Uncategorized | Tools to Lead

Executive Presence, Part 1

Have you ever been in the presence of someone whose presence clearly marked them as a leader? That presence has a term that describes it; executive presence. While not all leaders have executive presence, those who do seem to rise above others, even when they might not have the title of leader. That is to say, while not all leaders have executive presence, not all those who have executive presence have the title of leader, even though they carry with them the unofficial title into every encounter and meeting.

Some acquire Executive presence by instinct, yet the qualities and behaviors that make up executive presence can be learned. While it can be subjective and vary across cultures and contexts, eight core skills/behaviors make up executive presence and many lesser ones. Among the eight core skills/behaviors, there is a certain degree of overlap where one skill/behavior has aspects of another even while having unique qualities of its own. Each of the skills/behaviors fit the Goldilocks paradigm. That is, most people have each of these skills/behaviors but either exhibit too little or too much. The person who is perceived as having an executive presence is the individual who has found the sweet spot of “just right” for each of the skills/behaviors. These are the Level 5 leaders.

When exploring the different skills/behaviors, both ends of the extreme will be touched upon and what it looks like when it is “just right.” Evaluating one’s self in each of these skills/behaviors accurately and then implementing a plan to move toward the sweet spot takes an extraordinary level of self-awareness (which is part of one of the skills/behaviors). Since most assume they are self-aware, it will be the unique individual who can set aside their own bias and open themselves up to accurate scrutiny, which is why executive presence is so attractive and so elusive. It can’t be accomplished by reading an article.

It requires focused study and discipline to evolve to the point that others perceive executive presence. Sadly, most will read this article and check off each of the skills/behaviors as accomplished and therefore assume that they have this elusive quality . . . when in fact they do not. Beware of confirmation bias which resists self-awareness and change.

In the following posts I’ll describe the eight skills/behaviors that I believe make up executive presence. For each one, I’ll try to describe what it looks like when there is too little, or too much of that particular skill/behavior, as well as focus on the “just right.”

The difference between planning and execution

Planning and execution are two important aspects of achieving success in any endeavor. While planning involves creating a detailed roadmap that outlines the steps required to achieve a specific goal, execution involves putting that plan into action. In other words, planning is the process of thinking about and organizing the tasks needed to accomplish a goal, while execution is the actual act of carrying out those tasks.

In many ways, planning and execution are interrelated. Without a solid plan, execution can become disorganized and chaotic, making it difficult to achieve success. On the other hand, even the most detailed plan is worthless without effective execution. In this article, we will explore the differences between planning and execution and how they are both essential for achieving success.

Planning

Planning is an essential part of any successful endeavor. It is the process of identifying the goals you want to achieve, determining the steps required to achieve those goals, and creating a timeline for completing those steps. Planning requires a lot of critical thinking and strategic decision-making. It is an ongoing process that begins before execution and continues throughout the entire project.

The Bible emphasizes the importance of planning in several places. For instance, Proverbs 21:5 states that “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” This passage highlights the importance of taking the time to carefully plan out your goals and strategies to achieve them. In addition, Proverbs 16:3 states, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This passage reminds us that planning should be done with the guidance and support of a higher power, and that by committing our plans to God, we can achieve greater success.

Execution

Execution, on the other hand, is the actual act of putting a plan into action. It is the process of implementing the steps identified during the planning phase and making progress towards achieving the overall goal. Execution requires discipline, focus, and perseverance. It is the point where all the ideas and plans become real.

The Bible also emphasizes the importance of execution. James 1:22 states, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” This passage highlights the importance of taking action rather than simply talking about what needs to be done. In addition, James 2:17 states, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” This passage reminds us that without taking action, our plans and goals will remain just that – plans and goals.

The Relationship between Planning and Execution

Planning and execution are two sides of the same coin. While planning sets the foundation for success, execution is what makes that success a reality. Planning and execution are interdependent, and both are necessary for achieving success. Without planning, execution can become chaotic, and without execution, planning is simply an exercise in futility.

