Industry leadership: Everyone has to do their part

Sometimes 20% of the people in the mortgage industry appear to be doing 80% of the work to move the business forward – and that’s not a sustainable model

Industry leadership: Everyone has to do their part
by David Lykken

On the February 13 episode of my Lykken on Lending podcast, we got the opportunity to interview Tricia Migliazzo, VP of Membership at the Mortgage Bankers Association. During the conversation, we discussed the potential benefits of folks in the mortgage industry joining the MBA. While the information was good for mortgage professionals at any level in the organization, I thought the discussion was particularly poignant for leaders in the mortgage industry.

It often seems to me that there is a problem of shared responsibility among the leaders in the mortgage business in regards to advocating for the industry. Twenty percent of the people appear to be doing 80% of the work in making the industry a better place to work in terms of the regulatory environment. The great thing about the MBA is that it goes to bat in Washington on behalf of the mortgage industry. Now, don't get me wrong, the MBA has had tremendous success with recruiting leaders from the mortgage industry. But, in my view, it's still the few assuming the responsibility of the many.

To be true leaders in our industry, we've got to do our part. It doesn't have to be with the Mortgage Bankers Association, but you've got to find some way to get involved. It's sort of like when people say, “You can't complain about the way the country's going if you didn't vote.” Similarly, we can't be disappointed about the state of the industry if we aren't actively involved in making it better. Leaders never take the backseat; they've always got their hands on the reins. So, what about you? How involved have you been in advocating for the industry?