What is a strong leadership culture?

I hear this a lot: “We want to build a strong leadership culture.” OK––what, exactly, does that mean?

To cut to the chase, culture is inevitable. You’ve got one. You may have designed it deliberately. It may have evolved organically. Most likely, it’s a combination of both.

Before we talk about what type of culture you want to build, let’s be clear about what culture is. The Oxford definition is a good place to start:

“…the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.”

Culture is the sum of the social, intellectual, and experiential capital of your organization. It’s the current store of what your people do, what they’ve done, and how they’ve chosen to do it.?

I’ve learned through experience that when someone wants to build a strong leadership culture, they usually want one of two things:

1. They already have a positive, human-centric culture and they want to keep it strong, keep improving it, and make sure they’re sharing it with the next generation.
2. Or, they want to disrupt or replace a culture that isn’t working.

Most of the people I work with are focused on the first––and I admit openly that this is where I prefer to channel my energy. Fixing a culture gone bad is an admirable pursuit, but I’ve found through experience that many if not most organizations in this situation simply lack the willpower to see it through, especially if the trouble starts at the top.

I bring much more value to an organization focused on building, sustaining, and expanding a culture of positive human-centric leadership. But not because it’s easy…

It takes just as much work, sometimes more, to choose a human-centric approach to leadership. There are many forces trying to knock you down and there are many temptations to take what may appear at any time to be more efficient, expedient, or profitable alternatives.?

et’s clearly define the human-centric leadership culture. If you’ve read this far, it’s likely we’re singing in harmony.

People perform at their best when, and only when…

• They know their leaders care.
• Their work has meaning.
• And they have the chance to learn, grow, and develop.

The human-centric leader is dedicated to fulfilling these needs. The human-centric culture is one where these needs are prioritized and leaders who put their people first are supported and encouraged.?

At this point, some might criticize this approach as being too “soft.” Don’t make this mistake. This culture is focused on building the respect, trust, and loyalty of the people who trust in your leadership. Before you tag these concepts with the “soft” label, ask yourself this question:

“What can you possibly accomplish without the respect, trust, and loyalty of the people who trust you as their leader?”

These ideas are anything but soft. These are a leader’s hardest assets. And they’re hard to win!

One of the fundamental challenges in leadership is the relentless conflation of management and leadership. Both are important––but these are distinct skills. Admiral Grace Hopper said it perfectly…

“Management is about things. Leadership is about people.”

It really is that simple––not easy. Both are important. But ask yourself which is more important.?

One word of caution. Too often organizations try to manufacture a culture. We just talked about things versus people. You cannot create a culture through edict. Culture is the totality of thoughts, actions, experiences, and legacy of your people. Formal rules, regulations, and guidelines are a reflection of your culture––they don’t define it and they can’t constrain it.?

If by strong leadership culture, you mean…

• Developing and supporting human-centric leaders––leaders who put people first––leaders who care…
• Creating and nourishing a strong sense of purpose and meaning for everyone at every level…
• And providing genuine opportunities for learning, growth, and development…

I’m with you all the way. Let’s get to work.?