To illustrate this point, consider the example of a construction project. Before any work can begin, a detailed plan must be created that includes blueprints, material lists, and timelines for completion. Without this plan, workers would not know what materials to order or how to begin the project. However, a plan alone is not enough to build a building. Workers must execute the plan by following the blueprints, using the correct materials, and meeting the timeline for completion.

Similarly, in our personal lives, planning and execution work hand in hand. For instance, if you want to improve your physical fitness, you may create a workout plan that includes specific exercises and a schedule for completing them. However, unless you actually follow through and execute that plan, you will not achieve the desired results.

Conclusion

Planning and execution are two essential components of achieving success. While planning involves creating a roadmap for success, execution involves putting that plan into action. Both are necessary.

Perseverance – Don’t Quit

No one wants to be labeled a “quitter,” but there are times when EVERYONE has felt the pull to quit. It could be a job, a friendship, a project, an educational program, or even a marriage. If you are human, you have felt the temptation to quit. When stress builds to the point that it affects your life it is normal to wonder if it is worth continuing. When we feel threatened either physically or emotionally it is normal to want to remove ourselves from that situation; after all, that is where the “fight or flight” phrase comes from, or the phrase “take this job and shove it.” These are carryover responses prompted by the hormones secreted by the amygdala in our brain. Or, if you have plateaued at a level where you just aren’t feeling the same joy that you once did, there is a real temptation to quit. This factor alone has been the end of many marriages and has caused most of the job turnover in our society.

Sometimes quitting is the right answer, but most of the time real victory and growth take place when you are willing to persevere; to stick with it, in spite of the temptation to quit. The saying “winners never quit and quitters never win” is truer than we would like to admit. The grass is NOT greener on the other side of the fence. The same problems you are experiencing now will follow you wherever you go, perhaps in a different form, but no less challenging.

Let’s look at the three examples I mentioned above. First is the person who is experiencing major stress. Regardless of the area where the stress is originating, if it is significant enough it may be affecting your sleep, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, or lashing out in frustration at those around you. The stress could be caused by deadlines or other expectations that you find challenging to meet. While quitting may seem like a good option you will soon find that every area of life is going to put you right back into the same situation. If you constantly are constantly trying to avoid stress you will never find peace in your life, and you will think it is always someone else’s fault. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this but if stress is your motivation for quitting you need to consider finding someone to talk to who can help you dig down to the real source of your stress and begin to resolve those issues at the root.

Second is the person who feels threatened either physically or emotionally to quit. This situation is typical for those going through any physically demanding program, e.g. military boot camp, a major diet program, etc. It can also be connected to an abusive relationship. While there are definite advantages to keeping going when trying to meet a demanding physical goal, staying in an abusive relationship, should be a deciding factor in stepping out of a situation or relationship. Here again, it would be valuable to find someone to talk to who can help you dig down to the root of what you are experiencing and clarify the real issues.

The third is the person who has lost his or her joy and is not feeling as connected as they once did. Again, not what you want to hear, but if you are changing jobs, or marriages, or anything for this reason alone, you are in for a pretty disappointing life. There are two aspects to consider as you work through this issue. The first is that as you mature you will discover that there are seasons to pretty much every aspect of your life with highs and lows. We all go through these seasons as it is a natural part of the rhythm of life. It is when the lows hit that some will bail out on their commitments and quit. They turn the temporary low into a forever depression from which they feel they must escape. The second aspect has to do with how much we are looking for satisfaction from outside ourselves, versus how much of ourselves we are willing to bring to the situation. This comes back to personal leadership that I’ve mentioned in another podcast.

Angela Duckworth has completed a major study on what she calls GRIT. Look up her TED talk. Grit combines passion with perseverance. Her results show that people with GRIT are more successful AND more fulfilled. Her book by the same title uses research and multiple case studies to demonstrate that quitting undermines our ability to become our best and fulfill our potential. The more GRIT a person has the more likely they are to succeed in life and be happier in the process.

