The CUInsight Experience podcast: Anchored with Liz Ponder (#231)

Welcome to episode 231 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by Trellance Cooperative Holdings, Inc. Trellance is the parent company behind some of the most trusted credit union tech providers, such as Rise Analytics, ProBridge and Optiri. By providing tech to credit unions and investing in new solutions, Trellance aims to create growth opportunities for the entire industry and to empower credit unions to embrace innovative new technology. Learn more at Trellance.com.

In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.

This week on the show, we welcome Liz Ponder, CEO of SRP Federal Credit Union. Liz is here to help us explore a concept which we firmly believe that every leader needs: a personal leadership compass. Listen in as Liz walks us through how she’s defined her own guiding principles and how those values shape the way she leads. She highlights why things like clarity, purpose, and empathy are not just meaningless buzzwords but tools to help her team understand their roles, see the impact of their work, and feel truly connected to the credit union’s mission.

We dig into how leadership isn’t about moving fast or accumulating accolades but is about bringing people along, with Liz reflecting on how her listening skills, shaped early by her mother’s hearing impairment, helped her evolve into a leader who communicates intentionality and empathetically. We also get into how Liz works to intentionally build psychological safety, encouraging her team to speak up and share ideas without consequence. She also fosters a culture where transparency and collaboration drive real impact, not just numbers on a report.

We also talk about the powerful role of language, mentorship, and modeling values in leadership, with Liz reflecting on lessons learned from her early career and how she has empowered others to find their voice. She also advises on how to guide people toward roles that align with their strengths and purpose and stresses the fact that leadership is ultimately not about a title. Liz firmly believes that anyone can lead from the position that they are in, even if it's a more junior position.

Toward the end of the episode, we get a little more personal as we hear more about how Liz’s childhood shaped her leadership style, and she shares her next steps for the future, including an ambitious program to build up the next generation of female leaders!

Liz truly blends humility with vision, staying grounded while building an organization that thrives because people feel valued, heard, and empowered. This episode is packed with practical insights and stories from the front lines of leadership and it's truly one you are going to love!

[2:30] – Liz Ponder asserts that effective leadership clarifies shared purpose, involving others’ ideas and recognizing their contributions.
[5:17] – Hear how Liz’s communication skills as a leader grew through experience, active listening, and staying grounded in her beginnings.
[6:53] – Liz believes in leading with empathy and purpose.
[8:23] – Hear how Liz observed her team’s empathy and volunteerism, creating a shared identity as “ambassadors.”
[10:42] – Liz’s team emphasizes transparent communication and respectful collaboration over focusing only on numbers.
[13:24] – Liz shares how she empowers her team, believing that everyone leads from the position that they’re in.
[16:22] – Strong leadership encourages respectfully speaking up without fear of consequences, even when it feels difficult.
[18:02] – Liz intentionally listens to team members, creating psychological safety and empowering them to use their voice.
[20:23] – Speed is not leadership; get to know your people!
[23:17] – Liz shares how organizational alignment improved by unifying leadership messaging and making sure that teams share consistent goals.
[25:19] – Jilly highlights how true communication, not just data dumps, drives alignment and meaningful impact.
[27:15] – Liz believes that a good leader uncovers people’s “why”s, aligns roles with skills, and supports growth via mentorship and guidance.
[30:44] – People’s authentic passions tend to emerge early between 7 and 11.
[33:34] – Hear how early responsibilities helped shape Liz’s leadership path and passion for credit unions.
[36:21] – Even though Liz initially wanted to be an attorney, she now focuses on advocacy which is related.
[38:56] – We learn how Liz is planning a leadership program to develop others and help ensure the movement’s continuity.
[39:57] – Jilly advocates for investment in historically marginalized women to expand leadership opportunities and influence.