2 minutes
From the editor
I’ve heard it said many times: CEOs have the loneliest job. Research from Harvard Business Review reported that half of CEOs and 70% of first-time CEOs say they experience feelings of loneliness in their role—and that those feelings affect their performance.
We all need to share our concerns with people we trust, such as a significant other, therapist, executive coach, mentor or close friend. For CEOs and aspiring CEOs, having a strong support network of trusted leaders can be critical.
Of course, CEOs are busy, and cultivating an effective network takes time, effort, and maybe even trial and error to find a good fit. Luckily for us, the credit union industry is extremely collaborative and supportive.
“Simply from networking at various conferences, I’ve met different CEOs from other credit unions, and they welcomed me with open arms,” shares CUES member Deborah Fears, president/CEO of $29 million Chicago Post Office Employees Credit Union. “There are a lot of credit union leaders here in Illinois and around the country who have been in the industry much longer than I have, and they did not hold back on sharing their experience and knowledge. They’ve said, ‘We’re willing to help you with whatever you need. Feel free to reach out to us.’”
Read more about Fears’ experience and the experiences of four other credit union CEOs in “Effective CEO Networking.”
As always, CUES is here to help you build your professional network. CEO Dialogue, our new event coming Nov. 6-8 to Austin, Texas, is designed for leaders at the top. Bring your challenges and work through them with your colleagues during facilitated discussions. Drew David Pascarella, senior lecturer with the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, will serve as our academic director and guide.
This special event will focus on group discussions and problem-solving, not having a “sage on the stage.” We’ll shape content based on survey information from attendees—so we’ll focus on the topics that are most important to you and the other CEOs who attend.
Thanks to CEO Dialogue, it will be less lonely at the top! Learn more at cues.org/ceo-dialogue.