The 80s band Wilson Phillips advises, “Holh On” for one more day, and that is sometimes what it takes; the willingness to hold on for one more day, to invest enough of yourself to rise above the stress, or the challenge, or even the boredom to find the future.

In the Bible, James says “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (1:7) The inference I take from this passage is the determination to persevere, instead of allowing yourself to be distracted. So, yes, in most cases perseverance is the right choice. I encourage you to persevere.

Excellence in All Things

Notice I am saying “excellence,” not perfection. Perfection is rarely possible no matter how much effort is expended. I define excellence as doing the very best that I am capable of doing.

The pendulum swing for all our actions usually ranges from dropping the ball completely to a perfectionistic ideal that is impossible to achieve. Somewhere along the pendulum swing is “good enough.” Jim Collins wrote in his book “Good to Great” that “good is the enemy of great.” His point is that when we achieve good, most will think that is “good enough.” When that happens most will quit aspiring to greatness.

I want to suggest there is a place beyond good that I have called Excellent. St. Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 You probably have read this verse or heard it quoted before. Let’s break that down a little. First let’s start with the statement: “Whatever you do.” There is a real sense of choice in that statement. It isn’t restricted to what you do at work, at home, or for your hobby. It might as well read: In EVERYTHING you do. One of the real barriers most face in living up to this standard is that they take on too much. We allow ourselves to become too busy and take on too many responsibilities We lack the ability to draw clear lines and set appropriate boundaries. Because of others’ expectations and an inability to say NO our lives have spun out of control so that excellence in anything is a fantasy. Instead of Excellence in all things, our motto has become Mediocrity in all things. Given the fast pace of our lives, it can hardly be anything else.

When that is the case it affects our parenting, our marriages, our work, our health, our emotional stability, our devotion to God: EVERYTHING. I’m sure you can feel that the pace of your life is kind of like going downhill on a skateboard with everything flashing by so quickly and feeling only a precarious balance that wobbles toward disaster with every pebble that goes under the wheels. We have to find a way to slow down – I have more to say on this in other proverbs.

The second part of the verse says “as unto the Lord,” meaning that because of the reverence in which Paul is assuming his readers have toward God, that they would want to do their very best. Hopefully, you feel that way about God, but even if you don’t you can recognize what Paul is trying to say, “Make that person proud of you because of the effort you have made to do the best you are capable of doing.” I want to make God proud of what I do, but I have others that I have wanted to impress. I remember when I got my first professional job, I immediately called my Dad and Mom because I knew they would be proud of me. When I received recognition at work and shared that with my wife I felt validated because of her pride in me. Just as importantly, when I put forth my best efforts, even when it isn’t acknowledged by others, I now feel proud of what I have done and it increases my sense of self-worth. And when I cut corners I know that, too, and it also has an effect on my self-worth. I wonder if that isn’t a big part of what is affecting our society as a whole where we see so many struggling with self-worth issues.

Make this proverb, “Excellence in all things,” your personal motto. Build a reputation as someone who does things right; as someone who puts their entire energy into the task; their whole heart. Consider every act from the perspective of how you would present your efforts to God for review. So this comes down to two key concepts. First, focus your efforts and limit your commitments, not only will you be able to do a better job on those things you focus upon, you will be happier and more fulfilled. Second, do your best so that you and God can be proud of what you have done? Your reputation will follow you so always strive for excellence.

Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership

I first heard this statement at a leadership conference I attended made by John Maxwell. Over the years my personal experience has convinced me that this is absolutely true. Everything and I mean everything rises and falls on leadership! It is easy to see this wherever you go, from the grocery store to the restaurant to your work, your church, your club, or your home. There simply isn’t any area of your life that isn’t impacted by leadership, it impacts every area of your life, whether you are by yourself or surrounded by other people. Good leadership will provide direction and allocate appropriate resources toward reaching a goal. Poor leadership will create disgruntlement, dissatisfaction, and a general feeling of being without purpose.

