Leadership Thought #460 – You Set The Tone in Your Organization

The leader of an organization must always set the tone. Never forget this fact. I am regularly bemused when I hear a leader complain about the state of things in their organization. It is as if they remove themselves from the equation. They wonder how things got this bad, as if it’s a mystery when all they have to do is look in the mirror.

Your people reflect your hiring decisions. The quality of your meetings relates directly to how you lead them and model this behavior for others. Missing deadlines reflects what you are willing to tolerate in others and yourself. A lack of focus usually starts at the top. Teamwork only occurs when the coach sets clear expectations and creates the conditions for it to happen.

When confronting challenging situations in your business, begin by examining yourself before assigning blame to others. If you are willing to take FULL responsibility for what’s taking place in the environment that YOU have created, then you have a fighting chance of making positive changes. The bottom line is that organizational culture is a direct reflection of the leader’s characteristics and behaviors. Dysfunctional work environments are the product of dysfunctional leadership performance. Cultural change requires leadership behavioral change. You can complain all you want, but the truth is that it all starts and ends with you.

I encourage you to reflect on how you are presenting yourself each day. Consider these questions:

• Are you a motivating force or a demotivating force?
• Do you smile and create positive energy?
• Do you walk around with the weight of the world on your shoulders?
• Do you successfully engage in honest, difficult conversations?
• Are you modeling passive-aggressive behavior?
• Do you visibly enjoy the people you work with?
• Do you send the message to those around you that you merely tolerate them?
• Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and producing outstanding work?
• Is it clear to your colleagues that your primary motivation is financial?
• Are you staying focused on what matters most?
• Are you constantly being distracted and diverted by things of lesser importance?
• Have you surrounded yourself with sycophants who regurgitate what you want to hear?
• Are you truly open to alternative perspectives and new ways of thinking?

Leadership is first about personal responsibility. Your organization is only ever a reflection of your behaviors and decision-making. You get to set the tone—good, bad, or otherwise—then you must live with the consequences.