Overview

Broadly stated, leadership is a social process that involves influencing others. The
systematic development of good leaders is fundamental to long-term organizational
success, yet organizations often overlook it or undertake leadership development in a
haphazard fashion.
Numerous formal and informal means of developing leadership exist. Leadership
development can be quite costly both in terms of monetary outlays and time spent, but
recognized leaders and successful organizations understand and measure the impact of
such efforts on the bottom line.

What Is Leadership?

A library's worth of business and academic literature has been devoted to

understanding and defining "leadership." This section sets forth some common
definitions of what leadership is and what it is not and also discusses the qualities,
traits, behaviors and competencies associated with leadership.
Definition
Leadership has been defined as the process by which an individual determines
direction, influences a group, and directs the group toward a specific goal or mission. In
a sense, leadership is what leaders do. The following have been observed:
● Leadership is a behavior, not a position.
● Leaders do not just tell people what to do.
● Leaders are not necessarily born; Management is not synonymous with
leadership.
● Managers facilitate people, process and product.
Qualities, traits and behaviors
The ideal leader is flexible, proactive, analytical, strategic, culturally competent and
adept at competitive positioning. Leadership development consultants Jack Zenger and
Joseph Folkman asked more than 300,000 business leaders to rank the top
competencies from a list of key leadership skills. They found that the following traits are
most important for leadership success:
● Inspires and motivates others.
● Displays high integrity and honesty.
● Solves problems and analyzes issues.
 ● Drives for results.
● Communicates powerfully and prolifically.
● Builds relationships.
● Displays technical or professional expertise.
● Displays a strategic perspective.
● Develops others.
● Innovates.
The SHRM Competency Model indicates that a key factor for achieving success for HR
professionals is leadership proficiency, which is demonstrated in navigating the
landscape of industry, engendering cooperation, driving results with strategic planning
and execution, and ethically practicing corporate responsibility. This competency cluster
helps make up the Leadership & Navigation and Ethical Practice competencies found
within the SHRM Competency Model.
Desired leadership traits may also vary depending on the type of organization—that is,
high-tech for-profit versus co-ops and nonprofits.

Building a Leadership Development Strategy

Leaders deal with rapid changes brought about by new technologies, globalization,
politics, environmental concerns and war, transforming the basic values, beliefs and
attitudes of followers to build organizational capacity for positive change.
SHRM research indicates that both HR professionals and executives view leadership
development as a major human capital challenge now and in the foreseeable future. In
addition, executives would like to see stronger leadership qualities among the ranks of
HR professionals themselves. Leadership development encompasses formal and
informal training and professional development programs designed to assist employees
in developing leadership skills.

Approaches and Elements to Leadership Development

The overarching goal of leadership development is to enhance the capacity for

individuals to be effective in leadership roles and processes. For leadership
development initiatives to be truly effective, they should align with an organization's
corporate strategy and offer development opportunities that are tailored to the individual
employee.
Identification of potential leaders
Today's dynamic work environments place a premium on making sure there is a robust
leadership pipeline for the future. Identifying and selecting the best potential leaders
are, therefore, critical strategic objectives for ensuring a sustainable, competitive
organization.
Organizations often struggle with identifying potential leaders to select for further
development. Do they base their assessments on current performance, resume and
pedigree, raw intelligence, drive and determination, ethical attributes, popularity,
diversity goals, or 360-degree feedback? One method is the use of a 9-box grid that
evaluates an employee's current and potential level of contribution to the organization.
Effective leadership is one of the greatest fundamentals to building great organizational
cultures. A leader can be anyone who has influence or authority, regardless of title, and
leaders set the tone for organizational culture.

Leaders can reinforce values while simultaneously holding people accountable. This
influence over others can be either positive or negative based on the leadership style
and execution of strategy, but both effective and ineffective leadership will influence and
build organizational culture in the workplace. SHRM advises leaders to be deliberate in
creating a culture where employees can thrive. Failing to build a strong culture is
detrimental to employees and the bottom line.