Our problem is that when we talk about leadership we typically think about how others are or are not leading, usually whining about how their leadership is hurting us. The real starting point, however, has to be the person you see when you look in a mirror. That’s right YOU. If something in your life is not going well, assume you have the ability to improve the situation. Ask yourself, “What can I do to lead myself, and or others to a different and better solution or practice.” If good things are happening, it is because someone is exercising leadership (it might be you!).

Let me share a story with you. Years ago I noticed that we more often than not arrived as a family to church late and with a lot of arguing and harsh words. I began to realize that what I had been doing to lead in this particular situation wasn’t working. I wasn’t really leading at all, I was dictating and then frustrated when my orders weren’t being followed. That is often how leadership is perceived, that is, I give the orders and you do what I say, but that really isn’t leadership at all. So, I tried to think what it would take to get us all out the door on time and in relatively good moods. I deduced it hinged around getting everyone out of bed early enough so that we could all eat breakfast and get ready without having to resort to screaming and yelling. What would it take, I thought, to get everyone out of bed that would work week after week?

I had it, if the breakfast was something that was highly desired that might work. We did have a favorite breakfast that we rarely made but it had the potential to do just that. It was a family recipe I loved growing up and I knew my kids loved it too. So, I calculated what I needed to do to get myself up early enough to get me ready, so I could make this breakfast recipe early enough that if would achieve the ultimate goal. The breakfast recipe was for chocolate gravy and biscuits. My children LOVED this breakfast. The first week I did this it worked perfectly and I continued to follow this same pattern every week for the next decade until all the children had left home. It required a little sacrifice on my part in getting up earlier and making the breakfast but also became a great mentoring experience as eventually, the children joined me in making the breakfast.

This is a simple story but illustrates the fact that you first have to lead yourself. If you extend the same principle it applies to every aspect of your life. If mediocrity prevails, it is because someone is not leading very effectively (it might be you!). If bad things are happening, it is because someone is not leading (maybe you should start leading!). This applies to your work, to your family, to your home, and especially to YOU! Do not be a victim who blames circumstances or others for their predicament. Instead, choose to lead.

This is a pet peeve of mine; we are much more likely to whine about why we can’t do something than to attempt to find a solution to solve the problem. We are surrounded by people that would rather be victims than take the extra effort necessary to lead themselves and step into the gap and lead others. You do not have to be a victim. You give away your power when you blame anyone for holding you back or keeping you down. Take a look at the problem and work backward to find a solution. If you are willing to pay the price you can succeed where others languish and fail. Look around you: everything rises and falls on leadership and you always have the choice to lead yourself even if you lead no one else. Do not accept the role of a victim to whom things happen, instead adopt the mindset of a leader who chooses to make a difference.

Book Review: Small Teaching Online by Flower Darby with James Lang

My current role is to oversee the academics of non-traditional teaching at Belhaven University. This includes the online program. My passion is effectively blending technology with pedagogy to produce the most effective learning environment for students. Because of that I am constantly seeking out new ideas and exploring new options to improve our online courses and enhance faculty pedagogy.

I ran across Small Teaching Online while pursuing those goals. It has taken me quite a while to finish the book. While you might think that is a mark against it, the truth is quite the opposite. Every time I pick it up I only get a few pages read before coming across another great idea to implement or explore and off I go. This book has been one of the best I have found that shares solid, pragmatic, ideas that can take online teaching and online course design to the next level. I HIGHLY recommend that anyone teaching online or working in online instructional design get a copy of this book as soon as possible. You won’t be disappointed.

No, I wasn’t able to use or even embrace every idea presented, but I found more than enough to use that has made a difference, affecting our course design, or to share in a faculty development workshop. Darby states that “The premise of this book is that you can make small incremental changes to your online teaching that have an outsized impact on student learning and success.” In that, she hits the nail solidly on the head.

Book Review: Mistakes Were Made (But NOT by ME) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

I found a reference to this book in a podcast I was listening to and the title grabbed me. Whether that is because I too often feel that way or because I see that excuse in others I won’t say, but it definitely resonated with my experience. People tend to find excuses for their mistakes, making them not their mistakes but an inevitable outcome of events over which they have little or no control.

