Leadership today can be an intimidating proposition, even for the most accomplished. Success hinges on activities that are often intangible, cannot always be quantified, and are measured with difficulty. As a leader you cannot come up with all the answers, nor can you force people to undertake their roles optimally. With the shift to remote working during the pandemic, many leaders have flagged their concerns around the challenges of truly knowing whether teams are working to the best of their ability. In short, today’s leaders need to accept that the fate of their business rests largely on the will and motivation of individuals. Whether they decide to invest (or not) the best of themselves will have an enormous impact one way or another.
Business writer and advisor Tammy Erickson argues the creation of ‘a culture’ is the single most important challenge facing leaders today. Her thoughts on the subject can be précised as follows:
DESIGN AN ENVIRONMENT: Rather than hold to old stereotypes – leaders as forceful figures, out in front, confident with answers – we need to see the leader more as an engineer, designing a compelling environment that draws others in. A leader’s role is to curate a culture that talented people will want to join, one in which they will choose to do great work.
CONVEY A UNIQUE MEANING: A compelling and differentiating purpose gives shape to your environment. Leaders must understand and cultivate what makes their organization unique. As she argues,
“If you do not know, ask people why they choose to work here. You will find the answers surprisingly similar!” A leader should essentially uncover a shared sense of identity and what it means to be part of the organization. This shared meaning binds individuals to one another and to the company. “Meaning is the new money”, she argues. In summary, the best companies can say with confidence
, “Not everyone would want to work here, but the ones who do are passionate about it!”
OFFER CREDENTIALS THAT APPRECIATE IN VALUE: In addition to the environment, the nature of the “deal” offered will be key. Work arrangements are shifting from a cash to an asset appreciation basis. Employees often decline an offer with higher cash compensation from firm A in favour of an expectation that their own market value will appreciate faster by spending two years in firm B, through the depth and breadth of learning experiences offered, market prestige of the employer, and/or quality of the networks formed. The new currency of the employment deal is commercially valuable credentials.
CURATE THE CULTURE: Finally, Tammy’s research has shown that outstanding leaders consistently exhibit four behaviours that curate a culture that attracts talented people and prompts them to choose to do outstanding intelligence- based work. These leaders routinely:
- DISRUPT:ensure a continual infusion of new perspectives
- INTRIGUE:question and frame challenges in evocative and inspiring ways
- CONNECT:make it easy for individuals to share insights, observations, and ideas
- ENGAGE:translate the business purpose into everyday professional reality
The disruption of Covid-19 offers many leaders a unique opportunity to assess and refine their culture to the benefit of employees and themselves. Switching from a transactional approach to employment to one of mutual benefit improves productivity, enhances wellbeing, and boosts employee engagement. As the recovery begins to take shape this will be critical as competition for top talent increases.
If you would like to confidentially discuss how Norman Broadbent Group could help you overcome your business or people challenges, please contact Nick Behan on +44 (0) 0207 484 0106 or via
nick.behan@normanbroadbent.com