for a position I didn’t think I’d get. (Debbie, Sunova)

11. Mergers! (Trent H., Fusion)

12. Getting involved in the Young leader’s movement through the National Young Leader award! It sparked a passion for the development of the broader CU system that I would not have otherwise had! (Amie, CUCM)

13. Leaving the security of a full-time role for a 1-year term working for the executive team. (Brent, Steinbach)

Question 3: How do you encourage “breakthroughs” in your teams?

1. Great communication and innovative ideas! (Kathy, Noventis)

2. Encourage that no idea is a bad idea. (Nicole, Cambrian)

3. Give them an open platform and allow them to collaborate. (Leanne, Sunrise)

4. Don’t let perfection stand in the way of good enough. (Tayona, Sunrise)

5. Encourage all team members to communicate ideas – no matter positions or experience. (Terry, Minnedosa)

Wow, we’re ecstatic to represent CUYLM as the Chair and Vice Chair for 2018! The passion and enthusiasm that comes from this group is contagious, and we can’t wait to see what is accomplished by the committee this year!

Kevin and I look forward to coming together and collaborating with all of you to solve the systems toughest challenges and showing everyone how creative and passionate we are to work in the CU system!

Our committee has been working hard on updating our website so it’s current with everything we have happening throughout the year. Check back often to see what we’re up to!

And for those of you who are new to the CUYLM membership, our website is a great place for you to get to know us and see what CUYLM is all about!

Kevin Baun – Vice-Chair

If you’re thinking of becoming a committee member of CUYLM this year, it’s never too early to apply!

We will be looking to fill 5 spots in November and would encourage anyone interested to put their name forward for consideration later in the year.

If you’re lucky enough to attend one of our events this year, we encourage you to come say “Hi”, we’d love to meet you!

Shellyna Lipic – CUYLM Chair
Kevin Baun – CUYLM Vice-Chair

CUYLM was fortunate enough to have four of its committee members attend the CUNextGEN Intensive as part of the National Credit Union Conference in Toronto that took place April 29-May 1.

The CUNextGen started early Sunday morning at 7 am with breakfast and registration. Attendees were assigned to tables with 6-7 other young leaders from across the country. Megan Mitchell facilitated a workshop labelled “The Art of the Possible”, which was designed to teach us how to increase our creative influence and effectiveness! Megan tasked each table with their own question where Young Leaders spent the remainder of the day using the “FourSight Framework” as a process to follow and ultimately come up with a solution to the question given at the beginning of the day. It was great to learn about the 4-step process, then to put it altogether:

• Clarify - Identifying the Challenge

• Ideate - Generating Ideas

• Develop - Turning Ideas into Solutions

• Implement - Making it Happen

Each group was tasked to use the “FourSight Framework” to come up with a solution to the question they had been assigned, and then presented the solution to the rest of the group on Day 2. Given the short amount of time to prepare for the presentations, it was amazing to see what each group came up with as a final product! It definitely goes to show how passionate and creative our Young Leaders are from across the country.

At the end of day 1, we had the opportunity to take part in a “Human Library”. Each of us had the opportunity to pre-select five industry leaders who we wanted to learn more about – with a rotation every 20 minutes. It was interesting to hear their ideas and perspectives on all the ongoing opportunities the CU system is facing. Some of the questions asked were:

• How is your credit union dealing with the notion that CU’s are turning into banks?

• How do you see the CU System in 5 years?

• What has your career path looked like to get to where you are today?

Over the course of the 2 days, we had many chances to network with other Young Leaders and meet people from all across the country. It was a fantastic experience to connect with people and to share perspectives and ideas.

Overall, this experience made you realize that every credit union has its challenges, and there are so many bright minds within the CU System. It was exciting to see how many people are so passionate about helping members with their finances, and ultimately want to provide them with the best service possible. It was mind-blowing and exciting to see the BIG ideas that so many of these young leaders have. It makes you us feel good about going back to our individual CUs and getting more involved to make a greater impact.

CUYLM is offering a similar workshop on May 17, as our annual “Think Tank”. We encourage all Young Leaders to get involved and be part of the future of the CU System.