The authors in this book do a great job explaining why that happens through research and study into human nature. The key comes back to two primary concepts: cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias. Both are thoroughly explained and shown how the presence of cognitive dissonance (basically the incompatibility of my mistake with my self-perception) leads to the necessity of building a rationale for why the mistake happened that didn’t really involve me. After that, then confirmation bias comes in to make sure that no contrary information can disrupt that rationale.

Self-justification is the operative tool most of us use to solve cognitive dissonance. The authors devote several chapters to describing the process of self-justification related to law and order, marriage, science, and politics. Some of the examples are embarrassingly close to home. Many of them made me angry or discouraged that normally rational people could behave in such ways.

Overall, I wanted the book to bring me to a magic bullet that could be used to break through the confirmation bias which holds us fast in our self-justification. Alas, it seems there isn’t such a bullet. Instead, the key takeaway was that being forewarned about the presence of cognitive dissonance and self-justification could help us to avoid those traps on our own. I do think this made me more aware of my own desire to avoid having to admit a mistake but did not deliver as much as I had hoped.

So, I’d probably give this book about three out of five stars. It is well written and interesting, although a bit tedious at times, but I didn’t feel it gave me enough to be able to recommend it beyond the first 50 pages.

Book Review: The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson

I read The Fearless Organization after finding a reference to the author in an article I was reading that mentioned psychological safety. I was intrigued by the concept and after more research discovered it wasn’t a new concept, and that there were others who had written on the topic, Edmondson just being one of the more recent doing research and writing on the subject.

I’m sure we have all avoided providing genuine input to surveys at work because of fear of the consequences if we were candid. I’m also sure that we have all avoided speaking up at a meeting for fear of being ridiculed or embarrassing ourselves. Or, had the experience of speaking up only to be ignored. These are symptoms of an organization that may have issues with psychological safety.

The willingness, and freedom to speak up is one aspect of psychological safety. It is crucial to any organization that wants an engaged workforce and the benefits their input can have on the organization. The other aspect of psychological safety has to do with the willingness to listen when people do speak up and to close the loop on that input, instead of disregarding it as unimportant.

I highly recommend The Fearless Organization as psychological safety is a topic that leadership in most organizations ignores or is ignorant of, either of which is detrimental to the organization. Edmondson concludes each chapter with an excellent summary and provides useful models for building a culture of psychological safety. This is a book that every leader should read and practice.

Production Matrix

I have seen many different variations of a four-box grid that seek to clarify some aspect of human interaction and or performance. Some are incredibly useful, such as the Johari Window, Covey’s time management grid (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), or Edmondson’s psychological safety matrix (Fearless Organization), to name some examples. Please pardon me if I burden you with another one. This one I’ve labeled the Production Matrix. As you can tell, I borrowed from other sources for the scales.

While I have drawn useful information from all of the above-mentioned research and much more besides, the connection, and dare I say correlation, between the environment of Trust that exists in the workplace and the level of Urgency that is present is one that seems obvious but is often ignored, and one that is incredibly important.

The scales in this matrix are between Complacency and Urgency (vertical), and Distrust and Trust (horizontal). Each scale has a tangible “feel” within the organization, while at the same time being nebulous and difficult to pin down. Even more, the variation on the scale can vary from department to department within the organization and sometimes even from individual to individual. In a general sense, the extreme boundaries of each scale paint a picture of the best or worst case scenario, one that never quite exists, so there is a range on both scales which affect production.

Essentially, Complacency can be perceived as a lack of motivation to excel. For the complacent person/department/organization, “good enough” is actually pretty darn good and anything more than that would be too much work. Urgency, on the other hand, expresses the emotions of caring about succeeding. Healthy urgency connects that care with a sense of succeeding with the mission and vision of the organization. Urgency carries the connotation of consequence, both positive and negative. The consequence will vary but the resultant mindset is to desire the positive consequence and avoid the negative. This generates a passion to win, as John Kotter says in his books. Perhaps that is a workable analogy for this scale; those who play to win (with a sense of urgency), and those who just don’t seem to care if they win or lose (with a sense of complacency).

