Great Executives Are The Exception, Not The Rule

Credit unions promote people into executive roles based on tenure and technical skills, then wonder why leadership feels like amateur hour when the stakes keep getting higher. The industry that prides itself on developing people has somehow forgotten that managing databases doesn't prepare you to manage board dynamics, and knowing compliance doesn't teach you to read the room.

In this episode of Grow Your Credit Union, hosts Joshua Barclay and Becky Reed welcome Jason Tilley, CIO at First Advantage Federal Credit Union, to explore what separates truly effective executives from those who struggle to deliver results, why credit unions are focusing on the wrong part of the digital asset opportunity, and how cybersecurity preparation separates the survivors from the statistics.

Key Topics

• What does it actually take to be a great executive right now?
• Credit unions are chasing custody when they should be chasing payments
• Cybersecurity preparation separates survivors from statistics

Key Takeaways

• Develop political intelligence alongside technical competence to succeed in executive roles
• Digital asset opportunity lies in payment infrastructure, not custody services
• Cybersecurity preparation requires cultural discipline and regular exercise, not just policy documentation
• Executive greatness demands synthesizing diverse input into clear direction while maintaining team alignment
• AI-powered threats require proactive policy development to protect institutional data

"You have to trust your staff. You have to get input from your staff. Seek out external sources of truth. You don't know everything you don't know." - Jason Tilley

"There is a diplomacy piece to being a CEO that is something that is not as applicable or as important in the other areas of the C-suite." - Becky Reed