THE POWER OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

THE POWER OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

BY

SAMUEL LARTEY, PROJECT MANAGER.
www.inspiredleaders.com. Email: sammy@inspiredleaders.com


Extraordinary times demand extraordinary leadership and make no mistake about it we are entering unprecedented and turbulent waters.

Looking for clues from the past on how to navigate the storm is proving useless and "off the shelf" solutions simply no longer prepare organisations for what lies ahead, regardless of their sector or industry.

It has become a business imperative to consider if you have the necessary attitudes and leadership in place to ensure your organisation continues to thrive.

In the traditional world a good product or service coupled with a good management team was sufficient to ensure success. But in today's aggressive and unforgiving marketplace they are no longer enough on their own.

Progressive, contemporary businesses are learning the hard way that it is leadership and culture that separate the winners from the losers. The race is no longer about being the best. Everybody is trying to do that. The winners are those that strive to be unique, special and different. They know the difference between management and leadership. They know that the truth hurts but ignorance kills. The difference seems like a no-brainer. We'll should for the truth every time. Good principle. The crucial question is do we actually want to hear the truth?

It is believed that every organisation already knows the answer to its problems and challenges. Many don't know that they know. At the top of every organisation there is a vision and a mission statement. Serving these are the executives of the organisation. Putting it into practice are the troops. No one ever stands still.

Situations, circumstances, strategies and markets change. An organisation can either become more coherent or more chaotic.

Coherence happens when everyone is in step behind a great leadership team with common visions, common goals and a common purpose. Organisations like this conquer the world.

Chaos is a world of internecine interdepartmental rivalries. Different languages, different ethics and multiplicity of visions all add up to slow decay. A world where people keep blaming their circumstances for what they are. These they describe as organisational politics. Such organisations are stacked with individuals who worship at the alter of management. Their focal point and concentration is on Management: Strategies, Plans, Tasks, Processes, and Procedures.


There is now the need to refocus. In these unprecedented times don't believe in circumstances. The strengths of your organisation lies in the leadership and the culture they establish. The people who will get on in this turbulent time are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. Such organisations concentrate on Leadership: Vision, Culture, Teams, People, and Morale.