May 17, 8:32 am
Corporate culture is SO dependent on the leadership
One of my past clients, a medium-to-large organization, had some ‘issues’ in the top ranks of the organization. As is my policy, they’ll go unnamed, but I received an e-mail today from a middle manager in that company who had been through my Management Development program last year. Only he is no longer with that company. I responded to his e-mail with a telephone call.
“It’s nice to be working at a place where they’re growth-oriented,” he told me. “The owners are very much into professional development and how to do things better. They place a high value on training.”
His comments brought a bittersweet smile to my face—the personal issues holding back his former employers’ key leaders were substantial. As a result, their executive team never really “got it.” But I’ve since heard from several other managers who’ve moved on to bigger and better things and was similarly glad this manager had found a healthier place to work.
It was gratifying to hear how he was “now able to use the things” he’d learned in my management class. He told me he even keeps his Management Development training binder on his desk, saying he refers to it often. Music to a trainer’s ears.
Now this could sound like I’m just patting myself on the back, but the real point I want to make is that this is just more evidence about how the attitudes of a company’s top leadership have a HUGE impact on their corporate culture — much bigger than most of them realize.
What this manager experiences now is openness, fairness, and growth. What he left behind was intimidation, manipulation, and micromanagement.
It’s not easy to figure out why he (and many other managers) left.
It’s obvious to that such an exodus can be chalked up to the adage, “People don’t quit their jobs. They quit their managers.”
Ain’t it the truth?
By the way, I happen to be working on a book about the role of managers in the workplace. If you’d like to share a story about good or bad managers you’ve had any why you stayed or quit as a result (for possible use in the book), please leave a comment — or get a hold of me via the contact us page. —Keep in mind that I want to hear the good stories as well as the bad! 
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Filed in Work, Business, Training, Motivation, Management, Leadership, Teambuilding, Workplace, Corporate Culture
I hear a lot about democratic workplaces, and I’ve been thinking a lot of whether employees themselves can feel empowered to create change or does it always have to flow from teh top down? I feel that with blogs and individual employees feeling empowered that change
can happen from the bottom up. Do you think it’s possible to have change (democracy) come from bottom up?
Hi Holly,
I’ve been chewing on your comment and, frankly, have mixed feelings about an answer. I suppose it boils down to this: Is it possible? Sure. Absolutely. Is it common? I don’t think so.
It’s been my observation that leadership is either the sunshine that causes all plants to blossom, or it’s the dark cloud that puts a damper on exciting ideas. Or, obviously somewhere in between. But my point is that just like anything else in nature, the top dogs pretty much set the tone.
When it comes to corporate change, one school of thought say it HAS to start at the top. Another popular schools just start — anywhere– but just start, and it will eventually happen.
I’d like to think that as leaders learn to READ and LISTEN to what their employees are saying (and writing / blogging / etc), ‘bottom-up’ approaches will become more common. Maybe, as you suggest, with blogs becoming more common, that might happen.
Actually, I hope it does. And, as mentioned, I certainly think it’s possible. I just don’t think it’s going to become a hot trend overnight.
Hi Dan!
Wow thanks some much for your reply comment. I will have to admit I struggle a lot with this question as to whether workplace democracy can happen from the bottom up. My hope is that it can happen from the bottom up because that means that people feel empowered and a sense of efficacy to change the tide of the org. It means that they care. I think now with how Gen X and Gen Y feel much more comfortable job hopping, comfortable with technology, and a sense of entitlement it may be a ripe environment for bottom up to happen. I sure hope so. If that’s the case I have a feeling organizations will be much more effectual.