During a recent staff retreat, we were discussing organizational culture. Since I have a reputation for being a direct communicator, I felt compelled to share with my colleagues.
“I think we have a culture where we’ve empowered individuals to say ‘no’ and cut down an idea or concept with no further questions. We take things too personally and shut down. As a result, a lot of important conversation gets squashed before we can really dig into the opportunities to better serve our mission. What would happen if we shifted to a culture where new ideas were met with the expression ‘Yes, if…” instead?”
Over the remainder of the day, the expression “Yes, if…” was interjected often (sometimes as a joke, sometimes sincere) into the dialogue. However, in both circumstances the use of the expression showed that it had struck a chord.
It’s easy to be the leader who shuts down new ideas and initiatives. It’s easy to fall into a sense of complacency and work from a script of what’s been done in the past as opposed to asking what would happen if we were rebuilding our efforts from scratch. I’ve long considered the divide we battle in America is not democrat vs republican; rather, it’s future vs past. If we want something different from our organization tomorrow, then we have to do something different today.
So many of the programs and products I love exist because of the creative thinkers in the world who were put in position to bring her or his idea to life. As such, I work hard to empower those around me to do the same.
Takeaway
Who is the best leader you know personally? And why? How have you worked to integrate his or her strengths into the way you lead every day?
Let me know in a comment below.