The 4 Greatest Obstacles to Cultural Transformation

"Hoping for sustained organizational performance in a low-trust culture is like expecting to keep harvesting fruit from a dying tree." ~ Stephen M. R. Covey

The 4 Greatest Obstacles to Cultural Transformation (in order)

1. THE TOP LEADER
2. Upper Management
3. Middle Management
4. Front Line Supervision

Unfortunately, those working in the positions listed above tend to always believe the obstacle to high performance and continuous improvement is below them on the organizational chart…which is the primary reason these leaders are THE obstacle.

This doesn’t mean these leaders are bad people. However, it does mean they are bad leaders.

High impact leaders look in the mirror and take responsibility.

Low impact leaders look through the window and blame others.

High impact leaders constantly invest in the development of their team’s competency AND character.

Low impact leaders seldom, if ever, consider character development and struggle to develop the competency of their team.

High impact leaders lead high performance teams filled with high impact individuals and high impact team players who make things happen.

Who we are is who we attract.

The character of those on the organizational chart doesn’t typically get better as you work your way through the layers of leadership from top to bottom.

It gets worse.

It isn’t the people on the front lines doing the work that are the problem.

They are simply a reflection of the leadership ability of all of those above.

They WANT cultural transformation, and most will eagerly and easily buy-in IF they have leaders who buy-in and become leaders worth following.

Culture is simply the collective character of all of those in an organization.

To improve the organizational culture, develop the character of everyone from top to bottom, especially those in leadership positions.

However, the foundation upon which culture will be built is the top leader’s values.

His or her values will determine if intentional character development occurs at all levels, how often it occurs, how much of it will occur, and who will be included or excluded.

The top leader’s values will also determine what behavior is accepted or rejected.

Who we are is who we attract.

If the top leader has poor character and poor values, they will attract and retain an organizational chart full of leaders with poor values and poor character.

The result: These leaders will attract a workforce that doesn’t have options. If they did, they wouldn’t be following these low impact leaders. Employee turnover will be high as those with options come and go...once they discover what the culture is REALLY like.

The low impact leaders and the workforce must face the stress and frustration that comes with working within an organization with high turnover that’s filled with people who don’t know how to lead themselves well.

Those who do know how to lead themselves well won't remain in a poorly led organization.

High impact people have many options.

One valuable option they have is to change their work address when necessary.

Are you a top leader with a strong desire to become THE sought after employer of choice in your industry and area of operations?

It's easier to compete when you're attracting and retaining top talent instead of searching for people to join your team.

If your culture isn't a competitive advantage, it IS a competitive disadvantage.

How do you know which it is?

If you've always got top talent waiting to join your organization, your culture is a competitive advantage. You're winning the labor war.

If you struggle to find good (or any) people to join your team, your culture is a competitive disadvantage. You're losing the labor war.

Preview the first 5 chapters of the book below here and discover a road map, a guide, and a blue print that will help you and your team climb to the next level and beyond. This book is based on "The Transformation Equation" above.