Why Is Organizational Culture Important?

When the above aspects of culture are instilled by a leader in a workplace, the
workforce becomes more engaged. Some benefits of higher employee engagement
include:

• Higher quality and safety.

• Better work/life balance.
• Excellent customer service.
• Greater retention rates.
• Growing profitability.

What contributes to a strong organizational culture?

A positive culture should be the foundation of an organization. Meaningful work,

appreciation, wellbeing, leadership, and connection are all aspects that contribute to
your culture.
1) Meaningful Work
Employees spending nearly 1/3 of their lives at work should feel a deep and personal
connection with the work they do daily. Hopefully, they also have a sense of opportunity
and motivation to be the best they can be in their role.Having a vision within their role
allows people to develop and feel more connected to the work they do. Seeing new and
additional opportunities at work helps employees stay engaged and contribute in an
impactful way.

2) Appreciation
Don’t let top talent leave because of poor company culture. Invest in your employees by
celebrating career milestones and achievements. Personal recognition makes
employees feel valued by peers, friends, leaders, and family members.

3) Well-being
Well Being is more than just physical fitness and healthy eating habits. It also
encompasses emotional and social wellness that can be felt when people are part of a
strong support system. While your organizational culture should reinforce a healthy
lifestyle, it should also foster a healthy sense of community.

4) Connection
Our research shows there has been an increase in isolation and burnout at work in
recent years. Interactions have been replaced by social media tools that were created to
connect us. However, employees are still not as connected to their organization or
sharing as many experiences collectively as in times past. This lack of connection
inhibits collaboration and can lead to a decreased sense of belonging and purpose at
work.

5) Leadership
Leadership influences company culture heavily. Leaders can reinforce organizational
values by helping their people grow and develop through goal setting, opportunities, and
recognition. Elevate employees through frequent one-on-ones and regular two-way
feedback. When employees have open and ongoing dialogue about their work, their
trust in their leader strengthens.

What is Leadership culture?

Leadership culture is important to building organizational culture. Leadership culture is
how leaders interact with one another and their team members. It’s the way leaders
operate, communicate, and make decisions. And it’s about the everyday working
environment: their behaviors, interactions, beliefs, and values.

Is the way leadership influences culture contributing to your desired culture? Are the
ways they hire people, create high-performance teams, execute business strategy, and
engage their employees for the long term helping you build a strong corporate culture?

Leaders must understand their role in shaping an organization’s culture, and

organizations must make intentional efforts to help develop their leaders. Effective
leadership development goes beyond training classes, adding on to your organizational
structure, or even determining the right cultural fit when hiring new leaders. The best
way to ensure your leadership culture is positively contributing to your organizational
culture is to create modern leaders.

What Does a Good Leader Look Like?

At a high level, a good leader cares about and brings out the best in others through
coaching, mentoring, and listening. The best leaders are modern leaders.

Modern leaders are leaders who mentor and coach rather than micromanage and
gatekeep. They advocate for their people and empower them to do great work rather
than trying to do it all themselves. They appreciate their employees, provide
opportunities, and share success. Modern leaders are naturally inclusive and build
connections for their teams.

Modern leaders help people grow by connecting employees to three pillars:

• Purpose
• Accomplishment
• One another
When leaders connect their people to these pillars, employees are 373% more likely to
have a strong sense of purpose and 747% more likely to be highly engaged while at
work.

Leaders can help their people feel connected through frequent one-to-one
conversations. One-to-ones allow leaders to regularly check in with employees, provide
mentorship and coaching, show appreciation, and reinforce culture. Tools like O.C.
Tanner’s Culture Cloud can help you facilitate these types of conversations and also
enable leaders to connect with employees in ways that reinforce and strengthen
organizational culture.

What Aspects of Company Culture Can Leaders Control?

Leaders have a tremendous impact on company culture. They set the agenda, prioritize
work, manage, lead, and delegate. Strong leaders provide a sense of vision, purpose,
mentorship, and inspiration to those they lead.

