For women leading in the credit union space, we constantly feel the pressure to grow, improve, do more and do it better. But what if the most powerful leadership move you made this month was letting go?

That’s the question CUWLA members explored as we launched our first book club, starting with The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, which reminds us that not every outcome or decision is yours to carry. Some things (other people’s choices, their moods, their reactions) are simply out of your control. And once you accept that, you can see where your energy actually belongs.

It sounds so simple, but is it really?

Honoring the power of connection

The thing about book clubs is that they aren’t really about the book. (Although this one was fantastic!)

It’s about what happens when a group of women leaders sit down together and say, “yes, me too, I get it!” That kind of honesty and connection is its own form of leadership development. Networking, peer learning and community building don’t always happen at a conference or a coaching session or a boardroom. Sometimes it’s a book club.

And if you think you’re too busy for socializing, consider this: research shows that leaders with strong support networks have higher resilience, better decision-making and increased job satisfaction.

Your community can be your leadership superpower and the secret to your success – and a book club is a great place to start.

Building leadership one page at a time

A regular book club flexes skills you use every day:

• Differing perspectives
  

  When you discuss a book with peers, you quickly realize that 10 people can read the same chapter and walk away with 10 different takeaways. Learning to hear out different interpretations makes you a more thoughtful, open-minded leader.

• Honest conversation
  

  A book discussion can be abstract. You’re not talking about specific work concerns or worries at home. Because of that, it’s often easier to explore vulnerable topics and have that breath-through moment that helps you tackle real-life problems.

• Low-pressure accountability

  Committing to read and show up for a group is a low-stakes way to manifest follow-through and consistency. And you’ll find power in the act of choosing to do something for yourself, rather than doing it out of obligation.

  A reminder that you’re not alone

  This one is underrated. When a book puts into words something you’ve been quietly grappling with, and others in the group speak up to say they’ve had the same struggles, that can mean more than anything.

Growing your own community

A book club is just one way to build the connections that sustain great leadership. Community can look like a lot of things:

• Taking lunchtime walks with a colleague
• Scheduling a monthly virtual coffee chat with a peer
• Fostering a new mentor/mentee relationship
• Volunteering for something you’re passionate about
• Organizing a group trip to that next conference

Give yourself permission to build your community. Join our book club. Send the coffee invite. Say yes to the peer group. Don’t think of it as adding one more thing to your list – think of it as putting the right people in your corner.

Lead alongside women who get it

CUWLA’s Rise and CEO programming brings together women credit union leaders for facilitated discussions, peer learning and the kind of community that makes you better at everything you do. Ready to find your people?

Join CUWLA today