Leading the Work Environment
It doesn’t take long to recognize a healthy versus a toxic work environment. I was talking with a seasoned executive recently about one of her leaders and the poor atmosphere in his division. She said, “The problem is that he is allowing the culture to lead instead of leading the culture."
The result was a lack of leadership resulting in poor accountability and low awareness of the overall vision and mission of the company. In the absence of an intentional effort to consistently define and re-enforce expectations, teams will experience confusion, apathy and polarization.
We cannot assume that a strong culture of ownership, accountability and direction will simply manifest like magic in our work environment.
Just like developing strong healthy relationships takes intentional work and energy, building a successful and effective culture takes determination and consistency. Leaders who do not invest in creating such an environment will not be successful in the long term.
Take a minute to consider the work (or home) environment for which you are responsible. Are you leading with intentionality to create the culture you desire? Choose to lead the culture instead of allowing it to lead and you will make a difference.
