26 Feb 2025
Episode 316: Leadership Blind Spots: What You Don't Know Can Hold You Back
Hey, team! Bill Storm here, and welcome to the Lessons in Leadership podcast. In a recent episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Kadel, Managing Principal of One Accord. Our discussion centered on a critical leadership challenge: blind spots. As Michael put it, "You don't know what you don't know." And that, my friends, can be a dangerous place for a leader.
Michael Kadel, a dedicated C-level executive and board director, exemplifies servant leadership, prioritizing people and fostering strong relationships. His commitment to driving change, passion for nurturing talent, and unwavering dedication to leader engagement have consistently delivered high-growth, performance-driven cultures under his guidance.
Expertise: Michael boasts extensive expertise in the financial services industry, spanning Retail, Business, and Digital Banking to Private, Commercial, and Wealth Management, as well as Corporate Marketing and Communications. His entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to make informed decisions and empowerment of others have consistently delivered exceptional client experiences.
Michael has also played a pivotal role in seven successful mergers and acquisitions, offering invaluable insights to small and medium-sized businesses in areas such as Human Resources, Finance/Accounting, Culture Transformation, and Organizational Development. Strategy & Execution: Michael has led large retail experience teams in credit unions and community banks and has orchestrated successful loan and deposit growth strategies, resulting in multiple "President's Club" awards for his teams. His leadership has driven impactful re-branding initiatives, including developing a culture-focused M&A playbook, ensuring a seamless integration of cultures in mergers and acquisitions, and achieving a remarkable 95% employee retention rate. Team & Talent Development:
Michael has fostered achievement-oriented cultures rooted in accountability, recognition, engagement, and innovation throughout his career. He has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies, which have resulted in a 5% improvement in workforce diversity across organizations.
Michael actively contributes to various boards, including Working Solutions, the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, Marin Economic Forum, and Marin Literacy. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of By The Bay Health, the largest provider of end-of-life care in the San Francisco Bay Area. His board roles have encompassed various committee leadership positions in Governance, Finance, and Compensation, focused on mission-critical subjects such as strategic planning, M&A, and C-Suite and board succession.
Michael has spearheaded numerous projects to enhance customer experiences, including a significant core conversion project for a San Francisco-based credit union. This project led to substantial membership growth and streamlined product launches, reducing the time required to open online memberships from days to minutes. The technology overhaul eliminated over 500 legacy programs, aligning processes with cutting-edge solutions. Michael has also served as a key executive for a Fintech company focused on training and developing technology leaders to provide state-of-the-art technology for financial institutions.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University and is a Pacific Coast Banking School graduate. He now serves as an executive teaching assistant for a DEI-focused course, sharing insights from his diverse and unique experiences. In his personal life, he resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he enjoys hiking, traveling, and being an avid reader.
Feel free to email me today for a complimentary leadership assessment and consultation at michael.kadel@oneaccord.co (michael.kadel@oneaccord.co). This is your opportunity to transform potential gaps into strategic strengths.
You can also connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kadel/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kadel/)
