From Policy to Personal Discipline, MBA CREF Opens With a Call to Lead
Energy, purpose, and accountability set the tone at the opening general session of MBA CREF 2026, where speakers urged the commercial real estate community to wield its influence with both conviction and care. Against an industry backdrop still defined by transformation, the message was clear: leadership begins with action.
Christine Chandler, 2026 MBA Chair and EVP, COO, and Chief Compliance Officer at M&T Realty Capital Corp., opened the session by rallying attendees around advocacy and momentum. "Progress doesn't happen on its own," she said, emphasizing that sustained policy work depends on collective engagement. Reflecting on a year marked by achievement and advancement for the Mortgage Bankers Association, Chandler reminded the audience that participation is not optional. "The rules affect everyone—and policy work isn't self-supporting. We need you," she noted, calling on members to help shape the regulatory outcomes that guide the industry's future.
That spirit of personal responsibility carried through in the keynote address from retired U.S. Navy four-star Admiral Bill McRaven. Drawing on his decades as a Navy SEAL, McRaven spoke about character, service, and leading under pressure—lessons that resonate beyond the military and into boardrooms across the CRE landscape. He shared that even amid chaos, discipline begins with something as simple as making your bed. "It is one thing you can control," he said. "It is a small foundational task that provides a daily sense of pride." That daily act, he added, sets a disciplined tone that influences everything that follows.
Through accounts of major operations—from the capture of Saddam Hussein to the raid on Osama bin Laden and the rescue of Captain Phillips—McRaven illustrated how small habits underpin teamwork, resilience, and results. "If you want to change the world," he said, "you must recognize that meaningful impact often starts with small, intentional choices." His message echoed Chandler's: progress, whether in markets or missions, happens when leaders take action, together.
Check back with GlobeSt.com for continuing coverage from the MBA CREF event in San Diego.
Source: GlobeSt/ALM