There’s no crying in credit unions: Five ways to help your team thrive 57SHARES My first CEO at my first credit union, John Normandeau, helped shape my career in many ways. He believed in me way more than I believed in myself. He identified my complimentary talents and encouraged me to be a part of his leadership team. He created space for me to explore and learn. He gave me space to fail. He truly cemented my commitment to our movement. John had a tremendous sense of humor and often found lightness even in dark moments. Whenever someone was having a particularly hard time and a tear might be shed, he was famous for saying, “there’s no crying in credit unions.” He had an incredibly kind heart, so this statement was not a lack of empathy. It was a gentle way to help make someone laugh to relieve a bit of the pain.