Mark Burgess On Leadership

In the five years since he moved to Alaska to take over as CTO of Credit Union 1 ($1.4B, Anchorage, AK), Mark Burgess has refined his skills at observing both birds and people.

As an experienced shepherd of new technologies, Burgess was used to disruption, but he had to take that skillset to a new level last year when he became CEO and had to build a new C-suite from scratch. Luckily, his approach to the challenge and subsequent opportunity aligns with his interest in birdwatching and photography.

“Birdwatching  takes practice and patience,” the CEO says. “You never know what you’re going to find. But if you’re patient and persistent, you can build a team that is capable of great things.”

Burgess’s commitment to collaboration, transparency, and empowerment has helped his team meet the challenges of serving a membership spread across thousands of square miles of some of the most disruptive — and enchanting — landscapes on earth.

On management styles and how they support organization success …

When I’m at my best, my leadership approach is founded on collaboration, coaching, transparency, and support. I see my role as creating a clear vision for the organization and fostering the teams that can bring that vision to life.

We’re currently working together to identify the most effective communication rituals for the organization, and the collaborative and transparent spirit is taking hold. Our entire senior management team recently took the StrengthsFinders assessment. We shared and discussed our results at length to give us an understanding of our “leadership DNA.” Knowing our own strengths and how they affect the way we show up as leaders is important, but it becomes even more powerful when we’re aware of what the rest of the team looks like. By knowing ourselves and our team, we can work even better together.

My top five CliftonStrengths are Woo, Achiever, Self-Assurance, Strategic, and Relator. The Woo strength gives me the deep desire to meet people, get to know them, and make a real connection. It’s part of the reason I like to help people overcome obstacles through teamwork. It drives me to be a leader who shows I value people beyond their contributions to CU1.

When I’m not at my best, my self-assurance strength can get the best of me. I have an inner compass that gives me certainty in my decisions, but if I overlook others’ perspectives, I might not make the right decision for the organization. This strength also causes me to sometimes create a space where people are over-reliant on me to solve problems they could handle themselves. In such situations, I might not have provided the support they needed to feel empowered to take on these challenges.

CreditUnions.com’s On Leadership series spotlights notable leaders across the credit union landscape by discovering how they joined the movement, learning what makes them tick, uncovering career lessons and successes, and seeking advice for the future of the movement. Read the whole series today.

On  how senior management at Credit Union 1 has change …

I joined the organization in 2018 as the CTO of a relatively new C-team of six. In 2022, we experienced a significant loss of C-team staff, including our CEO, and the board entrusted me with the role of interim CEO while retaining my responsibilities as the CTO. During this transitional phase, we had a CFO and COO, and we initiated efforts to recruit a new CLO.

Simultaneously, the nationwide search for a new CEO began. There was some uncertainty, but my goal was to keep the boat moving forward while making as few waves as possible. I was lucky enough to be named the permanent CEO at the end of the search process. Unfortunately, within a few months, the CFO and COO both moved on from CU1, so I was faced with building a C-team from scratch.

Our CTO and CRO joined the team in late 2022. Our new CFO came on board early this year. And, finally, our CLO joined us in June.

On handling change and organization response …

Going from a six-person C-team to just myself took a lot of prioritization and tons of communication. We had to put some items we wanted to execute in the parking lot as we focused on getting the right people in the right seats while delivering excellent service. And once those people were in their seats, it took time to onboard them and allow them to build their teams and strategic processes.

The amount of communication never seemed to be enough. There are different types of communication needed for every level of the organization — from the board, to senior managers, to managers, to front-line staff, and everyone in between. Each required communication and face time in their own way.

Since these changes, we’ve been getting back to the basics. We’ve invested in management training, focused on goals, created a regular cadence of meetings, and worked to share our vision throughout the organization. And as a persistent theme, communication is always top-of-mind as we set expectations from and to the board and turn those into internal action and priorities.

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On building camaraderie among the C-suite …

During the onboarding process, I spent time going over our vision and plan for the year while being honest about the spots in which we’re making headway and the spots in which we have an opportunity for improvement.

We have weekly or bi-weekly one-on-ones to review what’s happening on their team, discuss their concerns, and make sure the team is aligned. The biggest secret to success is being honest and transparent. If I know something is broken but I pretend it isn’t, it doesn’t give us a chance to solve it or make anything better. We have created a team that has the psychological safety that enables honest and clear communication — and there aren’t any topics that are off-limits.

We discuss everything from the fact I have too many direct reports to one executive stepping too far into another executive’s lane to our expectations of communication and event attendance. I can’t say enough about direct communication and the effects that this has had on the team, but I do want to make the distinction that this isn’t just careless or thoughtless communication. This has to be empathetic and vulnerable communication while being direct and clear.

