Culture, Behavior, Results

Every organization has a culture. It may be planned or it may have just grown organically. This culture is composed of group norms, shared perceptions, stated values, and shared goals and objectives. It even includes the way people interact with each other.

A simpler definition for culture I ran across, that applies to leadership is, "Culture is what your team does when you're not around."

These three items, culture, behavior, and results, are all linked. As a leader, YOU create the team's culture. The culture you create drives the behaviors your team will exhibit. The behaviors of your team will drive the results you achieve.

This is why leadership is VITAL. Your team will perform to the level of leadership YOU provide. I'm sure you've all had the experience of serving under a manager or boss who didn't lead anything. I'm willing to bet the group also didn't achieve much either. Leadership isn't A difference, it's THE difference.

Creating a new culture isn't easy but it can be done, it's a 3-step process.
  • Believe it
  • Sell it
  • Demand it
If YOU don't believe in the new culture, your team won't either. Then you have to sell them on it, convince them why it's better to go through the hardship of changing the status quo. The last step is critical. Always remember that if you permit bad behavior, even from your superstar performer, it's the same thing as promoting it.

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