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"Do something remarkable in your life," remarked Doug Nielsen (pictured at left) as he opened the 79th Annual Convention with his keynote, Take Life by the Helm: Creating the Ownership Advantage. Psychotherapist, coach and former COO/Executive Director, Nielsen's morning session sought to teach Convention goers the steps for taking ownership for one's attitude, behavior, and the results one hopes to create.
For credit union staff, making a difference in the lives of others is something that comes naturally and is engrained in the work that is done at CUs across the state each and every day. Nielsen, a lifelong CU member, shared how his CU helped him to fulfill his dream by giving him a car loan to purchase his first car. For Nielsen, we should all aspire to increase the fulfillment in our lives and in the lives of others, something that can be achieved through anchoring our core, charting our course with clarity and setting sail.
Anchoring our core, Nielsen explained requires that you understand your "why." "There is no lasting peace without living from your core," Nielsen began. "What is it that you're willing to go to battle for? Identify what's important to your core." Next you must chart your course, by identifying in one word what you would like to become and/or the contribution you wish to make. "The most important decision you will make today is deciding what is most important in your life. Take a moment every day to decide what's important." Nielsen explained that you don't just wake up one day to find yourself on the top of the Grand Teton. It's through creating a daily habit of clarity that you achieve your goals. Finally, setting sail requires that we don't divert from the course and are mindful of "mind pirates," a term Nielsen used to describe a through or belief that appears real, but is not. "The quickest way to change behavior is to change what you focus on. Take action and motivation will follow."
Alisha Drake, Business Development Officer at Sabattus Regional CU found that Nielsen's session, "provided insight on mastering personal ownership and creating high performance. For me personally, this added to the encouragement and motivation within my leadership role at the credit union." Five County CU's AVP of Finance, Mollie Ryan added, "Doug's energy and passion were quite obvious, and infectious, during all points of his session. He had an uncanny ability to keep us engaged and entertained, with several laughs in between. I couldn't have asked for a better opening session to start our day at Convention."