2018 CUYLM Committee Members,

Brad
Marie
Kevin
Shellyna

Shellyna Lipic and Kevin Baun, CUYLM’s Executive Committee Chair and Vice Chair, had the opportunity to represent CUYLM at the Credit Union Central of Manitoba (CUCM) conference in Brandon on March 22nd, as well as at the University of Winnipeg’s Co-Op class that same evening, which made for a very busy day!

Credit Union Central of Manitoba

Shellyna and Kevin were able to mix and mingle with executives from Credit Unions across Manitoba, discussing and challenging interesting topics that are relevant across the Credit Union system.

The topic that our Chair and Vice-Chair discussed in their group was “What is one assumption we have that we should challenge, and what that would look like?”.

The solutions the group came up with aligned greatly with CUYLM’s own initiatives: Empower existing staff, provide financial literacy, and promote co-operative awareness in the community.

Shellyna did a fantastic job representing CUYLM by speaking for our group’s challenge and solution at the podium for all to hear.

The audience also had the opportunity to hear David Dern of www.cdfcanada.coop. We are going to be in touch with him about opportunities for young leaders to make a difference outside of MB (stay tuned).

University of Winnipeg – Co-Op Class

Shellyna and Kevin also met with other credit unions and co-operatives to share who we are, as CUYLM, our mission statement, and our background. We heard from the students on their own innovative co-operative ideas.

The night finished with mingling, asking and answering questions, and encouraging students to seek out their local credit union for a career path.

Wow, what a year it’s been so far for the CUYLM committee!

Thanks again to everyone that took part in our “Be the Change” conference in April. We hope you are still embracing the takeaways and using them to make positive changes in your personal life and your individual credit unions!

As Chair and Vice Chair of the committee this year, we had the tremendous opportunity to attend the National Credit Union Conference in Halifax this past May to participate in NextGen. Although getting to Halifax was a bit bumpy, due to crazy foggy weather, NextGen did not disappoint! We spent 2 full days learning more about ourselves as leaders and what it takes to be adaptable, resilient, and why change is important. It was both amazing and eye opening to learn how to interpret our various qualities as leaders and what each of them really means and how we adapt to different situations based on those qualities.

Both of us are passionate leaders, and welcome any opportunity to learn about ways to adapt to the ever changing world within the credit union system! We look forward to meeting and networking with all young leaders that attend our events and hope that you’ll come say hi next time you see us!

Sincerely, Jody and Shellyna

We are excited to introduce to you our new committee members for 2017 who will each serve a 3 year term!! Please join us in welcoming the following:

• Dan Quesnel, Loans Officer, Minnedosa Credit Union

• Shellyna Lipic, Manager of Loans Compliance, Steinbach Credit Union

• Kevin Braun, Branch Manager, Crosstown-Civic Credit Union

We would like to say a special thanks to our outgoing CUYLM committee members. Each of these individuals were instrumental in CUYLM’s success and we are thrilled they will be a part of our CUYLM Alumni.

• Emma Lafreniere, Steinbach Credit Union, CUYLM Chair

• Nicole McCallister, Steinbach Credit Union, CUYLM Marketing Committee

• Neil Hamm, Stride Credit Union, CUYLM Marketing Committee

These individuals are passionate about supporting and strengthening the credit union system. Over the past three years they have all worked hard to support and develop CUYLM initiatives and are strong leaders within their credit unions. As committee members, employees and supporters of the MB Credit Union system, they support cooperative values and are committed to continued personal and professional growth for themselves and those they have had the opportunity to work with.

Thank you so much for your ongoing positive contribution, knowledge and ability to see the BIG picture! Your work will carry on for years to come and help continue to empower youth to grow and prosper in and for the credit union system.

Sincerely, CUYLM

By Joty Bath, James Grosskopf, and Rachel Tripp.

In May, 2017, the three winners of CUYLM’s Big Idea Challenge had the opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders Conference (NYL) in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the prize for their winning entry. Here is what the three Young Leaders from Westoba Credit Union had to say about their experience at the NYL Conference.

“What we found was the most refreshing attending the NYL conference was that we had the chance to speak about relevant Credit Union challenges with other passionate Credit Union employees and come up with solutions together. It doesn’t matter if you are from the East Coast, West Coast, or anywhere in between – we all face the same challenges.

The guest speakers had a fantastic way of getting the entire group engaged and kept up the group interactions as well. If you are looking for a way to make a difference in our Credit Union System – attending the NYL conference is sure a great way to start! Our biggest takeaway was the networking opportunities with like minded Credit Union Young Leaders. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about doing what’s best for our members.