We’ve also spent time reviewing the history of the organization to know what has worked and what hasn’t. We have the benefit of historical knowledge from Leslie Ellis, our CEO of 30 years, who’s able to provide insight into why we did something in a specific way and what she has seen. This insight has been invaluable and has saved a lot of time and heartache.

On geography challenges to operations and management strategies …

There is no denying Alaska is different from other places, and it’s important to me to have the entire C-team here. Not only because our focus as a credit union is to serve those who live and work in this state but also because there is value in proximity — especially for those in leadership roles.

Having the entire C-team in Alaska has resulted in a strong bond and an empathetic team right out of the gate. We’re all in the same building, so we can walk over and chat with one another when something isn’t making sense, and we can observe our teams and markets in person every day.

Alaska is a unique place, and so are each of the communities we serve. We have 12, soon to be 13, branches stretching across the state. Some areas are only accessible by plane or boat. You really have to be here to see and understand the real Alaska and our membership.

On C-suite focus …

Strategic growth, talent development, and incredible member service are the things our team is focused on right now.

The C-team is still new, so they’re all focused on building their own teams. They’re assessing each of their groups for strengths and opportunities and finding ways to create operational efficiencies. Things are a bit more tactical right now, but it’s exciting to see those who are already starting the transition from tactical assessment to strategic planning.

For example, one team needed a new organizational structure that offers better role clarity. Since we’ve implemented that new structure, there’s been an increase in morale and the team is being challenged to do things differently based on their strengths. This group now gets to do different work because of the structure. That’s better for them and for the organization as a whole.

CU1 is a growing organization, and our needs look a lot different now than they did five years ago. We’re focused on moving the organization forward through not only strategic planning but also the development of our management staff. We’re committed to investing in training and creating advancement opportunities for our employees. We’ve partnered with a consultant for management training, and our third group of managers are currently receiving this training.

On transitioning from New Hampshire to Alaska …

I had spent my whole life in New Hampshire, but professional opportunities allowed me to travel and see the world. I knew pieces of what I was getting myself into when I moved to Alaska in 2018 with my wife and our dog and cat, but there were definitely things I was not ready for.

Alaska is known as the Last Frontier. Our state sport is dog mushing. We have more coastline than the rest of the country combined yet only one area code. Alaska is beautiful and like nothing else, but this land of extremes can take some discipline to keep yourself balanced. I’ve had to set alarms to remind myself to leave my office at the end of the day in the summer because it never gets dark.

There were some things professionally I wasn’t ready for, too. The biggest was the talent pool. With only 730,000 people in Alaska, the options are limited compared to New Hampshire and being close to Boston. You might have to train more for the role you need in the organization, and when you find great people, you have to keep them excited about being on the team.

I also wasn’t ready for the sheer size and distance in Alaska. Some of our branches are 500 to 1,000 miles away and only accessible by plane. This is quite a change from New Hampshire, where I could visit four other states in two hours. This makes projects and planning different because you can’t just run to the store to buy something you forgot, you have to bring what you need and be prepared for multiple options.

All that said, these challenges are what make Alaska such a wonderful place to live in. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve those who live and work here.

“If I fail to provide clarity, the outcomes might not align with my intentions. This can be particularly detrimental on long-term projects, where miscommunication can lead a team significantly off course.”

On lessons, advice, or best practices …

Effective communication is harder than you would expect, but it is essential to any organization’s success and making it a priority pays off.

As a new CEO during a time of organizational transition, there is so much to communicate — to my direct reports, the board, and the credit union as a whole — and I’m always working to do a better job. Effective communication enhances situations; poor communication leads to chaos.

For me, effective communication means being honest, transparent, open, thoughtful, and inquisitive. It’s a two-way street, where clear directives are accompanied by well-defined reasoning and expectations. If I fail to provide clarity, the outcomes might not align with my intentions. This can be particularly detrimental on long-term projects, where miscommunication can lead a team significantly off course.

So, my advice, communicate well, always ask questions, listen, and never stop learning about yourself and your team.

On down time …

One of my biggest passions is for birds. My dad was a high school science teacher and nature lover. He would spot birds and be able to identify them as we took cross-country trips growing up, and I thought that was cool. So when I found myself in a job where I was traveling and needing something to do, I started exploring birding hotspots and ended up having a blast.

My interest grew, I bought a camera, and the next thing you know, I’m making “Burgess Birds Calendars” for my friends and family every year for Christmas. I’ve upgraded my gear a few times, but getting that perfect shot of a ruby-crowned kinglet from Homer, Alaska (that’s this month’s bird if you happen to have a Burgess Birds Calendar) is a feeling like no other.

The continual practice and incremental improvements are so fun for me. Seeing more birds in a year than my dad is fun, too. As of July, the count is 251 birds for me and 178 birds for him. Stay tuned for more!

This interview has been edited and condensed.