How Culture Can Devour a Leader
Patrick Leddin, PhD
Disruptive Speaker | Writer | Idea Enthusiast with a Pragmatic Edge
Perhaps you are familiar with this well-known Peter Drucker quote about the power of culture.?
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.?
My experience suggests that culture has a fairly robust appetite. Not only does it have the ability to eat strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but sometimes, it can devour a leader as well. When this happens, the team no longer believes in the leader, and the leader loses the ability to influence behavior, deliver results, and develop people.
Culture devouring a leader doesn't happen apart from the behaviors of the leader.
It’s the very behaviors of a leader that often fuel the culture's appetite. Here are three behaviors to keep an eye out for in yourself and others.
1.?Playing Favorites?
Many leaders play favorites giving the best opportunities and the biggest praise to those the leader likes the most. Sometimes, leaders let their favorites get away with behaviors that are selfish, destructive, and hurtful to everyone else. In doing so, the leader isolates others, which is the exact opposite of building a great culture.
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2.?Failing to Adapt to Team Needs
No team is static. People join and leave. Requirements ebb and flow. A leader must be nimble and adjust to meet team needs. It's important to continually assess the needs of the team and to give them what they need when they need it. Moreover, it's critical to stop doing what has helped the team in the past but is no longer needed. Old habits are hard to break, but a true leader knows to serve the team, not an old habit.
3.?Losing the Confidence of Others
It's important for leaders to demonstrate both the character and competence needed to build confidence among team members. This means sticking to their word, delivering as promised, listening to others, and knowing their stuff.?Maintaining the confidence of others in one's ability to lead is an ongoing effort and key to successful leadership.
I wish you all the best as you lead others and encourage you to remember how your daily behavior shapes the culture of your team.
Make it a great day! -Patrick
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Patrick Leddin, Ph.D. is a speaker, global leadership consultant, and?The Wall Street Journal?bestselling author of?The Five-Week Leadership Challenge: 35 Action Steps to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be. Patrick is an Associate Professor and Director of Business Studies at Vanderbilt University with a thriving leadership blog and podcast and 30 years of leadership experience. As a former Army airborne infantry ranger, Inc. 5,000 entrepreneur, and co-founder of two startups, he offers an unparalleled mix of academic rigor and real-world experience.
Controller ● US, Canada, Mexico ● MBA ● Veteran ● 16x Half Marathoner
2 年Empowering others is one way that you can help others teach someone else
Chief People Officer
2 年Great article on focusing on the right things. Sounds simple but of course, in practice it takes conscious effort.
Union! at Brick \Sheet | Tactical Training, Communication, CPR/AED bachelors degree in science/management wrestling coach
2 年Attitude reflects on leader ship, practice what you preach! Being a leader You also have to risk/take chances no risk no reward! Look at me for example I’ve done 999 things amazing, always helping people in need, always had a huge heart, some thing I wasn’t born with! Had a pretty rough, but I learned the hard way and became the best father/daddy for beautiful children! Morals I always start with a key to success, your moral compass! After 17 times, it’s a very hard thing to swallow when your cast down knowing you’re above and beyond qualified. Simply because of a mistake I took full responsibility for even though I didn’t have to! This mistake had nothing to do with anybody except me myself and I! It was a slap on the wrist at the end of the day. But that dark cloud stays above my head has been for almost 10 years! I do my best to be true, always truthful, honest/loyal. Always good to people going above and beyond and I think now I’m regretting! and some believes we were put on this earth to forgive others that simply the opposite of what people do! Why sum up a men’s life over one mistake! Culture is devouring leader ship cause the simple fact there’s no face-to-face anymore! You have to believe in something!
I AM NOW RETIRED! FRIEND at CODMAN SQ . LIBRARY
2 年So valid!
Head of B2C Sales at Samsung Electronics SLU | IE | Oxford Sa?d | MIT Sloan
2 年True, my #1 priority is enabling teams. For doing so, it is a continuous unlearn and relearn process. Thanks for sharing Patrick!