The guest speakers were all phenomenal; they focused on very relevant issues that we experience daily. It’s incredibly reassuring to see that the Credit Union system is so aware of the challenges we face and that we are ready to tackle whatever comes our way. Lastly, we did also get to have a lot of fun out there!”

On April 6 & 7, 2017, 80 Young Leaders from credit unions across Manitoba gathered for the 3rd Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba Conference at the Holiday Inn Airport West in Winnipeg. Attendees were invited to “Be the Change” – to learn to lead self, and in turn inspire others.

The conference kicked off with a keynote session from Stephanie Staples, a local motivational speaker who challenged us to “Bring Your ‘A’ Game to Work and Life”. She emphasized the importance of self-care leading to success, striving to make small continuous improvements in life, and learning that positivity is infectious.

Garth Manness, CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba, spoke about the state of the credit union system provincially and federally, including the good health of Manitoba’s credit unions, the importance of keeping up with technology, and the importance of reaching millennials as we seek to grow our membership base. He also discussed trends in the financial services industry, and upcoming system challenges that we as credit unions will need to collaborate on.

On Thursday evening we heard from a panel of four credit union senior leaders on their “Leadership Perspectives on Change”. The panel consisted of Lesia Gojan-Klein, former CUYLM Chair and Branch Manager at Carpathia Credit Union, Richard Derenewski, President of the Board of Directors at Catalyst Credit Union, Christina Semaniuk, Vice-President, Human Resources at Cambrian Credit Union, and Martin Trudeau, CEO of Belgian-Alliance Credit Union. We thank our four panelists for sharing their wisdom with us!

Rounding out Thursday evening was a fun, interactive networking event of team trivia challenges provided by Canadian Outback Adventures. The event was a great way to meet other young leaders and decompress from a day full of learning.

Friday was an opportunity to learn from Sandra McDowell, author, speaker, and VP of Communications and Culture for First Credit Union. Sandra led two workshops focused on “Building Leadership Strength from the Inside Out” by focusing on neuroleadership principles, emotional intelligence, and leadership best practices.

Finally, participants worked in functional area groups to brainstorm ways to move their roles from “transactional” to “transformational”, so we can apply our learning at our credit unions when we return to work.

Thank-you to our emcee Julene Toews-Dewis who facilitated those discussions, and did an amazing job in leading us through the conference. Thank you to our sponsors, our speakers, the CUYLM Committee for all your hard work, each attendee for your participation, and the credit unions who sent you, for your support.

Stay tuned for ways to continue learning and growing from CUYLM! Did you miss our “Be the Change” Conference? Not to worry – we will be hearing from Sandra McDowell in a two-part webinar series this fall, and everyone is invited to attend!

Happy New Years everyone! I love this time of year as many people take a few minutes to intentionally reflect on the struggles or successes of the past year and set out on a path to achieve new goals and live out their vision for the New Year.

Sadly, the change of the calendar year for me this year also means the reflecting and bringing to a close my time on the CUYLM committee, and past year as committee chair. As I have spent time reflecting on the busyness of CUYLM this past year and my role as chair, I can’t help but be filled with intense gratitude for this opportunity given to me.

People often ask me about CUYLM and what is all involved with being on the committee, and I always have two responses:

One, this is an ACTIVE committee! As I look back over my calendar of events and all the time spent attending and preparing for events, I am reminded of the question I am always asking myself and as a committee we challenge each other with, “is this adding value to the system”. This is always our key focus.

And I say this humbly, CUYLM has been the single most impacting development challenge I have ever taken on. It has stretched me and provided opportunity for me to grow in so many ways. It has allowed me to meet and work with SO many amazing, talented and passionate people from all over the country who I now call my friends.

So, instead of summarizing all the many successful events of this year (and there are lots!), I would like to leave you with a few leadership lessons I have learnt during my time on the CUYLM committee.

1. Define your core values. I had the privilege of attending the annual CUMAM conference this past year and listened to Drew Dudley from Day One Leadership. Drew really challenged us as leaders to define 3-5 core values, and then create for yourself a question that you can ask yourself each day to determine if you lived out your leadership legacy that day. An example of one of my core values that I have posted in my office is IMPACT. “What have I done today to make someone else’s day better by interacting with me?”

