How To Grow a Leadership Culture in Your Company: 3 Easy Steps

Having a culture of leadership is an important element to success, at least if you want that success to be maintained over the long term in today’s Australian economy.

It was not so long ago that the employees of a company would look to one figure for inspiration in so far as the success of the company was concerned. Much like the way that a great coach on a rugby or football team can take an assembly of mediocre players and motivate them to a big win, workers would look to the example set by their leader to work towards the success of the company. These days, though, are fast disappearing. The business world moves at blinding speed, with a staggering amount of information and new products and services appearing seemingly with each passing moment. This means that it is nearly impossible for most companies to have just one leader anymore. To move forward, companies need to embrace the idea of having a corporate culture which in itself is a culture of leadership, with rewards and promotions going to those who accept the responsibilities of leadership when needed. Every department of a corporation now needs a leader (or a few leaders) of its own to build success.

The dynamic and globally reaching economy of New South Wales demands the presence of this new ethos in business; a culture of leadership which works in tandem with the national economic strategies of the nation of Australia as it continues to go strong into the new century. The state of NSW says in its economic plans: “a strong economy allows us to provide the excellent services such as healthcare, education, and policing which the public expects…we are…innovative people who want a society built on fairness, equity, and collaboration…(a) society built on these principles will be more productive, wealthier, and fairer.”

In this new century, this is also the model of how a company should be run.

STEP ONE: BUILD TRUST AND A SHARED VISION

In every company, top management need to ensure that every person within the company is all working towards a common goal and shares one vision of success for the company. When everyone is on the same page and works together, interdepartmental conflict ceases and productivity skyrockets. When people feel that they are working towards a goal which is worthwhile, they will strive hard to ensure the continued success of the company. Having this kind of corporate culture will cause natural leadership talent to emerge in those who have it, benefiting the entire organisation.

A company where everyone shares a single vision, where there is trust and an absence of conflicts of interests within the organisation, is a company which comes up with innovations and is one well prepared to take the risks. This is a company that can really grow.

Since people are so conditioned to always be in competition with one another in the business world, this can at first be a difficult thing to bring about. The top management must give people a push towards this goal by encouraging them to share their insights and feelings among their departments and perhaps even on a company wide level.

STEP TWO: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES

Now people must be introduced to seeing new possibilities the way leaders habitually do. To achieve this, most people need to be shown how to think outside the box of their habitual, calcified ways of thinking and assumptions. One highly effective method for achieving this is to get people to privately write down and reflect on personal answers to key stimulating questions. These can include questions such as, “where do you envision yourself in one year? In five years? In ten years?” and “imagine your retirement dinner, what do your work colleagues from throughout the years say about you at this event?” Questions about what things are good or bad, better or worse, about the company as well as questions concerning possible unintended consequences or unforeseen events should also be asked and individual answers written down.

Management should then sit down and look carefully at what people have said. This should be shared with team leaders and department heads and then on down to everyone, who can then think more about what has been learned through this exercise.

STEP THREE: ESTABLISHING AN ACTION PLAN

Once everyone is working towards the same goal and management have an idea what things they may want to explore to further the goals of the company, a plan of action can then be drawn up with a part for all to play. Different teams can be assigned different goals which help the company move towards the common goals, with the top management at the helm.

With a culture of leadership now established, a company can be more productive, forward thinking and of course, profitable.