Many organizations thrive because of their culture while others crash and burn because of their culture—or because it has shifted over time. Shifts can happen when leaders are oblivious to gradual changes or choose to do nothing about them.
You might have heard me speak or write about “Three Ways Leaders Can Ruin Company Culture,” which I’ve repeated here:
- Inconsistent Leadership
Leaders who send mixed signals impede the progress of building a desired company culture. Inconsistent messages, misaligned decisions, and unfair treatment negatively affect employees’ beliefs, values, and practices that form the company’s culture.
- Tolerating, Not Tackling Problems
Leaders who do not tackle problems but tolerate them unknowingly create a culture of apathy and disengagement. That’s when cynicism and negativity can overshadow the high-performance team culture that’s desired.
- Not Developing Other Leaders
By developing their own leaders internally, current leaders can feel confident the desired culture will flourish with consistency. Then the problems that surface will not be tolerated but tackled in a timely way, and positive outcomes will prevail.
But there’s more to consider as noted in this interview of the outgoing CEO of Levi Strauss, Chip Bergh. Apparently, when he became CEO in 2011, the company’s culture was a mess, resulting in faltering sales and brand loyalty. In the interview, he said, “The easiest way to change the culture is to change the people. I had 11 direct reports and in the first 18 months, nine of them were gone.” And he regretted not making changes sooner.
Leadership Tip
Pay close attention to how your direct reports are affecting your desired company culture.
Don’t regret not acting quickly enough to deal with people who don’t fit in. Thoughtfully correct them or replace them. When I was a young, inexperienced leader concerned about a direct report who was a long-term employee, I thought about termination, but feeling unsure, I asked the cofounder of our company for advice. His words have stuck with me for over 40 years. He said, “Randy, if you think you have to fire someone, usually you are three to six months late.”
Jack Ma Yun, co-founder of multinational technology conglomerate Alibaba Group, said this about protecting company culture: “You need the right people with you, not the best people.”
Don’t be late in making changes that will protect your desired culture.
