Culture is what people think and do without thinking.
Culture runs on energy.
Energy must be constantly replenished.
Yet it rarely is.
Why?
Because everyone is busy.
And so it goes.
And cultural vibrancy wanes. Even to the point of sickness.
And organizations simply default to getting used to surviving in an unhealthy environment.
Leaders must understand this context. You see, employees have a deep understanding of their reality and an unerringly accurate perception and predictability to what will happen and why. This applies to all the diverse, daily circumstances.
Employees, at every level, know how the company will react, with few exceptions.
Employees need a deep sense of self and of belonging. Without feeling a deep sense of leadership commitment, they band together to survive. And leadership becomes the “problem”, not the antidote.
People have always asked me, “What was it like working at Disney?”
To which the most accurate answer is, “It depends on your leader.”
Most leaders have no idea how much their direct reports think they are not walking the talk.
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