Today’s diverse workforce is reshaping what it means to achieve personal and

professional success. Traditional leadership styles and types of leadership culture are
not resonating with younger generations who thrive upon more growth and coaching.

For example, our research shows that only 54% of employees report their leaders know
what they do while at work, a mere 26% feel their leader encourages collaboration, and
just 59% believe their leader values them.

The relationship between a leader and an employee is a critical connection. If the link is
weak or negative, our research also shows that employees will be disconnected from
other aspects of culture as well.

7 Ways Leaders Can Focus on Culture

Leaders significantly affect an organization’s culture, so doing a good job at inspiring
others should be a big focus of every leadership strategy. This can be done a multitude
of ways, but here are seven that stand out:
1. Be a role model. Those at the top must exemplify the culture they preach—no
exceptions. If trust is ever breached, a solid apology (and, depending on the situation,
perhaps even consequences) better follow in a timely manner.

2. Observe for insights. Sometimes just sitting back for a bit and soaking in what’s
happening around the office will be quite telling. Take in subtle details about the work
environment and employee behavior. You might be surprised by how much can be
learned when there is a moment to step back.

3. Provide an open communication platform. When anyone at any level has access to
participate in Q&A sessions with senior leaders, answers can be given on the spot. This
helps employees be heard, but it’s also a good way to reinforce the company’s goals
and values.

4. Take meaningful action on feedback. Asking for feedback is only as useful as the
action that follows. Feigning a listening ear won’t go unnoticed.

5. Empower employees. A culture of autonomy allows for more problem solving and
greater innovation. When employees are trusted to contribute (with accountability), they
will outperform everyone’s expectations.

6. Remind workers that failing isn’t fatal. Failure is inevitable, no matter who you are. It
just means that chances were taken and growth is occurring. Don’t punish people for
trying, but encourage them to learn from what went wrong and make improvements the
next time around.

7. Recognize a job well done. Employees who are openly shown appreciation at work
are happier and more productive. When they know their contribution matters, that what
they do is meaningful, and that their superiors take the time to express thanks,
employees are more loyal to their team and the company as a whole.

12 Myths About How Leadership Impacts Company Culture

It is more apparent than ever that today’s workforce needs an effective leadership style
that transcends changing organizational principles.

Effective leadership shapes the employee experience, engagement, and wellbeing, all
which are critical to a thriving workplace culture. To help leaders know where to begin,
we’ve looked at 12 myths about how leadership impacts company culture:

1. Culture is only about how people interact with each other. FALSE.
2. A company’s culture should organically develop. FALSE.
3. Leaders can’t rebuild company culture. FALSE.
4. Culture is HR’s responsibility. FALSE.
5. Culture is all about having fun. FALSE.
6. Company culture doesn’t inform performance. FALSE.
7. Mentorship is ineffective. FALSE.
8. The annual review is effective. FALSE.
9. Creating a strong culture costs a lot of money. FALSE.
10. Pay raises lead to a better culture. FALSE.
11. Appreciation isn’t that important. FALSE.
12. Employee recognition doesn’t matter. FALSE.

Why Recognition Matters for Company Culture

Many of the 12 myths about company culture ultimately have to do with:
• Valuing what employees have to offer with their skills and experience
• Recognizing employees’ worth to the success of the organization
• Appreciating employee efforts and loyalty
When all this is done openly and in an established, consistent way, all members of the
organization from top to bottom can share mutual trust, a strong sense of security, and
reciprocal loyalty.

Ways Leaders Can Recognize Excellence

There are an endless number of ways leaders can encourage a thriving team culture
through recognition. A few events that can be recognized are:
• Daily wins
• Team-building triumphs
• Big victories
• Safety improvements
• Service operations
• Health achievements
• Workplace anniversaries
• Holidays
• Company-wide celebrations

Here are just a few tangible ideas that professional companies have used to
communicate value and appreciation:
• Certificates or plaques
• Gift cards to stores or restaurants
• Watches or jewelry
• Electronics
• Housewares
• Flowers or plants
• Art or sculptures
• Concert or event tickets
Leaders can choose which products to award their employees, but oftentimes letting the
employee choose for themselves is even better. A company-wide recognition program,
like O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud, can make it easy for leaders to appreciate and
recognize their people in a way that also strengthens and reinforces your organizational
culture. Either way, make sure the award appropriately reflects the accomplishment.

