SEATTLE/PITTSBURGH–Everyone talks innovation, but it’s not the throw-everything-to-the-wind-and-see-what-flies process it’s commonly thought of. At least not if you want it to be successful.
That’s just one of the observations made by Jim Haack, CEO of Momentum, the design/build firm that works with many credit unions.
Below, Mr. Haack shares some of his observations in this Q&A with CUToday.info’s The Corner.
CUToday.info: What intangible of leadership is most difficult to convey or prepare for?
Haack: I would say without question its vulnerability. A leader’s ability to be genuinely humble is counterintuitive in an age of personality culture and critical to developing the trust and commitment necessary to lead high performing teams.
CUToday.info: Are you a fan of a management book or books? If not, why not. If so, which have resonated with you and why?
Haack: I’m a huge fan of books. Aside from a natural tendency to aggregate ideas, I’m a firm believer that little I do hasn’t been done before in some form and the wealth of knowledge available today makes trial and error an unnecessary way to approach business. Books are where the knowledge is, at least quite a bit of it.
CUToday.info: Innovation: four syllables getting all the attention. Deservedly so? If so, can you really drive innovation? Or is it coming at the cost of implementation and delivery?
Haack: The best innovators are structured to be just that. The notion that innovation is ad hoc luck is a recipe for disappointment. The reality is, ideas are cheap. It’s those that can sift and sort then systematically execute that are the real innovators. Structure and the discipline to implement enables innovation, never the opposite.
CUToday.info: If you could go back and talk to You On The First Day On The Job, what advice do you share?
Editor’s Note: in response to this question, Haack shared this content from the “My Story” section of Momentum’s website. The founders of the company sought to “serve community-focused organizations by delivering buildings that express the best aspirations of the institutions they serve, and to “create one seamless experience for the client, where the only surprise is how efficient and rewarding the process is.
CUToday.info: My Keeps-Me-Up-At-Night concern is?
Haack: Leadership development. Why? Creating and sustaining the level of trust, discipline and accountability to build great leaders is the hardest work I’ve ever done.
CUToday.info: My-Let’s-Me-Sleep-At-Night optimism is?
Haack: I have a few deeply committed, extremely capable and truly wonderful people on my team.
For more information: www.momentumbuilds.com.