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Have you ever noticed how often you say \u201cchange\u201d in daily life? \u201cI changed my mind,\u201d or \u201cLet me change clothes.\u201d Yet, when change comes from leaders, coworkers or the industry, it often feels unsettling. Why? Because the changes we control feel manageable, while imposed changes feel uncertain and out of our hands. Understanding this difference is key to helping ourselves and our teams embrace change with confidence.<\/p>\n
Now that 2026 is here, I find myself reflecting on change\u2014both personally and professionally. Each year, I go back to the goals I wrote 365 days earlier to see how close I came to achieving what I envisioned for my organization, for the teams I lead, for my family and myself. After that reflection, I\u2019m reminded the start of a year invites us to reset intentions, re\u2011center on purpose, and make progress where it matters most.<\/p>\n
For me, change has never been an abstract idea. It\u2019s a way of life. I grew up as a military kid, moving every two years. New schools, new friends, new neighborhoods, new cultures. Those early experiences taught me resilience, adaptability and gave me a continued yearning for constant learning. These skills have shaped how I live, how I lead, and how I help teams navigate what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
Change, at its core, means to make something different\u2014to alter, to transform. In my personal life, that often looks like the choices I can control (plans, routines, outlook). Professionally, it\u2019s learning to lead through what I can\u2019t control\u2014market shifts, technology waves, economic cycles\u2014and helping people feel confident and supported in the process.<\/p>\n
That distinction is the foundation of my leadership philosophy.<\/p>\n
As we enter 2026, I feel hopeful. Credit unions face challenges, digital transformation, evolving member needs, competitive pressures and economic\u00a0volatility.\u00a0But\u00a0this industry also holds tremendous\u00a0promise. By embracing change with clarity, empathy\u00a0and a collaborative spirit, we can thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lessons for leading through change (while bringing your teams along with you)<\/strong><\/p>\n Change is inevitable, but how we lead through it determines whether it feels like progress or pressure.<\/p>\n Over the years, I\u2019ve learned that successful change isn\u2019t just about strategy or systems; it\u2019s about people. It\u2019s about meeting them where they are, helping them understand the \u201cwhy,\u201d and creating space for collaboration and celebration along the way.<\/p>\n Here are the principles I rely on to make change constructive and lasting.<\/p>\n Start with empathy<\/strong><\/p>\n Your timing isn\u2019t their timing. I try to remember that I often have weeks or months to process a change before my team hears about it. So, I ask myself, \u201cIf this were new to me right now, what would I need?\u201d Then I lead with context, care, and openness. Remember, it is OK to ask your team what they need multiple times. It may take time for them to figure it out as they process the news and understand its impact.<\/p>\n Communicate with clarity and authenticity<\/strong><\/p>\n I draw on the ADKAR model\u2014Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement\u2014to shape messages for different audiences. And I stay plainspoken: explain the \u201cwhy,\u201d preview the \u201chow,\u201d and set expectations for the \u201cwhen\u201d and \u201cwhat\u201d is expected from everyone along the journey.<\/p>\n Collaborate early and often<\/strong><\/p>\n Invite the builders into the blueprint. When we began the search for a new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) recently, I invited our entire Marketing team to join a discussion where we built upon each other\u2019s insights. Our theme: Building on our strengths. We defined what success looks like in 12 months and discussed which actions or behaviors would help us move toward that future-state vision. The resulting feedback shaped our CMO search and interview process, and it provides the new leader with invaluable insights that will accelerate their onboarding. We shared those insights with our teams to demonstrate how that information was used.<\/p>\n Celebrate milestones<\/strong><\/p>\n Change lands better when we honor what came before. We once held a \u201cfuneral\u201d when we retired a legacy system and a \u201cbaby shower\u201d when we launched a new one. The symbolism helped teams let go of and thank the people that got us to where we were; in many cases the people who developed those systems and processes are still working. And it helped us get excited for what\u2019s next\u2014and how we\u2019ll be able to focus on more meaningful work and valued interaction with our customers and partners.<\/p>\n Stay visible and accountable<\/strong><\/p>\n Sponsorship isn\u2019t a kickoff speech. Executive presence means\u00a0sticking with it<\/em>: show up in stand\u2011ups, answer challenging questions, unblock decisions and reinforce priorities. Initiatives without sustained sponsorship rarely succeed. Do not shy away from the hard questions and if they aren\u2019t asked, raise them yourself: \u201cIf I were you, I\u2019d be wondering x.\u201d People appreciate knowing you thought about what it\u2019s like to walk in their shoes.<\/p>\n Balance change with stability<\/strong><\/p>\n Create anchors people can trust. In a world of constant transformation\u2014artificial intelligence, data, regulatory shifts\u2014people need clear goals, shared values and operating rhythms that persist even as tools evolve. Share best practices, even if there is more than one for a process. We all work differently and finding \u201cyour way\u201d helps make it feel more personal.<\/p>\n Turning change into opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n My\u00a0personal experiences\u00a0have taught\u00a0me\u00a0that a growth mindset is essential. Not everyone can make the shift. But for those willing to learn and adapt, change becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n Change is not something to fear.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0something to understand,\u00a0manage\u00a0and celebrate. For all of us in the credit union movement, the new year is a chance to apply these lessons and build a stronger, more resilient future\u2014for the sake of the industry and, most importantly, for the members we serve.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n TruStage\u00ae\u00a0<\/sup>is the marketing name for TruStage Financial Group, Inc. Its subsidiaries and affiliates. Corporate headquarters are located in Madison, Wis.<\/p>\n The views expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of TruStage.<\/p>\n TruStage\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0CORP-8739792.1-0126-0228<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”] Tammy Schultz, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, TruStage Have you ever noticed how often you say \u201cchange\u201d in daily life? \u201cI changed my mind,\u201d or \u201cLet me change clothes.\u201d Yet, when change comes from leaders, coworkers or the industry, it often […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6271\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}