How can a strong organizational culture impact leadership?

I think this question is something of a chicken and an egg discussion. You cannot have a strong ( and I assume positive and effectual) organisational culture without leaders being key contributors to that. They are intrinsic in so many of the explicit and implicit drivers of culture. If leadership capability is low, that in itself says something about the organisational culture. My experience is that leadership development often goes alongside culture change as leaders are exposed and empowered to review, act, innovate and challenge the status quo. Formal leadership development can accelerate this and the benefit of the experiential learning is incalculable.

For me a strong organisational culture is where the unwritten rules that people actually follow match the words on the wall and public statements about culture.

A strong organizational culture is often derived from a set of core-values which give you guidelines how to handle in many situations. However it should not limit you to do the right thing. So when values clash an organization should trust the employees that they will make choices which will service everyone in the long-run. Where when needed people can speak-up and hold every person in the company accountable for their actions because they should be based on the same setlist. Not to make them pay, but to learn improve and improve their shared belonging.

In practical terms, a strong organizational culture is on that can be articulated by the people that are in it. The attributes should look like high employee engagement, being a learning organization, continuous improvement, trust in leadership. It’s not a strong culture if no one in it can speak to it.

A strong organisational culture is one that influences the way that decisions are made and how people at all levels behave. Ideally, it drives performance and in turn that performance re-enforces the culture.

A strong organizational culture promotes the development of managers, for example by offering mentoring programs and thereby enabling targeted further development. A strong and open feedback culture also helps ensure that open feedback can be given at any time, so that self-reflection can be encouraged and behavior can be adjusted promptly. Strengths can also be made aware, developed further and used profitably.

Uma cultura coesa estabelece valores compartilhados, fornecendo um guia claro para as decis?es e a??es dos líderes. Isso cria consistência e alinhamento, promovendo uma lideran?a mais eficaz.

Strong organizational cultures often empower employees at all levels. This empowerment provides aspiring leaders with opportunities to take on leadership roles, make decisions, and demonstrate their leadership capabilities in a supportive environment.

Most organizations I've worked with that have a strong culture see providing development opportunities as an imperative to growing the business. Their leadership development strategy aligns with the vision and goals of the organization, as well as the competencies to execute. Leaders have opportunities to understand their strength and areas of growth, and are provided a variety of resources to help them develop. Finally, people are evaluated not just on their results but also on how they achieve them (hence the "soft" or essential skills).

Acredito firmemente que uma cultura organizacional forte capacita líderes a serem mais inovadores e audaciosos em suas abordagens. Em um ambiente onde a confian?a, o respeito e a abertura s?o cultivados, líderes se sentem mais seguros para tomar iniciativas e explorar novas ideias. Em minha carreira, vi que isso n?o apenas acelera o crescimento pessoal, mas também impulsiona a inova??o e o sucesso da empresa. #CulturaEmpoderadora #Inova??oLiderada”

A strong culture can be good for people or toxic. So it is critical than leaders define what a healthy culture is rather than focusing only on a strong culture. To do that, it is critical to understand the beliefs and assumptions that drive how we do things in an organization. “What must I be believing in order to do the things I’m doing?” When leaders are aligned and focused on the beliefs that drive the culture they want, the culture evolves to sustainable, healthy performance.

Na minha experiência uma cultura forte focada nas pessoas pode ajudar no desenvolvimento da lideran?a e de toda a organiza??o. Princípios e valores claros, que se aplicam ajudam no crescimento dos times e do líder. Uma cultura forte e real permite coerência entre o que o líder fala e o que faz.

Values, vision, mission, identity and trust give managers orientation - themselves as members of the organization, but also their employees through example. This gives them security that motivates them and that they can pass on to their employees. A strong culture motivates managers and employees. In my opinion, managers should be seen as multipliers. Their effectiveness is often underestimated. This means: A poor corporate culture has a demotivating effect on managers and, as if through a magnifying glass, a negative effect on employees. In contrast, a strong, positive corporate culture has a motivating effect on managers and therefore also on employees, thereby improving leadership performance.

Actually strong organizational culture strengthens the leadership. Firstly it becomes easy to attract and retain leaders. Secondly they are empowered to build strong & effective teams, paving way for open communication and collaborative efforts. This creates a kind of psychological safety amongst the staff, where they are free to share ideas or even disagree. A strong culture creates a sense of belonging. This inturn makes it easier for the organizations to adapt to changes.

A strong culture, personally, means a culture with clear ROE’s (rules of engagement). You know the language, the structure, the history (which helps inform the future) and how to build connections and trust. Having this sort of environmental stability means that a leader knows where they fit within the fabric of the business and can play to a greater degree outside the lines. They can assess risk and consequences better which leads to greater authenticity. When you see a leader being authentic, then you as an employee understand your ROE’s under them, and by extension, you feel more empowered to be authentic and colour outside the lines as needed too. This level of clarity = greater sense of self = stronger influence.

Culture determines how we do things here. So having a strong culture makes it easy for leaders understand what food looks like in terms of how they show up every day. Behaviorally grounded values are visible when leaders use them in practice.

Effective change leaders know how to communicate both the WHAT and the WHY of any change effort. They know how to bring people and teams together towards a shared purpose; how to be sensitive to pain points; and how to anticipate risks to change readiness or success. A supportive culture is needed for leaders to align their change efforts with a defined purpose, to communicate about change with transparency & empathy, and to safely identify potential change risks without fear of reprisal.

Having a strong culture provides the foundation for leadership change. Having a compelling vision and purpose helps keep the business focused and aligned, even as leadership adjustments take place. Clearly expressed and widely shared values will not only provide clarity and understanding to employees, they provide necessary information and context for new leaders as they transition into their new role. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent, adaptable, curious, and approach the new organization with humility will be more ready to understand, integrate, and get up to speed quickly.

Cultivating a culture that prioritizes continuous learning fuels adaptability and creativity, propelling companies toward sustained success in today's dynamic business landscape.

Cultural change in organizations often arises from a collective sense of responsibility, especially when employees demonstrate exceptional care and their stories are shared and celebrated. An example is a health insurance agent who, amidst the busy Annual Enrollment Period, takes extra time to connect with a lonely elderly customer. This simple yet profound conversation about holiday memories transcends routine customer service, making the customer feel acknowledged and cared for. Such stories, when recognized and shared, emphasize empathy and personal connection as an organization's core value. Celebrating these moments fosters a culture of empathy and service excellence, driving meaningful change in the workplace.

Uma cultura forte facilita a comunica??o transparente e eficaz entre líderes e membros da equipe, promovendo um ambiente de trabalho saudável. Líderes que compreendem e internalizam a cultura organizacional s?o mais propensos a inspirar confian?a e engajamento entre os colaboradores, impulsionando a produtividade e a inova??o.