In some cases bankers' willingness to close branches and cut staff is a testament to their company's strength.

Clear communication is critical when banks undergo a leadership or operational change.

Good customer service, layered with new technology, gives community banks an advantage over big banks.

With brick-and-mortar locations dwindling, it’s even more important to meet potential customers in the field.

If your employees are unhappy, your customers will be the first to notice. Showing a little appreciation may be an investment in keeping both.

Community banks need to focus more on how their employees talk about the bank and less on new competition moving in.

As banks seek to innovate, executives should accept that ignorance and mistakes are part of the process.

Online banking and self-service options for customers free branch workers to focus on business development. Employees will need to step up to the challenge or they'll be left out.

Bank managers should remember their roots and keep their hands in business development, even as they climb the ranks.

Banks thrive when they invest in their workers as opposed to obsessively tracking the strategies of rival institutions.