Culture Starts at the Top: What Today’s Leaders Are Getting Right (and Wrong)
It seems there’s so much discouraging news floating around about the workplace today: burnout, turnover, people being disengaged, struggling to stay connected, etc. But that’s not reflective of what we see in our clients!
We’re continually encouraged, energized, and flat-out inspired by the leaders we work with. Across industries and organizations, we see people creating meaningful workplaces where employees feel supported, challenged, and connected to something bigger than their daily task lists.
That matters because a positive culture isn’t created by a company handbook, an annual retreat, or a list of values posted on the wall for all to see. Leadership culture is shaped by what leaders consistently say, do, reward, question, and tolerate. So, what are today’s strongest leaders getting right? What do we see in our clients? Well…here are a few things we’ve observed.
They Encourage Curiosity and Thoughtful Risk-Taking
We recently worked with a senior executive who took his team through a workshop to explore possibilities: lots of what-if thinking, followed by a candid discussion of risk tolerance, and the importance of seeing “failure” as a learning opportunity, rather than a loss.
Faced with an increasingly competitive market, unprecedented and - at this point - undetermined technological advances, and a team who was looking for direction, he chose to dive into the uncertainty. And to harness the best thinking and creativity of the team.
Many leaders say they want new ideas, but their reactions can communicate quite the opposite. If an unsuccessful experiment is met with blame or embarrassment, employees quickly learn that playing it safe is the wise career move. Harvard Business Review has noted that although leaders often claim to value curiosity, many unintentionally suppress it because they worry it will create risk or inefficiency.
Strong leaders don’t remove accountability. They create an environment where people can ask better questions, explore responsible possibilities, and learn from what doesn’t work.
They Look at the Whole Person, Not Just the “Employee”
So many of our clients are deeply attuned to the people on their teams, and know what really matters to each. We say it all the time: “people bring their whole selves to work”. You can’t expect someone to turn off thoughts about a sick pet, or an upcoming trip, or making arrangements for child or elder care when they’re at the office. A little empathy goes a long way.
The best leaders recognize that leading people is more than managing productivity. It requires:
Awareness,
Flexibility,
A genuine interest in what helps each person perform at their best.
We aren’t saying you have to eliminate your expectations. In fact, people perform better with clear boundaries and accountability. Empathy and accountability can exist in the same conversation. In fact, employees are often more receptive to clear expectations and accountability when they know their leader sees and respects them as a person. And when they know their leader has their back - even when things get rough.
They Offer Candid, Constructive, Real-Time Feedback
The leaders we work with understand the value of providing quality feedback. Quality feedback is fact-based, observable, and forward-focused. Shying away from providing critical performance feedback is NOT helpful. Similarly, “keep doing what you’re doing” is not helpful. Be specific: define what is or is not working, and why. As a leader, a significant part of your role is the growth and development of your team, and all of us need feedback to improve performance.
They Set a Clear Vision, and Articulate How the Work of Each Team Impacts That Vision
For some reason, this is tricky for many leaders, and our clients are exemplars! They understand the importance of a higher vision and the link to the work at hand. They excel at creating a vision and an environment that fosters creativity and engagement. Helping each team member see how their work impacts that broader vision is a skill, and our clients get it.
This connection can have a significant impact on employee engagement. Gallup reports that managers account for approximately 70% of the variance in team engagement, highlighting just how much a leader’s behavior shapes the employee experience.
They Demonstrate Humility and Vulnerability
Our clients recognize the importance of self-awareness and demonstrate a recognition of their own blind spots or development areas. In our view, this awareness is a game-changer.
Sure, we all have areas to work on - and the best leaders are willing to acknowledge their own. Our clients are highly successful and driven, and they understand the importance of not taking themselves too seriously. It’s work. Who they are and how they lead is much more important than what they do.
Are these leaders perfect? Of course not. They know that, too. But their willingness to recognize their imperfections adds to their credibility. Employees are more likely to trust a leader who can say, “I missed something,” than one who works constantly to protect an image of certainty.
Leadership Style Is Personal, but Impact Is Shared
Each of our clients is also true to his/her own leadership style. We’ve talked before about the importance of values and self-awareness at work. We recently came across an interesting article that references different leadership styles. How would you characterize your leadership style based on the definitions below:
Transformational- focus on employee development and vision
Servant- focus on employee well-being/growth
Transactional- focus on performance
Laissez-faire- focus on employees making decisions
Autocratic- focus on themselves, little team involvement
The goal is to understand your natural approach, recognize how others experience it, and adjust when it’s obvious that you need something different.
Executive Leadership Coaching
Culture really does start at the top! It’s defined through the questions leaders ask, the feedback they provide, the learning from mistakes that they acknowledge, and the meaning they help others find in their work.
The executives we work with at Nova Leadership continue to remind us that good leadership is about staying curious, showing up honestly, and creating the conditions where people can do meaningful work together.
Those conversations with our clients inspired us to start sharing a few of our own. Stay tuned for a snapshot of friends and business partners exploring the questions that shape how we think, lead, and live. And if you’re ready to unlock your leadership potential, explore 1:1 coaching. We have a few spots opening up in Q4…one might be for you!