Unaverage Leadership

Don't Give Up!

The key to any success is do not give up! 

Of all the challenges in the world, changing a company culture may be one of the most difficult.  When you consider that you are trying to get a group of human beings to shift their perspectives, behaviors, and attitudes, please realize this is more difficult than astro physics.

Think of number of questions, doubts, uncertainties, and perspectives you process in one day.  We can go from sad to glad in an instant and we may not even really know why it happened.  Have you ever tried to back track your thoughts?  What was the linkage that took you to thinking about a certain topic?  Try it - it is not easy.

Now multiply this by the number of people in your organization, the fact that you can be influenced by all of them, and then you wonder why people in organizations give up on change.

I guess maybe it really boils down to the fact that if you are the change agent - you believe there is a better way.  You may even say it is a blind belief, because the visible confirmation of organizational change is scarce and sometimes hidden from us.

If you are the change agent, find the small successes that allow you to not give up.  Remember that in most cases it has all ready been done, so you are not really trying to achieve the impossible.  Organizations have been changing for thousands of years, so we really have never been alone in our quest.

Flickr photo by -Teddy

Why Try Harder?

You read how engaged employees improve profits.  You are bombarded by your employees to communicate better and create a better work environment.  Even your family and close friends tell you that you should do more for your employees at work.

So being the benevolent leader and owner that you are, you take this input to heart and begin the process of organizational change.  You are full of energy and ready to make great things happen.

Then it begins, the slow drain, the unappreciative employees, the never ending battles.  It seems that every time you make a little progress people are complaining about the next thing that needs to be fixed.  Soon you could care less and start to ponder of just letting things go back to the way they were.  Why try any harder?

The answer lies within your own beliefs.  Look at this way - what are willing to do for your children, parents, or grandparents?  Why not take these same beliefs and apply them to your employees.  Can you imagine the impact that you will have on the people who you spend most of your life with?  This is your opportunity to create change in our world.  Your opportunity to provide ideas, encouragement, and resources to people who may never have the opportunities you have. 

You can set the example of how to "Pay it Forward".  To give hope that there is a better way to conduct business and build a better future for those who make your business successful.

Flickr photo by Andrizes

Please Make A Decision!

I am sure that we all have experienced times when we have dreaded making a key decision at work or in own personal lives.  We agonize and procrastinate until the bitter end.

Organizations can sometimes fall into what I call analysis paralysis.  The culture of the company is to be cautious, frugal, cover your back, and analyze decisions to death.  No one wants to accept the responsibility from their decisions.  Things get discussed for years and still no decision is made.

I know companies that have discussed and presented the same idea for six years!  Six years of blah, blah, blah.  Do you think that employees in a company where this happens are motivated to excel?  Absolutely not.

When decisions are not made, there is no forward momentum for any type of change.  There is no action therefore there can be no reaction (the laws of physics).  Organizations become septic.

Make the decisions that need to be made.  Get the flywheel moving so some type of energy is released in the organization.  If you make the wrong decision, step up and admit it, then make another decision to correct it.  Leadership demands decisions, employees need decisions to be made for them to excel, customers need decisions to be made to satisfy their needs and encourage them to come back.

Quit putting off the dreaded decision - make it - adapt - and move on.  Life keeps moving forward even if you do not.

Flicker photo by Garrettc

Not Our Responsibility

Responsibility is a heavy burden for all of us.  Those in leadership roles carry a much heavier load of responsibility that is inherent in leading organizations.

I have been in meetings with management groups that want to change their company's culture.  They discuss the idea for hours. Yet, when it comes time to really walk the talk, they point the woes of the company's culture on the employees. 

They simply point the finger and say it is not their responsibility. 

These are the types of managers/leaders that need to learn a lesson in what responsibility means.  As the manager/leader, it is your responsibility to initiate change in your organization.  The first step must be taken by the manager/leader.  Leaders must be willing to put their necks on the line first and they must be willing to weather the storm of organizational change.

When employees begin witnessing behaviors from their management/leadership group that support change, this starts the cycle of improvement.  Employees start to realize that changes are real and the organization is willing to invest time and money to support change. 

The road of responsibility starts with you - the leader.    

Flickr photo by lunawhimsy