You get what you create and allow in your organization

Organizations have cultures. In large part they are what the senior leader intentionally creates as the culture of the organization. It is also deeply impacted by what a leader allows within the team or organization. "You get what you create and allow" in your organization (thanks to Henry Cloud for this quote).

For instance consider what happens when leaders allow the following:

• Negative attitudes that corrode enthusiasm and optimism.
• People that do not keep their commitments and are not challenged.
• Conflict that goes unresolved.
• Complaining, gossip and poor attitudes.
• Lack of cooperation and collegiality

What leaders allow they get! There are things that leaders should not allow or put up with if they want to create a healthy culture. But unless a leader draws clear boundaries on what they allow in their organization or team (or church) they will get behaviors that hurt the rest of the team.

On the positive side, leaders create a kind of culture through the expectations they create. In our organization that includes things like:

• When something goes wrong we do autopsy without blame.
• We practice an non defensive attitude of nothing to prove, nothing to  lose.
• We always encourage robust dialogue where any issue can be discussed as long as there are no hidden agendas or personal attacks.
• We lead through team.
• We have a no elephants policy. Once named they are no longer elephants, simply issues to be discussed and resolved.

What you allow (or don't) and what you create (or don't) becomes the culture of your organization. Something to think about.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.