A few years ago, a high-producing branch manage in the Southeast offered a masterclass in leadership without knowing it. Her numbers were exceptional, but that wasn’t the most impressive part.
The energy in the office was unmistakable. Loan officers were engaged. Processors collaborated fluidly. Laughter echoed even under month-end pressure. When asked about the secret to her success, she smiled and said, “I never let us settle for average. Not one day.”
It wasn’t the system. It wasn’t just training. It was her attitude. A belief that excellence is the baseline and not the ceiling.
Leaders like this are the industry’s “pied pipers.” People want to work with them. Top talent seeks them out. They elevate others by demanding more of themselves and modeling what excellence looks like.
Mortgage companies need engaged employees now more than ever. In 2025, the mortgage industry is still crawling back to its feet. Volume is unpredictable. Layoffs have left scars. All this has made the demand for strong leadership never greater.
Effective leadership
Leadership is the lever that determines growth, culture and reputation. According to global surveys conducted by the management consultant McKinsey & Company, employees say recognition and attention from their manager are among the most important noncash motivators impacting engagement with a company.
“No one builds a winning culture with the wrong team. Yet too many leaders try to motivate people who were the wrong fit from day one, or they give up on someone just before they’re ready to take off.”
The question isn’t whether leadership matters. It’s how do mortgage leaders become the kind of people that others will follow? Not just because of their title, but by influence and energy.
To become an effective leader, one must raise the bar and keep it there. The pied pipers in the mortgage space have one thing in common: Make it clear that “average” is not the goal. They don’t tolerate apathy and they don’t coast, but they cast a vision that says, ‘We aim higher here.’
This mindset isn’t implied. It’s spoken, repeated and reinforced during every meeting, one-on-one and hiring conversation.
The leadership research consultancy Zenger Folkman found that effective leaders motivate and inspire their teams by establishing ambitious goals and clearly defining expectations.
This starts with language. Say it out loud: “We don’t do average here. Mediocre work puts your teammates at risk. Greatness is a decision.”
Then back these words up with the following actions: Celebrate high performance, coach low performers and model the same standard. Look at the week ahead. Identify one moment to reinforce a message of excellence.
Hire for drive
Know who to bet on and when. No one builds a winning culture with the wrong team. Yet too many leaders try to motivate people who were the wrong fit from day one, or they give up on someone just before they’re ready to take off.
Effective leaders identify potential early. They don’t just hire for resumes, but for drive and coachability. They don’t just recruit, they develop.
A 2025 Deloitte global survey revealed that 66% of executives and managers say most recent hires are not fully prepared. A lack of experience is their most common failing.
So maybe the biggest opportunity isn’t poaching experienced loan officers — it’s investing in the hungry ones who are already working in-house.
Here’s what to do today: Audit the team. Who’s quietly leveling up? Who’s showing initiative and asking smart questions? Pull them closer. Coach them harder. One conversation could unlock a future top performer.
Coach, don’t carry
And finally, shift ownership to the individual. High-performing teams don’t emerge from micromanagement. They emerge from taking on projects and owning the results.
It starts with a mindset: This is your business. Leadership is here to coach, not carry.
This shift happens when managers stop over-functioning. When they stop solving every problem and start guiding others to the answers. Try asking: “What do you think the next step should be? What result are you aiming for? What’s holding you back from taking full ownership?”
This isn’t about being hands-off. It’s about collaborative accountability. Empower, then inspect. Coach, then expect.
Here’s an assignment: Identify one team member who leans too heavily on leadership. In your next interaction, flip the script. Instead of offering solutions, ask them questions. Let them rise.
In this challenging market, mortgage companies need to get the most production out of their employees and retain high performers.
Yes, the market is challenging. Talent is cautious. But the upside is massive for leaders ready to inspire, elevate and build a team that others want to join.
