How Leadership Can Affect an Organization’s Culture
Leaders in a company or organization wear many hats. Their day-to-day job is much more than a typical job description would imply. Yes, they are probably responsible for sending reports and holding certain meetings. But they also hold a much bigger responsibility… Leaders have a direct effect on the culture of their workplace.
Let’s start with an example. If a company leader is regularly late for work and has a tendency to talk down on the company as a whole, the people who report to this leader will pick up on that negativity. They may even think, “If my manager doesn’t care about what our company is doing, why should I?”
Now, we can shift the focus to a more positive scenario. If a company leader is productive, encouraging, constructive and dedicated to their work, that behavior has the potential to motivate others. A leader’s influence can be especially strong if they are working with newer employees who are still adapting to the company’s overall culture.
It’s important to let employees know what you value, but demonstrating value through action and leading by example is the best way to create a culture around ethics and positivity.
Why Culture Matters
Employees don’t stay in a job solely because of perks like a coffee bar or new laptops. They stay because they enjoy coming to work and feel empowered to do their job.
The culture of a company has always been important, but there has been more buzz around the word “culture” in the past 20 years or so. There is reason to believe that it’s not a passing phase. Younger generations place a higher value on culture than those who came before them.
As years go on, developing a strong culture will be increasingly important for attracting talent, retaining employees and forming a brand identity. Are the company’s values based on innovation? Customer service? Team building?
Leadership in a Negative Culture
There is no doubt that a leader can impact workplace culture, but the roles can also be flipped. A culture can affect a leader as much as they can affect the culture. If a leader with the best intentions is consistently undermined, it can be a challenge to create that positive environment for their employees. This is most often seen when a manager is brought in from an outside organization and the employees are holding onto a negative culture that previously existed.
Instead of just giving in to the negativity, leaders have a choice. They can use creativity and a vision to inspire their employees. A boss will just tell people what to do, but great leaders have a way of making people want to change for the better. When employees know where an organization is heading, they will be more willing to invest in the small steps that lead to the end goal.
Holding a leadership position in a company or organization is no small task, but creating a strong culture can lead to an overall more cohesive and positive environment.
5 Ways to Motivate Your Team in the Workplace
Motivating your team is often easier said than done. Effectively inspiring your employees to do better while also understanding the individuality of their processes is a huge undertaking, often leaving leaders with one question… “Where do I start?”
Believe it or not, there are many ways for a person to motivate their team, feasible in any type of workplace.
These strategies will undoubtedly lead you and your team to success.
1. Make the Workplace Comfortable
Making sure that the workplace in which your team resides is not only clean, but comfortable can be the difference between your employees feeling good about where they work and feeling inhibited. It’s been shown that the mood of employees can change based on their environment, making this very important to follow.
This tip goes beyond physical comfort, as well. Standing desks and a working coffee machine are always a plus, but the overall atmosphere says more than the physical amenities.
2. Create a Positive Atmosphere
By promoting happiness throughout the workplace, you can improve overall productivity and satisfaction among employees. Abiding by what your employees want can be a great start to achieving this! To learn what your employees really want, consider being more open to feedback or sending out a survey.
3. Set Deadlines
Though it might seem that the most effective way to motivate your employees is by being flexible, oftentimes not having enough deadlines can create a loose atmosphere that results in less work getting done efficiently. To avoid this, be sure to set deadlines so there’s never any confusion. If employees know exactly which marks they have to be hitting, it will increase their overall chances of getting the work done on time and effectively. Flexibility should only be reserved for specific situations.
4. Only Check In When Necessary
One of the biggest complaints from employees is that there are unnecessary meetings that actually make it more difficult to get the necessary work done in the amount of time given. To avoid this, only hold meetings when they’re important—taking away time from your employees to check in on the work they’re doing can be counterproductive for the overall efficiency. In fact, if you have dedicated employees, they can actually get more work done when they don’t feel like they’re being monitored, allowing them to work in the way that’s most efficient for them. However, there may be some employees who need more nudging than others.
5. Quarterly Team Building Sessions
Even the most well-oiled team can benefit from a team building session every quarter. Motivation, creativity and communication can be improved, which benefits individuals as much as it does entire teams. A culture of collaboration is vital for productivity. Talking about it is one thing, but leaders need to actively cultivate that culture. Committing to initiatives 4 times a year is the perfect way to do so.
