Culture and leadership

Culture and leadership are intricately intertwined, for better or for worse, in any organization. Founders and important leaders often set new cultures in motion, imprinting beliefs and assumptions that last for decades after they have passed away. Over time, the leaders of an organization may also influence the culture of the company, via both deliberate and unconscious behaviors (sometimes with unintended consequences). The most effective leaders are acutely aware of the many cultures in which they are entrenched, are able to recognize when change is necessary, and are skilled at influencing the change process.

Unfortunately, executives attempting to construct high-performing companies are considerably more often baffled by organizational culture than they are by other factors. A significant number of companies either ignore it or consign it to the human resources department, where it becomes a secondary priority for the company. Despite the fact that they may have thorough, well-thought-out plans for strategy and execution, they will fail because they will fail to recognize and grasp the power and dynamics that exist inside a culture. As someone once stated, culture is the breakfast of champions for strategy.

It is not necessary to proceed in this manner. Learning all there is to know about it is the first and most significant move leaders can take to maximize its value while minimizing its risks and dangers. Incorporating data from more than 100 of the most widely used social and behavioral models, we have discovered eight distinct cultural styles that can be assessed and utilized to classify cultures.  Leaders may use this framework to model the influence of culture on their organization and examine how well it aligns with their strategic objectives.

Reference:  Boris Groysberg, Jeremiah Lee, Jesse Price and J. Yo-Jud Cheng – How to manage the eight critical elements of organizational life (Harvard Business Review – January–February 2018)