Leadership styles and organisational culture fascinate me. Over the years, I have seen how the behaviours “at the top” have had a cascade effect on the culture of a business or organisation.
That the person at the top sets the tone for any business or organisation should actually be of little surprise. Humans are very tribal animals and we have, over history, worked in very hierarchical structures. In order to be successful, we have to “fit in” and, in many ways, fitting in means behaving in a similar way to the leader. You can see how people pick up on certain “cues” on the accepted ways of behaving and begin to change how they behave.
Over time, the leader’s personality will attract people with a similar way of behaving and those set of behaviours filters through the whole organisation, so that, even in very big organisations, you can see the trends permeate down.
That is fine for leaders who are inspiring, collaborative, encouraging, rewarding, but what about those business leaders who are bullying or blaming or closed to new ideas?
Frequently, the person at the top may not even realise that they exhibit those behaviours nor realise their impact. They may only come out at periods of strain. However, those are the cultures that will start to form within the business and those are the cultures will that eat into the harmony and effectiveness of how an organisation operates.
Leadership coaching can identify those behaviours and create mechanisms to address them. It can help leaders ensure that they create a positive culture within their organisation, a culture that attracts and retains the best talent and that is innovative, rewarding and open.
If you would like to know more about leadership coaching or want some further advice …
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