How Leadership Varies Between Countries and Cultures
Leadership is not created equal. Each culture (and even country) operate differently, as far as leadership is concerned.
Because the role of leaders is becoming more globalized, they must learn to know how to be the most efficient in different parts of the world, and when working with a multicultural team.
Making Decisions
When it comes to decision making, there are two styles. The first is the synchronized way of decision making. This type of leadership behavior is appreciated most in Northeast Asia, Thailand, Indonesia, and a large part of Central and South American countries. Leaders who follow this strategy should seek consensus on decisions, although it might take longer.
On the other hand, an opportunistic leader is more individualistic and risk-taking, although checking up on the team is still important on a regular basis. The opportunistic method of making decisions is one that is preferred in Nordic and Germanic Countries, the United Kingdom, Western developed countries who are subdivisions of the English cultural influence (USA, Australia, and New Zealand), and Asian countries that developed their economies under the UK, such as India and Malayasian countries.
Communication
Communication between different cultures influences the type of leadership that is followed there. The straightforward manner of communicating is expected in Northeast Asia and countries like the Netherlands. The people there are used to getting straight to the point. The approach is less individually sensitive and things are communicated straight away.
On the other hand is the diplomatic way of leadership, more often used in countries like Latin America, Sweden, New Zealand, and Canada. Employees in these regions are much more keen to follow someone who is pleasant and diplomatic in their approach. Confrontations should be started with a dose of empathy and tactfulness.
Whatever it means to be a leader in different cultures, the individual should still be taken into account. What is the way to individually manage each employee with their specific needs and temperament? How should leaders from different backgrounds best interact with each other?
In any case, leaders are forced to be increasingly flexible in a globalized society that is comprised of many different cultural expectations. The goal isn’t simply to avoid offending other business professionals. It should also be to communicate and lead in the most effective way possible.
About David Joseph Simard
David Joseph Simard is currently a private real estate development and construction consultant based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, one of Canada’s most desirable housing and commercial real estate markets. While paving an unconventional path to his successful career in real estate, Simard has found ways to incorporate his varied experience and education throughout each new project. In addition to the success he’s seen with his own consulting business, David Joseph Simard has also found ways to use his expertise to give back to various public and non-profit organizations. Some of these initiatives include an appointment as the founding President of the Canada Nevada Business Counsel and his service to the Board of UNLV’s School of Business.
Before settling down in Vancouver, David Joseph Simard first found his enthusiasm for real estate and new construction development at the University of Windsor, in Windsor Ontario. Here, Simard studied both industrial psychology and history/international relations. This trend in multi-disciplined education would continue for Simard, as his path then took him down to East Lansing, Michigan. At Michigan State University, he would go on to receive two Bachelor of Arts degrees in both industrial psychology and history/international relations. Forever the proud Spartan, Simard moved ahead with his pursuit of acquiring a Juris Doctorate from MSU, recognized as the highest level of education available in the United States’ legal sector.
It was by total happenstance that David Joseph Simard found his first part-time job in real estate while still in school. This wouldn’t be considered the most relevant job for an international relations major. But, Simard found a fast affinity for his work as a real estate broker and later moved on to the next phase of his career, transitioning to real estate development. Simard didn’t realize at the time that he was beginning a career in the industry that would span nearly 30 years. His path eventually led to the international real estate industry and consulting Fortune 500 companies, keeping their multi-million dollar projects on time and under budget.
David Joseph Simard‘s current role finds him continuing his consulting services for global companies, some of which include General Dynamics, Ericsson, and AT&T. Simard’s varied expertise lends his consulting services in legal, financial, and business operations, while providing turnkey real estate project management solutions. Seeing a new construction project begin to take shape is what has kept Simard on this path. The capability to see a project to completion through all areas of a commercial and residential real estate development has enabled Simard to make his mark throughout the industry. When working with Simard, his clients have echoed the same positive experiences of having worked with a unique talent that can guide them through the full life cycle of a project and across all phases.
In addition to his other public service efforts, David Joseph Simard has also served the Boards of the Lied Institute for Real Estate, NDA, and NAIOP. When spending time outside of his professional path, Simard is a wine enthusiast that you may likely find attending a wine tasting at one of Vancouver’s fine vineyards. He also enjoys more strenuous outdoor activities like snowboarding, skiing, and hiking.