The Leader/Manager as architect/designer of developing leaders at all levels and the

culture of long-term thinking

Leaders should be visionary. They must have a vision because they are the ones who
are setting the goals of the organization. It is said that no one will be a leader without
followers, and followers will follow if they see that the leader is something visionary and
has a direction. Leaders should move their subordinates forward. Their actions must
inspire them to do more and to become more. Their visions should become inspirations
to others. They must show how those visions will benefit their subordinates as well as
the organizations.If the subordinates relate to the organizations they are working, they
will form an emotional tie for it, making them more effective. In addition, in order for
leaders to aim for the future, they must also look at the past. They must reflect on their
own actions.

Part of being a forward looking is for leaders to identify leadership potentials among
their subordinates. One of the most important criteria in choosing the succeeding leader
is the ability to create or implement visions for their particular area of responsibility.
Once an individual has been selected for a leadership position, his or her visioning skills
can be enhanced with well-designed training and development programs. People can
be put in positions where they observe other visionary leaders in action or where they
are mentored by such individuals.

Long-Term Thinking In A Short-Term World: Tips For Leaders Responding To

Uncertainty

“History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes,” is a quote famously attributed to Mark Twain.
Today, I feel that we seem to have lost even the rhyme. Instead, we are buffeted constantly by the
unanticipated and unexpected.

Sure, as leaders, we have all seen exponential change many times over the years. The concept of
change is not new. Interestingly, it has a scientific basis with Moore’s Law: that the number of
transistors on a chip doubles about every two years. Moore's Law has often been used
metaphorically to describe the rapid pace of change the world has experienced in the decades
following World War II. From my perspective, advances in technology have been the key driver
of change.

But what’s happening now is different. Covid-19 has turned the world upside down in ways we
haven’t seen before. Consider the impact in just a few months on how we interact with one
another, communicate, work, travel and even play and recreate. There isn’t a person or business
left untouched one way or another, and there is no road map or rule book on what to do. Even
more challenging is that information — ranging from scientific data, state and local regulations,
government involvement, etc. —seems to shift daily, which makes planning a significant
challenge.

When running a business, you might think it's tempting to throw up your hands and not try to
plan anything. After all, simply reacting takes so much effort and energy. But leaders cannot
sustain their organizations with such a strategy. You must guide your teams intentionally, rally
the troops to think ahead, and regenerate enthusiasm and engagement while leading the
organization forward.

Risk mitigation is not enough. Leaders must help their teams adapt and respond by taking
advantage of what they can to make the organization and themselves successful. Here are some
practical ways to rise to this challenge:

Analyze the most relevant issues.

Look at your current business. Where is the greatest potential for stability and growth? Is it in a
certain region, product line, customer type and so on? This will help you target where the
business is most likely to return first. Then, determine what key indicators of improvement you
wish to track so you can start to lay a foundation for better business decisions.

The point is that you need to start planning now, rather than waiting for the virus to subside.
Otherwise, your competition could get too much of a jump on you. Thoroughly discuss potential
recovery strategies now.

Seek diverse perspectives.

Many leaders assume a “command and control” stance during times of crisis. But this isn’t your
typical crisis; the level of uncertainty is extreme. Leading does not mean you have to solve all
the problems yourself. Multiple viewpoints and ideas will generate better solutions while gaining
buy-in at the same time.

So, seek ideas from all levels and types of employees. Put together a network of multiple teams
that can brainstorm ideas and develop recommendations. Consider kicking off such sessions with
a team-building activity. This can be as simple as going around the room asking everyone to
complete the sentence, “One thing you might not know about me is …”

Once teams have developed their ideas, they can present their ideas to leadership. An interesting
approach is to have two teams present opposing ideas. Leaders listen and do not interject until
both sides are finished. When opposing viewpoints are presented in this way, I've found biases
are reduced and a more complete picture is developed.