2. Set goals/challenge yourself. Do something you’re scared to do. This past spring Jody McPherson and myself were asked to be one of six speakers to facilitate a working session at the CUCM Convention, speaking to Board Members, CEO’s and senior executives about ‘Millenials in the Workplace’. This was a huge opportunity for CUYLM to add value, but came with some nerves. I am so happy to say that rising up to this challenge was a huge win for CUYLM and has continued to open other doors for us to be called upon by CUCM and executives for having input and having a seat at the table for other system discussions. Maybe your goal is further education, taking that new promotion, or getting up in front of your peers to make a presentation. Whatever it is, if it scares you a little or the opportunity to grow is there, say yes!

3. Look around you, and lead outwards. Remember that leadership is a journey, and never one you are taking alone. CUYLM has taught me CUYLM January 2017 Newsletter to truly collaborate with others and cheer on my peers in their own challenges and successes. Remember that leadership at times means serving others, believing in others, and being the biggest cheer leader of all. A quote that I heard during my first year on the CUYLM committee that really stuck with me and changed my approach towards my 3 year term is “The goal of a leader is to create more leaders!”

4. Live your trademark. I am a huge fan of continued education and learning from others. My office reflects that with a library of the world’s most sought out leadership authors and brilliant minds, but at some point you need to live it out for yourself. You need to be the leader that you aspire to be in the big moments AND in the small. Remember that YOU get to teach people each day about who you are and who you are aspiring to become. “Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark”

In closing I would like to thank my fellow CUYLM committee members, past and present for all your tireless dedication and infectious passion, and the Credit Union leaders from across the province who continually support us. The future looks bright I will definitely be watching to see the outcome of the BIG Idea Challenge and the upcoming Spring Conference, and I will always be cheering you on!

#CUpride

Emma Lafreniere

The Big Idea Challenge was created to engage young leaders in the Manitoba Credit Union System and give them the opportunity to brainstorm creative solutions to some of the challenges facing the Credit Union System today.

In groups of three or less, Young Leaders were invited to take on one of the following topics and present their ideas to contest judges:

• If there was a credit union ambassador created for Manitoba Credit Unions what would that look like? How would this benefit all credit unions and their members? What would be the role of the ambassador

• What makes credit unions different from other financial institutions? How can we promote who we are and what we do to current members and potential members?

• What is your big idea? This can be to increase membership in the credit union system, educate our members, promote the cooperative principles, etc.

The eight entries from Young Leaders were reviewed by a panel of five CU Leaders in the Manitoba Credit Union System, including a Young Leader, Branch Manager, Senior Leader, CUCM Representative and a Board Member.

The winning team consisted of Joty Bath, James Grosskopf and Rachel Tripp, from Westoba Credit Union, whose team brainstormed ideas around “How can we attract and retain millennial membership in the Credit Union System?”.

The winners received conference registrations for CU NextGen 2017 in Halifax, NS in May, where they had the opportunity to work and connect with the brightest young minds in the Canadian credit union system!

Congrats to the winning team, and thank you to all participants of the Big Idea Challenge!

CUYLM was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the Credit Union Classic Golf Tournament put on by the Credit Union Management Association of Manitoba (CUMAM) annually. We had such a great time welcoming golfers on the 8th hole at the Clear Lake Golf Course. While at our hole golfers enjoyed some Taco-In-A-Bag and we hope good company!

Golfers also had team photos taken and the opportunity to enter to win a free registration to the 2017 CUYLM Conference being held in Winnipeg April 6th and 7th to gift to an employee of their choice.

Congratulations to Brent Budz - we look forward to welcoming an attendee from Austin Credit Union!

On behalf of CUYLM thank you to CUMAM for welcoming CUYLM to attend and participate in this year’s tournament.

Tapping Into Leaders’ Knowledge

CUYLM was able to be a part of this years CUCM AGM’s trade show. We took this opportunity to reach out to the seasoned leaders that were passing through our booth to ask them about leadership. Most all of the participants were more than happy to share their knowledge.

We asked one simple question: in one word, what makes a successful leader?