Psychological Safety is such an interesting topic. Amy Edmondson’s, and others, work in this area has been quite revealing of the importance of cultivating an environment of psychological safety for the best production to occur. Whether this is in the organization, department, or even at home, the freedom to speak up without fear of negative consequences unleashes the best dynamic of human interaction. When the environment is one of distrust and suspicion it can be virtually impossible to focus on the task at hand. Worry is the dominant emotion and it can be so overwhelming that it brings a type of paralysis at the farthest extreme. At the other end of the scale is an environment of trust. Trust is the currency of integrity and emotional health. David Horsager, the Trust Edge, and others have expounded on the absolute necessity of having and building trust. Combine that with the work on psychological safety and you can easily see in your mind the dichotomy between these two extremes.

Now let’s discuss each of the blocks in the Production Matrix.

The Fool. Those organizations/departments/individuals that fall into this block are experiencing a high degree of complacency and distrust. The goal for employees in this block is not production but mere survival. No one is happy, everyone is bickering and distrustful of each other. Anxiety is the norm. Little gets accomplished and what does get done is usually of low quality. When things reach this state the usual outcome is closure or radical change of leadership, which often includes major staff changes as well. When everything rises and falls on leadership, the existence of an environment where this is the state of affairs speaks volumes about the lack of competence of the leader.

Complacency coupled with the fear that a complete lack of trust brings is the result of inflexible, dominating leadership that is more concerned with blame and policy than people and mission. In my experience, it is often the leader who has been promoted too quickly who finds themselves in this situation. They do not have the depth of leadership knowledge or experience and find themselves pitted against their employees when they need to be working together.

The Jerk. This is a nice word for this kind of leader. In this block of the matrix, the focus has moved from complacency to having a sense of urgency. But it is an unhealthy urgency that is based on quota and appearing busy. It would be fair to say this is a dog-eat-dog environment where everyone is looking out for number one (themselves). The presence of urgency has changed the production dynamic, definitely increasing production, but also bringing with it some baggage. That baggage primarily takes the form of threat. Whereas in the Fool box there was disgruntlement, which has now been replaced with fear and genuine dread. Leadership is heavily invested in production AT ALL COSTS. If that means staff turnover, so be it. This of course impacts production, making it better or worse as the employees are either going out the door or are being on-boarded, often the same employee within the same month or week. Leadership here looks like the stereotype of the taskmaster. Whipping the employees to keep them working but caring nothing for their true value to the organization is how the leader functions. The Leader’s opinion of the employees is low, believing they will not give their fullest unless they are heavily monitored and policies are strictly enforced. Sadly, these types of leaders come about because of their own personal competence (which is usually high) and a lack of faith in others. They see themselves as the smartest people in the room and everyone else as inferior or lacking commitment.

Mediocrity. This block of the organization/department/individual is the block to be in if you are just working for a paycheck. The leader values the people in the organization but can’t quite bring things into focus around the mission. There is a high degree of trust between the employees and management. Everyone is contented and gets along. At the same time, there is little urgency, which means no one really cares if much gets done. The attitude is, “What gets done, is what gets done.” Apathy is the reigning emotion.

There is a hidden trap in this block, much like Ulysses experienced on the island of the Lotus Eaters. No urgency and high trust are a recipe for a slide into oblivion. For the organization, it is an unstainable model that insures eventual closure, but at least everyone is happy until that happens. For the individual, the long-term effect is a disconnect from purpose which is integral for human fulfillment.

The Star. This block brings together the best in relationships and urgency. The leader of this organization values the employees and understands the importance of getting things done, i.e. urgency. I am connecting urgency with mission and purpose. If I believe in the mission and am committed to that mission then I am operating with a sense of purpose and purpose: it literally cannot easily be separated from urgency. As I described urgency above, urgency carries with it the possibility of consequence. If I am operating with purpose, then my goal will be to seek the positive consequences of fulfilling that purpose. This is passion. Passion when employed in an environment of trust will always blossom into individual meaning for the participants and high production for the organization.

