You don’t reach 250 years by accident

This Independence Day was a big one—250 years of America. And you don’t reach 250 years by accident. American history is full of beauty and ugliness, high ideals and imperfection, but throughout it all there is a legacy built to last.

Many credit unions are building a similar legacy. We have credit union clients, partners and friends reaching 60, 75 or even 100 years old. But how do you press onward and reach 250 years and beyond?

The “American brand” begins with the Declaration of Independence. Its self-evident truths. The reasons for existing as an independent nation. And the American brand continues with the U.S. Constitution—the oldest written constitution still in use today.

Your own legacy starts and ends with your brand. A brand isn’t just a facet of your marketing. It’s who you are. Reducing it to words on a wall or messaging on an email reduces your whole credit union to a commodity. Elevating your brand to a culture or a lifestyle elevates your credit union to an institution.

A brand (or at least a good one) is more cultural and collateral. Create a long-lasting brand by starting with these things:

Notice you don’t start with the logo and color palette. The country didn’t start with the Founding Fathers sitting in a room and pondering what shade of blue should go on the flag. It started with the vision.

A brand unlived is a brand that dies. It’s a fine thing to have grand ideas, but the ideas go nowhere without execution. The ideas behind the American brand wouldn’t persist without the brave military members who defend them. They wouldn’t survive if people didn’t vote and speak freely and exercise their rights.

Your team must live your brand if you want it to survive for years to come.

Maybe you think of your people as tellers or member service reps or branch managers. But you actually have a marketer at every desk. The best brands have enthusiastic teams who perform consistently across touchpoints. Is that how members describe your team?

If no, it’s not too late to develop your team. Grow your team of brand ambassadors until it encompasses the whole credit union. Tucson FCU’s service-oriented brand functions like this and pays dividends for the credit union.

While no country has a perfect leadership record, American history showcases some incredible leaders. Folks who moved the ball down the field despite immense risk and personal sacrifice.

Abraham Lincoln’s devotion to fighting slavery and disunion was a hard path that cost him his life. James Garfield committed to challenging corruption in America’s civil service—a road that led to his death at the hands of a deranged office seeker. Susan B. Anthony spent much of her life campaigning for women’s suffrage, suffering harsh ridicule and arrest for her efforts. Martin Luther King, Jr. endured jailing, violence, and death in his struggle for civil rights.

Leadership also makes all the difference in your credit union’s longevity. And concerningly, the future of leadership is in trouble. 77% of organizations report a leadership gap, and 92% of executives aren’t prepared to lead change.

It’s time prepare leaders, not just managers. Team members courageous enough to take risks, move the organization forward and act selflessly. As Simon Sinek says, “The real job of a leader is not about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in our charge.”

But your up-and-coming leaders won’t learn anything by osmosis. The soft skills you need to influence others and drive change require in-depth development through:

The credit unions that create strategic brands, live those brands and prepare people to lead will construct a durable legacy. But that process starts today. Don’t wait 15 or 20 more years to figure out how you’ll reach 250 years. It might be too late by then. Do the work today to position yourself as an irreplaceable institution—not an exchangeable commodity.