Truly human leadership protects an organisation from the internal rivalries that can shatter a culture. When we have to protect ourselves from each other, the whole organisation suffers. But when mutual trust and cooperation thrive internally, we pull together and the organisation grows stronger as a result… Wise words shared by Simon Sinek.
In a nutshell ‘trust’ and ‘cooperation’ is the currency to any business… therefore culture is the way you think, act and interact.
As a leader, what kind of culture are you creating?
Market leaders win by building an adaptive, innovative, friendly and collaborative organisation, establishing an inspiring culture and empowering team members. When there is no hierarchy in a culture, everyone is responsible of the outcomes, empowering team members to take charge, and help make decisions and feel responsible for the company’s success.
In this kind of culture there is a lot more flexibility, resilience and a lot more leaders listening to one another – where they actually feel heard and have a voice. That level of respect means that individuals are inspired to have the power to make decisions on an ‘as-need’ basis, rather than waiting for approval from a supervisor who needs approval from their supervisor… and so on before a decision is made!
Obviously, the latter has a massive impact on performance and productivity!!
Team vs Staff…
When you think of the word ‘staff’, it indicates there is a hierarchy at play, however, when you think of the word ‘team’ there is inclusion, there is respect and there is an association. It denotes alliance and true partnership within every action undertaken, task performed and decision made.
A ‘staff’ member is driven by fear and tend to blame – they will do just enough to keep their job while complaining about what’s not fair or right about their work. Whereas a ‘team’ member generates enthusiasm, they very much think by working together where they achieve much more and work positively together with everyone to get the job done the best way possible.
When there are team members as part of a culture they are fully engaged, they take more pride in the company’s success, they are motivated, they are more confident working with their skill and talents, happier at work and the best part for any organisation – a lower turnover!! Now isn’t that something… the power of ‘one’ word. Choose your words wisely and see the difference that it makes.
Address the elephant in the room…
Having a bad leader isn’t your fault however staying with one is! If the relationship no longer works for you, then leave!! Life is too short, it’s never worth staying in an environment that makes you feel miserable and doesn’t help you become a better leader. The bottom line, is that bad leaders are bad for business and even worse for their team members, so why put up with it?
Mind you, workplace interaction is a two-way responsibility. Many leaders are overwhelmed, overworked, reactive and tired. This may be because they are critical of self and others, and never satisfied by any outcome, therefore find themselves doing their job and some, just to please their own boss.
Almost everything will work again if only a leader would learn to unplug, rest and recharge just for a few minutes a day, it’s not asking too much of their precious time. And, it will make a huge difference to how they lead. This is the key right there! Because when we are overwhelmed and overworked… how we show up is probably not the very best version of ourselves and when we are faced with surmountable problems, these stresses only become amplified. Unfortunately, eventually the problem will be gone, but the legacy of how we reacted or responded to it can have serious repercussions.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions…
How many times have you asked for feedback as a leader? Sometimes it’s easy to think you’re all alone out there facing some new, potentially insurmountable challenge …But as disruption and the technical revolution change the way we do business, leaders are facing remarkably similar challenges across an incredible variety of industries. Taking the time to share your pain and communicate what you are experiencing will help your team members and others understand.
Often our own ego gets in the way of us doing this – we clam up, pretending it’s all under control, because of pride, emotions – and above all, the fear that you’re going to be considered ‘not capable.’ Well, surprise, surprise… quite the opposite! If you are ‘brave’ enough to stand in your truth and lean in to ask for help you will be pleasantly surprised at what you can achieve.
By asking for help, you are giving your power away, and this is exactly how to empower your team members. You don’t have to do it all alone. When you ask for permission, you give others permission to ask.
And, if you want something new, you have to stop doing something old and do something completely different! Take a risk. There is nothing quite so useless as doing – with great efficiency – something that should not be done at all… You see what gets measured gets improved.
Results are gained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems.