Production exists because of people. How those people work together and understand urgency determines the level of production and their personal fulfillment. This requires leadership that will embrace the tension between these two different scales and purposefully work to bring each to the right balance within the organization.

Organizational Culture, Part 3: How to Change the Culture of Your Organization

Once you have determined what the existing culture is within the organization it is possible to move to the next step. However, before discussing how to change the culture it is important to have at least some idea of what you are hoping the culture could become. Truett Cathy in his book Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People, shares the story of his life and of Chick-fil-A. The culture of Chick-fil-A is often held up as a gold standard both in customer service and in how they treat their employees in one of the most difficult industries. In one place a franchiser, Roger Clark, is quoted: “It takes a special kind of person to work here – someone who wants to make others happy; someone with a servant attitude; someone who wants to put smiles on the faces of others. We set our standards high, and we hire people who can meet those standards. Good people want the bar set high. It makes them feel better about themselves and what they’re doing.” I include this here because it is important to see that purposeful culture comes with purpose from the leader. Since this is true, then the existence of the existing culture contains at least some of the DNA of the leader, for good or bad.

Identifying the desired culture can take exposure to other models and organizations. Reading books like the one mentioned above or others can help clarify the desired culture in the mind of the leader. Here are some suggestions: The New Gold Standard by Joseph A. Michelli, Be Our Guest by The Disney Institute, Leading with Noble Purpose by Lisa Earle McLeod, The Starbucks Experience, by Joseph A. Michelli, The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni, Built on Values, by Ann Rhoades (about Southwest Airlines). Of course, there are many others that are also excellent, please add any you have found helpful in the comments.

If you haven’t gotten the message yet, the leader is responsible for the culture. Everything really does rise and fall on leadership and the culture of the organization is no exception. Taking ownership of that fact, and whatever failures exist in the embodiment of the culture as it exists, can give a starting point for change. Here are three things to do to begin to radically change the culture of your organization.

First, clearly define the values of the organization and the top leaders of the organization. If there is a disconnect between the values of the organization and the top leadership, then either the organization’s values need to be modified or the top leadership needs to be changed. Any organization that has a disconnect between the values of its leaders and the stated values of the organization is going to have a conflicted culture that is dysfunctional. For instance, an organization cannot espouse servant leadership and have it’s top leadership be focused on elitism and status recognition. The people who comprise the organization will always follow the model of the leaders in spite of the stated values. An organization IS its people and the culture is how they express themselves within the organization. Value alignment is crucial.

Second, find ways to make the values come alive for everyone who works at the organization. Recognition for those who live out the values to a high degree is one way to do this. Telling stories about how the values of the organization have been embodied by the employees is another idea. Every time a story is told, or a recognition is made, the culture becomes more firmly anchored. This goes for the bad as well as the good. When stories are circulated about how someone violated the values of the organization and got away with it, the culture is eroded. No matter what the “public” story is, be assured, the bad will also be communicated. If you have other ideas for how to make the values come alive please share them in the comments.

Third, eliminate any vestiges of actions, policies, and people who refuse to align with the values of the organization. This is the most difficult part and why each of the authors above emphasizes the importance of hiring the right people to start with. Hiring people who are aligned with the values and who are onboarded with the intent to make those values central to the organization and its mission pays off in cultural capital. Not everyone will want to align with the values, seeking instead to try to dabble in the grey areas and play fast and loose with the standards. When this happens it is the responsibility of leadership to step in quickly and correct those behaviors and even discharge the individual if necessary.

I’ll bet you thought this was going to be easy, right? More often than not it is at the third step that leadership fails. When the employee who is the strongest producer is also one whose actions are the least in line with the values, many leaders will make excuses and not take action. Just remember everything rises on leadership and culture is no different. Failing to do so will inevitably lead to losing some of the best employees who see the disconnect and the failings of leadership to truly lead.

I hope these three articles on culture have been helpful. I look forward to reading your comments and whether or not you agree with what I have written.