Develop the road map.

A detailed plan — including financial and people asset allocation, timelines and due dates — is
essential. Part of the road map also needs to identify aspects of the business that have to change
to accommodate the new plan. For example, what operational policies and processes need to be
altered? How has your supply chain changed, and what are the implications of this challenge?
What are the weakest links in the plan, and how can these be rectified?

Keep communication flowing.

Once a plan is developed, ongoing communication is critical. Ensure deep levels of transparency.
Develop and publish a communications calendar so that employees know when regular updates
will occur. Communicate in a variety of ways: virtual town halls, talking points and slide decks
for managers, executive streamed videos, infographics showing progress visually, etc. Continue
to use the diverse teams you established to help keep co-workers informed. They should focus on
creating safe environments where people can voice concerns and fears.
Follow up regularly.

Following up is where most companies tend to drop the ball, even in good times. When times are
challenging, following up is even more critical. Establish regular touch points with key players to
make sure plans are on track. This process also creates agility. We know things are going to
continue to change, and by meeting regularly, you are less likely to be caught by surprise or be
thrown back into reaction mode. Updating regularly allows for quick revisions of ideas whenever
the unexpected occurs.

Recognize and acknowledge successes.

This is an emotional time for everyone. Many people, including leaders, feel they are tapped out,
and rightly so. Empathy is essential, as is acknowledging even the smallest of accomplishments.
Such acknowledgment is not only motivating, but also reassuring. When people see progress is
being made, hope is rejuvenated. They will bring new ideas forward and work hard to implement
them. Leaders need to continually demonstrate the positive. This is not to suggest being overly
optimistic, but rather being reassuring and supportive.

While today's uncertainty might feel like an insurmountable and unbearable roadblock, when
leaders lead while enlisting the wisdom and passion of their followers, they can vanquish any
challenge.

Resource #2
The Leader/Manager as architect/designer of developing leaders at all levels and the culture of
long-term thinking
Leaders should be visionary. They must have a vision because they are the ones who are setting
the goals of the organization. It is said that no one will be a leader without followers, and
followers will follow if they see that the leader is something visionary and has a direction.
Leaders should move their subordinates forward. Their actions must inspire them to do more and
to become more. Their visions should become inspirations to others. They must show how those
visions will benefit their subordinates as well as the organizations.If the subordinates relate to the
organizations they are working, they will form an emotional tie for it, making them more
effective. In addition, in order for leaders to aim for the future, they must also look at the past.
They must reflect on their own actions.
Part of being a forward looking is for leaders to identify leadership potentials among their
subordinates. One of the most important criteria in choosing the succeeding leader is the ability
to create or implement visions for their particular area of responsibility. Once an individual has
been selected for a leadership position, his or her visioning skills can be enhanced with
well-designed training and development programs. People can be put in positions where they
observe other visionary leaders in action or where they are mentored by such individuals.
https://www.coursehero.com/file/76870038/Reflective-Essay-8docx/
This study resource was
shared via CourseHero.com

How does leadership influence organizational culture?

Effective leadership is one of the greatest fundamentals to building great organizational cultures.
A leader can be anyone who has influence or authority, regardless of title, and leaders set the
tone for organizational culture.

Leaders can reinforce values while simultaneously holding people accountable. This influence
over others can be either positive or negative based on the leadership style and execution of
strategy, but both effective and ineffective leadership will influence and build organizational
culture in the workplace.

Why Is Organizational Culture Important?

When the above aspects of culture are instilled by a leader in a workplace, the workforce
becomes more engaged. Some benefits of higher employee engagement include:

• Higher quality and safety. Engaged employees are committed to meeting a standard of quality
and excellence. Because of this, they make smarter decisions, pay closer attention to detail, and
approach their work with thoughtfulness. These same actions also go far in promoting and
maintaining workplace safety.

