Higher Net Interest Margin With Less Risk – Fact or Fiction? [VIDEO]
Most banks chase NIM by matching rates. Top banks raise pricing by changing positioning. Here’s how they do it.
Welcome to the Top 5 Percenter™ Blog
How to Stop “Running” Your Bank and Start Growing It
Ever feel like you’re so busy “running” your bank that you have no time to improve and grow your bank?
What if it was so efficient that you actually had time to create strategies and see that they are implemented correctly?
This is your chance to make it happen. It’s strategic planning time, and you need to connect your plan to the systems for getting all those results you want…to the accountabilities you’ll need, so your people know exactly how to deliver their piece of the plan every day.
You need to focus your time on managing the systems you put in place rather than actually performing the daily activities within your bank.
Without all three of those pieces linked together—strategy, systems, and accountability—your plan will be just that…a plan. You won’t achieve the results.
In today’s video, I show you how to create effective systems in your bank and how to monitor them to ensure they are never in a breakdown.
Before you watch the video, you’ll want to download the Strategic Planning Blueprint—a 30-minute audio “toolkit” for building a plan that’s clear, connected to outcomes, with accountability driven down to every person in the bank.
In the Blueprint you’ll discover:
- Three ways the regulators will dissect your plan, plus, how to know now if your plan will measure up
- Why almost every bank misses the mark with their mission and vision statements.
- How to “diagnose” your current plan and what to do to fix it, to ensure completion of all plan elements next year.
- What to do when your progress stalls. (Note: This little secret could be what saves your year next year.)
- A “blueprint” for an effective strategic plan.
More From The Blog
Rate Risk is a Big Risk—Play Smart [VIDEO]
Guessing interest rates is not a strategy. Here’s how top community banks remove rate risk and stay profitable.
Why Community Banking Matters—Especially at Christmas [VIDEO]
A Christmas reflection on why community banking matters—and why your leadership impact extends far beyond transactions.
Life in the World of Over-Regulation [VIDEO]
Top banks don’t complain about regulation—they execute around it. Here’s how the elite outperform anyway.
Why Is It So Important to Hold On to Low Cost Deposits [VIDEO]
Low-cost deposits are the ultimate margin advantage. Discover how top 5% performers attract them consistently—and why most banks fail to compete.
Can Strategic Thinking Be Taught or Nurtured [VIDEO]
Banks don’t fail from a talent shortage—they fail from a thinking shortage. Discover how critical-thinking systems like the SIR Formula build your future executives now.
A State of Gratitude [VIDEO]
A powerful Thanksgiving message on how gratitude shifts leadership presence, reframes pressure, and strengthens your bank’s performance culture.
How to Tie Everyone to Profit [VIDEO]
Most employees believe they’re top performers but can’t show how they drive profit. This episode shows how to tie every role to the bottom line, boost profit per FTE, and build a high‑performance culture in your community bank.
The Dangers of False-Attempt Sales Training [VIDEO]
Traditional sales training fails because it focuses on tactics, not transformation. Discover how to shift from sales training to sales culture and achieve lasting growth.
Master the Four Levels of USPs [VIDEO]
Escape commodity pricing. This episode shows how Level-4 USPs—proprietary, client-valued processes—let community banks command +150–200 bps and keep deposits loyal.