ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory Rowland ran a credit union once upon a time, but that may have been too boring for him after he managed it from a CAMEL 4 to a CAMEL 2 in about 18 months. Maybe the kind of showmanship he exhibits now helped him inspire employees to break through the failure-mindset and achieve far better things. But now a consultant and uber-popular speaker at CU conferences, he shakes up sessions and gets people to do things they might not ordinarily do.

His use of self-deprecating humor frees Rowland's audience to hoot, holler and thrust their arms into the air. "People tell me I look like Bean, do you know who Bean is?" Rowland asked, showing several silly photos of the English actor, famous for playing The Black Adder and mugging his facial expression. Attendees are entertained by all the madness and of course, there is method in it, as Rowland then engages them about how to make lending at credit unions exciting again.

He explains how the leading top 100 credit unions use what he called "the four Ms, which stand for measure, monitor, manage and make a mantra of the phrase, "We make loans" to boost loan-to-assets ratios. Above all, those credit unions that are the most successful at lending make is so easy for members to borrow that what is taken to be a painful process is made as painless as it can be.