• Better work/life balance. When a company encourages and supports a healthier balance for
employees, they don’t just work harder, but smarter. Being able to better juggle these two
important parts of life makes way for motivation and efficiency to take hold. It also decreases
absenteeism and increases loyalty to the organization.

Excellent customer service. Employees who are valued end up valuing their customers, clients,
team members, and everyone else they come into contact with each day. When more care is
taken to answer questions, address concerns, solve problems, and generally be of help to others,
soaring sales are sure to follow.

• Greater retention rates. All of these benefits aren’t only enjoyed by the employer. Employees of
companies that cultivate such a culture are apt to stay put for the long term. Why? There’s simply
no reason to leave when you’re feeling appreciated, heard, and allowed to advance.

• Growing profitability. With an upward trajectory of engagement that fuels these benefits comes
a general growth in profit, due to impressive productivity delivered from every member of the
workforce.

What contributes to a strong organizational culture?

A positive culture should be the foundation of an organization. Meaningful work, appreciation,

wellbeing, leadership, and connection are all aspects that contribute to your culture.

1) Meaningful Work

Employees spending nearly 1/3 of their lives at work should feel a deep and personal connection
with the work they do daily. Hopefully, they also have a sense of opportunity and motivation to
be the best they can be in their role.

Having a vision within their role allows people to develop and feel more connected to the work
they do. Seeing new and additional opportunities at work helps employees stay engaged and
contribute in an impactful way.

2) Appreciation

Don’t let top talent leave because of poor company culture. Invest in your employees by
celebrating career milestones and achievements. Personal recognition makes employees feel
valued by peers, friends, leaders, and family members.
3) Wellbeing

Wellbeing is more than just physical fitness and healthy eating habits. It also encompasses
emotional and social wellness that can be felt when people are part of a strong support system.
While your organizational culture should reinforce a healthy lifestyle, it should also foster a
healthy sense of community.

4) Connection

Our research shows there has been an increase in isolation and burnout at work in recent years.
Interactions have been replaced by social media tools that were created to connect us. However,
employees are still not as connected to their organization or sharing as many experiences
collectively as in times past. This lack of connection inhibits collaboration and can lead to a
decreased sense of belonging and purpose at work.

5) Leadership

Leadership influences company culture heavily. Leaders can reinforce organizational values by
helping their people grow and develop through goal setting, opportunities, and recognition.
Elevate employees through frequent one-on-ones and regular two-way feedback. When
employees have open and ongoing dialogue about their work, their trust in their leader
strengthens.

What is Leadership culture?

Leadership culture is important to building organizational culture. Leadership culture is how

leaders interact with one another and their team members. It’s the way leaders operate,
communicate, and make decisions. And it’s about the everyday working environment: their
behaviors, interactions, beliefs, and values.

Is the way leadership influences culture contributing to your desired culture? Are the ways they
hire people, create high-performance teams, execute business strategy, and engage their
employees for the long term helping you build a strong corporate culture?
Leaders must understand their role in shaping an organization’s culture, and organizations must
make intentional efforts to help develop their leaders. Effective leadership development goes
beyond training classes, adding on to your organizational structure, or even determining the right
cultural fit when hiring new leaders. The best way to ensure your leadership culture is positively
contributing to your organizational culture is to create modern leaders.

What Does a Good Leader Look Like?

At a high level, a good leader cares about and brings out the best in others through coaching,
mentoring, and listening. The best leaders are modern leaders.

Modern leaders are leaders who mentor and coach rather than micromanage and gatekeep. They
advocate for their people and empower them to do great work rather than trying to do it all
themselves. They appreciate their employees, provide opportunities, and share success. Modern
leaders are naturally inclusive and build connections for their teams.

Modern leaders help people grow by connecting employees to three pillars:

• Purpose

• Accomplishment

• One another

When leaders connect their people to these pillars, employees are 373% more likely to have a
strong sense of purpose and 747% more likely to be highly engaged while at work.

