I don’t give a sh*t how it is done, just get it done…
Then he walked off muttering under his breath, but still loud enough so people could hear…
“why is it so difficult….some people”
This was just another normal day at the office, the boss cracking it…
His staff feeling under the pump and not daring to say anything incase they upset the apple cart again.
This is more common than you can ever imagine…
Perhaps the language is not the same, but the behaviour and the impact of that behaviour is exactly the same.
Having spent over 25 years in the military and operating and working all over the world, I have seen many many different Leadership styles.
However, I was shocked when I transitioned from the military into civilian life to discover that there is no difference between Leadership in the military and Leadership in the civilian sector.
As I got to thinking about this, I thought what is the one common denominator?
Humans…. That was the common thing.
I have a passion for studying human behaviour and I have been following this passion for over 20 years now.
Leadership is all about human behaviour and the interaction between humans.
Culture is all about the behaviour, customs and ideas of a collective of humans.
Let me ask you this question?
Who drives or is responsible for the Culture in a workplace?
Personally, I believe ultimately it is down to the Leader…
Because the Leader is responsible for the standards that are set, upheld and maintained.
The Leader is the person who will allow specific behaviours or not.
I also believe, that as a Leader, their actions are closely scrutinised and are then replicated by the team.
Even more, their behaviour is very much under the microscope….this includes their language, their mindset, their tone, their body language and their energy.
As a Leadership Coach I have worked in many businesses and I can tell almost immediately when the Leader is under pressure, because it is reflected in the overall feel of the workplace.
Some Leaders are naturally gifted and lead teams with ease, grace, humility and passion…
However, the majority of Leaders need some training, coaching, mentoring and guidance to really meet their full potential.
As a Leader myself, having honed my skills in the military, I was extremely fortunate to be given Leadership training and coaching at least twice a year.
I was also exposed to some of the greatest Leaders I have ever met and some of the worst.
This massive exposure combined with my passion to understand Human Behaviour has given me some unique skills and insights.
One of the things that I noticed with all the great Leaders that I have worked with and for, is their ability to be able to connect with their team honestly and with integrity.
They do this repeatedly, over and over again.
They are vulnerable, they create time, they uphold standards and are not afraid to have the tough conversations.
I studied, interviewed and observed these people and their behaviours so that I too could get the fantastic results that they were consistently getting.
Even more, I noticed how smoothly their sections, departments and teams ran… everyone rowing in the same direction.
Through my years of study, I noticed that there were 12 core elements that they all focused upon.
These were the foundational Leadership skills that they practiced and refined so well, that for them, it appeared effortless and natural.
The impact was they created an extremely high functioning team, that was supportive, effective and efficient.
The culture was developed around openness, integrity, vulnerability, support and a can-do attitude.
It is often said that it is not finance, not technology, not strategy…..it is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage… both because it is so powerful and so rare.
And yet teamwork is as elusive as it has ever been…. because teams are made up of in-perfect human beings all with their own thoughts, standards, values and beliefs, and are therefore, inherently dysfunctional.
However great teams are still developed and grown…. How?
With great Leaders…. Leaders who understand how to bring people together, to rally around a common goal and all row in the same direction, whilst unilaterally supporting each other.
These great Leaders are able to do this because they understand human behaviour at an extremely high level….
They all are extremely competent in the 12 core elements that create the foundations that any Leadership style can be built upon.
So, as I finish this article…
I would like you to ponder over this… how is your workplace culture?
How are you meeting the needs of your team?
How are you covering these foundational 12 core elements of Leadership?
How can you become so competent in these 12 core elements that others don’t even know you are using them?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, I always reply to all of my emails, so reach out, share with me your thoughts on this topic – steve@iamenoughcoaching.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, have a great day.
#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #culturechange #culture #iamenoughcoaching #stevebarker #dotheinnerwork #innerwork