Here are the responses we received:

Aggressive

Believe

Willing to Challenge

Communication

Compassion

Courage

Creative

Disciplined

Education

Empathy

Empower

Energy

Enthusiasm

Enthusiastic

Experiences

Honesty

Intuitive

Innovation

Inspiring

Initiative

Integrity

Knowledge Transfer

Leadership

Listen

Hear

Motivated

Passion

Receptive

Respect

Shares

Trust

Trustworthy

Understanding

Up

Vision

Elaine Mann, CUYLM Executive Committee member:

I had the pleasure to take Ray Brasch, board member of Grandview Credit Union, out for breakfast on a beautiful spring morning. I was overwhelmed by his positive, enthusiastic and supportive attitude. We connected on so many levels, as I found out he was my Dad’s friend in school, and now Ray and I both share a passion for the Credit Union System. Crazy!

Our visit was a chance to talk about the many aspects of the Credit Union System. He talked about collaboration between Credit Unions and how it has become essential in rural areas. Small communities struggle to provide members with expertise, but together we can truly provide the Credit Union difference to our members. Ray has shown commitment to both the Credit Union and his community for the past sixteen years, as they have faced many changes and overcame challenges. He stressed that commitment is important even in tough times, especially for young leaders, as they are the future and far more important than we could ever imagine.

My take away on this visit was, as a seasoned leader, Ray confirmed that every single person should be respected for the ability to convert pressure into productivity and skills into strengths. This is something as young leaders we can all work toward.

By Neil Hamm, CUYLM Committee member:

I had the opportunity to sit down with Brent Budz CEO of Austin Credit Union to talk about leadership and his road to becoming a CEO of a Credit Union.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Be patient but have a plan. Effective communication and team building is essential to your success.

What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?

Build a strong network of peers. This may push you out of your comfort zone however get to know leaders within your community/business associations. Join a service club/ Chamber of Commerce. Ask these people questions and listen. Good leaders have already made the mistakes that you undoubtedly will, so learn from them. Could you describe some of the most impressive traits of someone you identified early in your career as a mentor? The ability to listen and having confidence. Leadership is difficult, so being confident in whatever role you take on is important. My Mentors had these traits.

What was some of the best advice that a mentor provided to you and how have you implemented that on your path to leadership?

A mentor instilled the value of communication and team building. People will understand and embrace organizational change and direction if they can understand how it affects them. Be clear and provide as much information as you can on a regular basis – this has and continues to assist me in my current role.

What specific skill sets / leadership traits or training do you feel would be most important for today’s young leaders to develop into tomorrow’s executives?

There is a lot of info on Gen X, Y, Z, baby boomers etc. however a strong leader today needs to be able to communicate effectively with a broad cross section of employees and members. Each has a unique set of characteristics that make conversing, inspiring, and motivating them very interesting. Having the ability to resonate/speak to this diverse employee/customer base is essential.

As you were one of first committee members of CUYLM, how did this impact your leadership development?

Building a network of peers provides you with an ability to ask questions and learn from people and their individual experiences. There is no way one person can do that on their own.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

Community involvement – I have a different role as a Councilor – I am a part of a leadership group of a City. The experiences I encounter assist me in my current role as I am now a “Board Member” and our CAO of the City is effectively me at the CU (CEO). This allows me to completely reverse my view of leadership.

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About Brent’s Path:

Brent attended Red River Community College and received a Business Administration (Honors) degree. His career in banking began in 1996 as a MSR with BMO. He held different positions while with BMO including Investments, Personal Lending and Wealth Management, Personal Account Manager and as a Commercial/Ag-Account Manager. Brent made the switch to the Credit Union system in 2004 as a Senior Account Manager at Austin CU. Fast-forward to 2007 when Brent was named Assistant GM/Chief Operations Officer of Austin CU. He worked closely with the CEO on strategic planning, business/ branch expansion, financial reporting, forecasting, regulation, etc. He was then named CEO in 2015 of Austin CU. With the recently announced amalgamation of Austin CU with Portage CU, Brent will remain CEO of the amalgamated CU.