Leaders can help their people feel connected through frequent one-to-one conversations.
One-to-ones allow leaders to regularly check in with employees, provide mentorship and
coaching, show appreciation, and reinforce culture. Tools like O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud can
help you facilitate these types of conversations and also enable leaders to connect with
employees in ways that reinforce and strengthen organizational culture.

What Aspects of Company Culture Can Leaders Control?

Leaders have a tremendous impact on company culture. They set the agenda, prioritize work,
manage, lead, and delegate. Strong leaders provide a sense of vision, purpose, mentorship, and
inspiration to those they lead.

Today’s diverse workforce is reshaping what it means to achieve personal and professional
success. Traditional leadership styles and types of leadership culture are not resonating with
younger generations who thrive upon more growth and coaching.

For example, our research shows that only 54% of employees report their leaders know what
they do while at work, a mere 26% feel their leader encourages collaboration, and just 59%
believe their leader values them.

The relationship between a leader and an employee is a critical connection. If the link is weak or
negative, our research also shows that employees will be disconnected from other aspects of
culture as well.

7 Ways Leaders Can Focus on Culture

Leaders significantly affect an organization’s culture, so doing a good job at inspiring others
should be a big focus of every leadership strategy. This can be done a multitude of ways, but here
are seven that stand out:

1. Be a role model. Those at the top must exemplify the culture they preach—no exceptions. If
trust is ever breached, a solid apology (and, depending on the situation, perhaps even
consequences) better follow in a timely manner.
2. Observe for insights. Sometimes just sitting back for a bit and soaking in what’s happening
around the office will be quite telling. Take in subtle details about the work environment and
employee behavior. You might be surprised by how much can be learned when there is a moment
to step back.

3. Provide an open communication platform. When anyone at any level has access to participate
in Q&A sessions with senior leaders, answers can be given on the spot. This helps employees be
heard, but it’s also a good way to reinforce the company’s goals and values.

4. Take meaningful action on feedback. Asking for feedback is only as useful as the action that
follows. Feigning a listening ear won’t go unnoticed.

5. Empower employees. A culture of autonomy allows for more problem solving and greater
innovation. When employees are trusted to contribute (with accountability), they will outperform
everyone’s expectations.

6. Remind workers that failing isn’t fatal. Failure is inevitable, no matter who you are. It just
means that chances were taken and growth is occurring. Don’t punish people for trying, but
encourage them to learn from what went wrong and make improvements the next time around.

7. Recognize a job well done. Employees who are openly shown appreciation at work are
happier and more productive. When they know their contribution matters, that what they do is
meaningful, and that their superiors take the time to express thanks, employees are more loyal to
their team and the company as a whole.

12 Myths About How Leadership Impacts Company Culture

It is more apparent than ever that today’s workforce needs an effective leadership style that
transcends changing organizational principles.
Effective leadership shapes the employee experience, engagement, and wellbeing, all which are
critical to a thriving workplace culture. To help leaders know where to begin, we’ve looked at 12
myths about how leadership impacts company culture:

1. Culture is only about how people interact with each other. FALSE. Yes, it’s good when people
can just “get along” with each other. However, culture entails much more than that—it takes into
account unspoken behavioral norms as well. Things like beliefs, clarity, commitment, purpose,
and outcomes are all big players in an organization's culture.

2. A company’s culture should organically develop. FALSE. Culture is rooted in the everyday
values, interactions, and behaviors experienced at an organization. This means that without
intentionally laying a foundation of good principles, the wrong type of culture can take hold
quicker than can be imagined.

3. Leaders can’t rebuild company culture. FALSE. A broken culture can be a byproduct of poor
leadership; therefore, strong leadership can repair and rebuild. However, new (or improved)
leaders can better connect with employees for the common purpose of achieving a more positive,
supportive company culture. Creating a dialogue and sense of accomplishment where people feel
valued will help establish a culture of appreciation.

