I recently spent five days backpacking Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe, California. Three of my buddies and I had hours to hike, relax, and enjoy alone time and connection.
I am a reflective person by nature, and found myself with many hours to think and reflect on what was most important to me. I thought about my relationships, my love and connection to nature, and my work as an executive coach and culture consultant at Conscious Culture Group®.
During my reflection time, I realized how much value I placed on the importance of authentic leadership and how it ties into building a conscious intentional organizational culture. I also realized how deeply knowing one’s purpose ties into authentic leadership.
If we don’t know who we are and why we do what we do, how can we possibly lead ourselves and the company authentically?
As I focused more into my own work purpose, I realized during my 32 year HR career – and later as an external coach and culture consultant – I have been (and still am) passionate about impacting work experiences at all levels, from top leadership to all levels of professionals. My work purpose is to help create work environments where people can thrive and find gratification. I truly believe that work can be joyous, engaging, and exciting, leading to deep fulfillment and connection.
If that is my purpose, then how does that tie into my coaching and consulting practice? One way is continue to seek leaders who are interested in creating respectful, engaging, and supportive places of work. Leaders who desire to understand the employee experience and co-create the culture. Leaders who are willing to receive feedback and examine their blind spots, since growth in continuous.
I want to make a difference in the world of work, and I want to work with leaders who authentically desire to create great places to work. I want to be in partnership with leaders who are willing to take risks to make work not just work, but a place where Mondays are something to look forward to, where meaningful connections are created and passions are allowed to be expressed and met.
The picture above was taken on the fourth morning of my backpacking trip. I awoke before the others and spent two hours sitting on a rock by a lake, watching the sun slowly rise by lighting up first the tall mountainside and then the lake. That was a lot of reflection time. After an hour, I began to see the very clear photographic reflection of the mountain and trees in the still lake. It was a mirror image.
As leaders, we are mirror images of what we create through leadership. Our impact, whether conscious or not, creates a mirror image in the culture…by design or by default.
To be most effective in leading organizational culture change, clarity of your authentic leadership style is critical. Clarity of the leadership team’s leadership style is critical. Alignment of the team to each other and to the culture needs to be as conscious as the definition of the culture itself.
Examine your authentic leadership style and reflect on where there is alignment and misalignment with the leadership style and the organizational culture.
What do you think? Should leadership style and culture be linked? Are cultures mirror images of the leadership style? Are you intentional in your leadership style and culture? Is your leadership style authentic? Please comment and/or let’s have a conversation on this topic if this resonates with you. Feel free to reach out at [email protected].
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