Giving back to the community:

Brent gives a lot of his time and expertise to the community; here are but a few of his contributions: Deputy Mayor, Finance Chair - City of Portage La Prairie; He has been a Board Member of the Portage Regional Economic Development Corporation, the Portage Regional Recreation Authority and the Portage La Prairie Planning District. He was the Head Coach Portage Minor Hockey and Portage Minor Baseball. He has volunteered his time for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army. He is the Past Executive/Founding Member of CUYLM, the Past President and Board Member Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, the Past Chair/Founding Member - Western Canadian Pond Hockey Championship, Past - Executive Member – Big Four Hockey League and Past Member – Special Projects Committee – Trinity United Church

CUYLM was granted an amazing opportunity to facilitate one of the breakout sessions at this year’s convention. Our Committee Chair Emma Lafreniere and Co-Chair Jody McPherson along with Jay Murray, CEO Mid-Atlantic Corporate Federal Credit Union led the discussions of Millennials: Reshaping the Workforce to a group of Executive and Board Members of our Manitoba credit unions.

It is predicted that, by 2025, three out of every four workers globally will be Millennials. Credit unions will need to build ways to identify talent, as well as encourage and promote our future leaders. After all, the young credit union professionals of today are our future leaders of tomorrow.

We were excited to also represent CUYLM in the annual trade show. We encouraged our seasoned leaders to share their knowledge by giving away a mentorship breakfast. We were enthused by the amount of participants that entered the draw who were eager to share with us young leaders. We look forward to sharing more information from that session at a later date.

We feel extremely privileged to introduce ourselves as your new CUYLM Chair Emma Lafreniere from Steinbach Credit Union, Assistant Manager of Consumer Lending and CUYLM Vice-Chair Jody McPherson from Noventis Credit Union, Manager of Information Technology.

Together, we have been a part of the Manitoba CU system for more than 25 years. We are very excited to share our knowledge and experience with up and coming leaders, and work together to provide continued support and direction for our dedicated committee as we carry out our 2016 objectives to strengthen and expand our CUYLM presence throughout Manitoba.

We are both passionate about building strong teams and helping people achieve their utmost potential. We consider it a true honor to be a part of CUYLM and are grateful for the amazing opportunities we have had this far to work and learn from so many dedicated, enthusiastic and brilliant young people from across the country. Our committee is planning some NEW and very exciting events this year. More details to follow soon. And as always, look for us at events around the province, social media, and check out our new website!

On behalf of the entire CUYLM committee, we are excited and looking forward to connecting with you in 2016!

Sincerely, Emma and Jody

Outgoing message from our current Chair on her experiences, gains and advice as she moves on:

My first “aha” moment in the credit union movement happened when I applied to join CUYLM, when the committee officially began serving the Manitoba credit union system, in 2012. The “aha” was that I found my purpose which was to learn more about our system, develop my leadership skills, share ideas and collaborate with others and to find and promote opportunities for young leaders. And I was excited to find out that there were other young leaders in Manitoba that felt the same way I did!

Two of the most noticeable gains for me have been firstly the realization of both my strengths and weaknesses as a young leader and secondly the development of my leadership skills. The applied development and skill building practice I’ve received from committee work I could not learn through theory alone. CUYLM has given me an opportunity to practice my knowledge in a nurturing, safe environment with peers that are experiencing the same opportunities I am.

My branch team and credit union have also seen gains through my commitment to the CUYLM committee. I’ve gained tremendous confidence as a leader. My organizational skills, strategic understanding, presentation and public speaking skills have improved. I’ve integrated some amazing ideas to my branch team and credit union from perspectives I’ve gained through interactions I have through CUYLM. Collaboration and cooperation at its finest level happens here!

And lastly, CUYLM has really solidified my dedication to the Manitoba credit union system in three ways. It has opened my eyes to just how many intelligent young leaders we have here in the province (both on the committee and members-at-large). CUYLM has connected me to seasoned leaders in the province and shown me the talent and leadership we have in Manitoba. Work on this committee has introduced me to the executive and board at CUCM. As part of this group I’ve been honoured to learn from, work with and present to this amazing team of individuals who are so dedicated to the credit union system’s presence now and in the future.

I would like to extend an enormous thank you to CUYLM members-at-large for allowing me to work with you, to the CUYLM committee members past and present who have become lifelong friends and to my mentors and leaders who have supported my leadership journey. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have taken such an amazing journey to serve Manitoba’s credit union young leaders. As you can see I am a true advocate of the Credit Union system in Canada and Manitoba. Devoting the past three + years to mentoring and empowering other young leaders in this province to grow has been energizing and necessary for me.

Leadership is action! I promise to continue to do my part.

Sincerely, Lesia