Over the last few months, I have had the sincere honor of hosting several conversations with culture leaders who also happen to be coaches and presenters with the Unstoppable Cultures Fellowship. I’m grateful for what I’ve learned from these leaders and wanted to take this opportunity to share a few highlights from each conversation with you. I hope these takeaways inspire and encourage you.
MaryCay Durrant: Transformational Leadership Consultant, Gagen MacDonald
Q: How do we ensure leaders are bringing Humanity in the Workplace?
A: Through the last few years, we have seen that humanity in the workplace is taking a leading role. Leaders are needing to be more empathetic, have a more human touch when leading, and really understand their employees as whole people. This past year and a half gave many people a chance to pause and reflect on what they truly value. And how these values are reflected in their daily work is of importance to them. Employees value flexibility at work, and when they know their leaders understand what’s important to them and are given that flexibility to maintain a balance, they often bring more passion and commitment to their job. While there is still a job and bottom line to focus on, leaders need to find that balance of focusing on the employee’s wellbeing and remember that we are all human.
Joel Manby: 25-year CEO and Founder, Love Works
Q: How do you lead through a crisis & beyond?
A: The first step to leading through a crisis is to define your goals and vision into two categories: DO Goals and BE Goals. DO goals are things that impact or drive your financial results. There are always going to be actions you need to take to meet your fiduciary responsibility to the company. BE goals are about how your leaders behave internally. Most companies have Do goals, but it’s less common to have BE goals. These are based around your values and what behaviors you want your leaders to act with, especially in a difficult situation. Building the BE goals starts with defining what values your company truly believes in and that will serve as a guide for leadership principles and support the organization’s culture, even in a crisis.
David Salyers: Original Chick-fil-A Marketing Executive & Chick-fil-A Pioneer
Q: What is the relationship between great brands and great company cultures?
A: Culture is like the other side of the brand coin; in many ways, great cultures are those that have a great story that employees want to be part of and they have people waiting in line to do just that. The brand is the portal through which a customer views the story and the culture is the portal through which the employee views the story. The weakest organizations have the weakest story for the customer and the weakest story for the employee. Great organizations have a great brand story that a customer wants to be a part of and a great culture story that an employee wants to be part of. And together, if those stories are aligned and well-told, you have a Remarkable organization; one that’s fueled by the passion of your employees which becomes contagious to the passion of the customer.
Rorke Denver, Retired Navy SEAL Commander, Founder, EverOnward
Q: What is the most important thing to remember when leading a team during challenging seasons?
A: When a challenging season hits, leaders must rise to the occasion — and that includes with regards to how they lead their team. When you are a leader, people will at a minimum, mimic your behavior. Often, they amplify it. As a leader, you must remain calm when the going gets tough to truly set the tone. Calm is contagious. Remember that you are also only as good as your preparation. A strong leader is aware of what issues may arise for their respective business — they may not know when, but they know what can go wrong. So it’s key to have a plan for those issues and be ready to have a clear head. In tough situations, you tend to fall to the level of training, and what you know you can handle. If you ensure you can remain calm, strategic, and focused, then your team will emulate those same traits and you can ensure the challenge successfully.
These are just a few of the amazing leaders and coaches who are part of Unstoppable Cultures Fellowship. This 4-day, in-person Masterclass Experience, will help you build a customized Culture Roadmap so you can build and sustain a culture of enduring greatness in your organization. You will receive direct guidance from expert coaches from the greatest organizational cultures in the world like Southwest Airlines, Chick-fil-A, and the Navy SEALs. Join us November 8-11, 2021 at the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado in Sante Fe, NM for a COVID-safe event.
To learn more about Unstoppable Cultures Fellowship, and watch these inspiring conversations in their entirety, click here and use code GuestofGinger.
Together, we truly can build Unstoppable Cultures!
Sincerely,
