How to BE inspiring to his/her team and how to inspire them to greater levels of achievement. People want to be wanted, needed, recognized, appreciated and not treated like a number.

Jim BrittCEO Jim Britt, International, Inc

That leaders come and go; cultures, meanwhile, evolve. The leader will have an impact only if he somehow fits into that evolution pattern.

Nick Chuvakhin

A leader has to bear in mind that changes in culture take time, so fortitude and persistence are key for the leader. I agree with others that leading by example is key. The leader has to live the culture and demonstrate its behaviors to the company. Also, the leader needs to be willing to listen for valuable feedback from employees along the way in the process of culture change.

Sebastian B.Insurance and Financial Professional

Leaders must understand that change in the workplace does not simply ensue through the implementation of programs, and distribution of pamphlets and other handouts. Change happens amid employees. Study any culture in history and you will find that groups, not leaders, create revolutionary change. Leaders can have some kind of say to the changes that occur, but they cannot direct change, they can only influence it. 

Change does not occur simply because one person wants it to happen; it happens when a large portion of the people want it and seek it. Simply put, change transpires when democracy in the workplace has a yearning for reform. The only thing a leader can really do is guide change and ensure that it does not lead to a path that may damage or even destroy the corporation. 

Continued

Bear also in mind the idiom, “actions speak louder than words”. If leaders truly want change to occur, then they too must endeavour to adjust their behaviour by displaying enthusiasm for change. Failure to do so will deter employees from adapting to the changes of the workplace culture, because they see no rationale in doing so, given that their leader shows no interest for it.

Neil P. MoncadaMarketing Specialist & Aspiring Polymath

A leader has to bear in mind that changes in culture take time, so fortitude and persistence are key for the leader. I agree with others that leading by example is key. The leader has to live the culture and demonstrate its behaviors to the company. Also, the leader needs to be willing to listen for valuable feedback from employees along the way in the process of culture change.

Chris ScottBusiness Leader, Strategist, and Implementer

Kenneth Larson Retired Aerospace Contracts Manager,

1. Know how much leadership to offer and how much to let the individuals grow on their own. Try to strike the right balance between specific and generic guidance so the unique individual traits of the workers come through in the business model and solutions to problems, system design and success of the firm are derived from the people running the enterprise and not from you. An excellent leader will be sensitive to this concept. 

2. Manage constructively by fostering an environment respectful of all points of view but lead by driving to fulfilling progressive objectives as a first priority and blend differences of opinion decisively.

People come to the workplace with wildly differing degrees of engagement, for a host of reasons, so I think a leader who tries to change workplace culture should understand that there will be reluctance and inertia that a reasonable effort will not completely overcome, and that trying to maximize buy-in by all parties may hit diminishing returns. In the case of those who are reluctant, insulating the other team members from their possible passivity or negativity should be something to keep in mind.

Bill NighContent Creator and Technical Writer

To make a cultural change, first and foremost you will need to understand and be able write it down – as this will be the No.1, item to “fuel” your team and allow the Transformation to be done in the most economical manner i.e. will curb strategic drift. You will need to be able to understand your corporate maturity level i.e. Do not give steps any bigger than you can handle. Perform a stakeholder analysis, and be certain to understand the likelihood of the key groups buying in to your strategy – you do not want to find yourself running your own, soon after START. 

Be honest with your self – do you actually have what it takes to drive it? Do you have the right leadership style for the type of change? If the answer is NO, then consider alternatives – your business comes first. Understand what are the Key Success Factors – if you don’t know what they are, how will you recognise and celebrate achievements to keep the momentum going? (believe me you will need those!) Do you have the right people in the mix? Will you need to acquire talent and skills in line with the “new world”? And the final advice is – do not skimp on the planning!!! PPPPP (Proper Planning Prevent Poor Performance). 

John (João) CostaStrategic Information Systems Executive

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