4. Culture is HR’s responsibility. FALSE. A common misconception is that the human resource
department is the sole instigator and cultivator of organizational culture. The fact is, every leader
and employee must be on board for a cohesive and meaningful culture to propagate.

5. Culture is all about having fun. FALSE. Although “fun” work cultures seem to capture a lot of
attention, having social events and employee perks can only go so far. Ultimately, having the
right processes in place—propped up with strong support and supplemented with good
attitudes—will drive positive culture much further than field trips ever could.

6. Company culture doesn’t inform performance. FALSE. There’s no getting around

it—company culture correlates closely with its performance on just about every benchmark.
When employees have confidence in their leaders, they’re more willing to work hard for them.
Good leadership influences efficiency and effectiveness, which goes on to dictate success.

7. Mentorship is ineffective. FALSE. One of the most useful things a leader can do is focus on
developing the people who report to them. Leaders are in the unique position to advocate for and
mentor their teams. Organizations should teach managers how to support their employees,
instead of just being the gatekeeper to their internal careers.

8. The annual review is effective. FALSE. When done incorrectly, relying on performance
reviews alone can actually cause more harm than good, as they don’t inspire or improve overall
performance. Frequent and effective feedback is the new standard.

According to Gallup, managers who provide weekly feedback have employees who are 5.2x
more likely to agree that they receive meaningful feedback, 3.2x more likely to be motivated to
do outstanding work, and 2.7x more likely to be engaged at work.

Regular check-ins provide more of an opportunity to ensure employees are aligning their work to
purpose, finding development opportunities, and creating a more impactful dialogue.

9. Creating a strong culture costs a lot of money. FALSE. Big brands have big budgets that can
go toward implementing and promoting a great culture, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that
way. The biggest investment in organizational culture takes is time. Putting in the effort and
practicing some patience will pay off more in the end than only throwing cash at the problem.

10. Pay raises lead to a better culture. FALSE. This is an antiquated thought. While fair
compensation is necessary for a better culture, other things also come into heavy play. Providing
positive opportunities and interactions, being inclusive, and having integrity lead to great overall
satisfaction.

11. Appreciation isn’t that important. FALSE. C-suite leaders often have trouble emotionally
connecting with employees on the front line, but praising their positive behavior exemplifies
strong company values. Recognition programs are an excellent way to embed appreciation into
daily work because they hold people accountable in a positive way, no matter their role.

12. Employee recognition doesn’t matter. FALSE. Standup recognition moments provide
opportunities for leaders (and peers) to let employees know their work is meaningful and show
they are a valuable part of the company.

Why Recognition Matters for Company Culture

Many of the 12 myths about company culture ultimately have to do with:

• Valuing what employees have to offer with their skills and experience

• Recognizing employees’ worth to the success of the organization

• Appreciating employee efforts and loyalty

When all this is done openly and in an established, consistent way, all members of the
organization from top to bottom can share mutual trust, a strong sense of security, and reciprocal
loyalty.

Ways Leaders Can Recognize Excellence

There are an endless number of ways leaders can encourage a thriving team culture through
recognition. A few events that can be recognized are:

• Daily wins

• Team-building triumphs

• Big victories

• Safety improvements

• Service operations
• Health achievements

• Workplace anniversaries

• Holidays

• Company-wide celebrations

Here are just a few tangible ideas that professional companies have used to communicate value
and appreciation:

• Certificates or plaques

• Gift cards to stores or restaurants

• Watches or jewelry

• Electronics

• Housewares

• Flowers or plants

• Art or sculptures

• Concert or event tickets

Leaders can choose which products to award their employees, but oftentimes letting the
employee choose for themselves is even better. A company-wide recognition program, like O.C.
Tanner’s Culture Cloud, can make it easy for leaders to appreciate and recognize their people in a
way that also strengthens and reinforces your organizational culture. Either way, make sure the
award appropriately reflects the accomplishment.

"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more
leaders, not more followers." —Ralph Nader

https://www.octanner.com/insights/articles/2019/10/23/how_does_leadership_.html