When we take the time to ask ourselves the really hard questions while digging deep for answers, we often find truths that we never considered. Many of the results we get in our corporate cultures are unintentional. Meaning that we never set out to create environments where people feel disempowered, with minimal control and where the victim mentality can thrive and yet this is often exactly the environment created.

All we have to do is look at the number of policies and procedures we have combined with the layers of management. Then consider how little most organizations know about human behavior, optimal brain function, resiliency and high performance attributes. It is no wonder so many leaders struggle to make a real connection with their team contributors.

Yvonne Thompson will be doing an in-person workshop in Vancouver, titled, Transforming Culture: Transforming Results on May 16th.

Breaking this down is so much easier then we think. Ask yourself what do I need to feel engaged? What do I need to feel connected? What do I need to truly feel trust and trusted. What are all the attributes one really needs to feel a true sense of belonging. Then ask yourself why would my employees want anything less.

Leaders have to ask themselves, what do I believe about human behavior? What are my biases and how did I come to these conclusions. Most of what we know and believe was given to us by well meaning parents, grandparents, managers, clergy, and community leaders. The question is; are they actually my beliefs or someone else’s. Did I accidently and unintentionally adopt these beliefs because it is what I was told over and over again until I firmly believed it to be true.

The Wrong Way To Lead

Unknowingly and unintentionally we often find leaders using shame, guilt, fear, consequences, subtle threats, expectations, politics to name only a few. This is not because leaders are bad, mean or nasty but more often they are leaders who learned this from their managers and their managers manager. The old heavy energy of corporate life can be riddled with undesired, unwanted and unintentional behavior that is rewarded. It is what many leaders have personally experienced.

The Right Way To Lead

When a leader learns to go inside, to that quiet place underneath it all and ask themselves what is the right thing to do in this moment; Slowly reflecting while listening to that inner voice. Everything changes. Humans have innate goodness and a sense of compassion and love that goes beyond any corporate endeavor however most have not been encouraged to tap into this side of our humanness at work. We also have been taught to run at break-neck speed with quantity over quality at the core of performance. Or worse a sense of perfection combined with quantity. Lets pretend to be perfect while we compete to see who can do the most work. Learning the skills of quiet reflection…presence… inner voice listening is easy but takes some practice. The moment we begin to do this consistently we begin to see our role as leaders completely differently. We change our approach and begin to build the necessary relationships where contributors want and do take full responsibility for the outcomes they get. This is human nature at it’s best.

Working at the executive level in Canada, USA and Europe we have seen culture shifts that are so remarkable and almost impossible to imagine as leaders, teams and entire organizations re-invent themselves through a simple yet highly effective process. We don’t teach anything the leaders don’t already know; we simply become the signposts for what is already there. We hold the mirror and create a safe space for leaders to become exactly who they have always been!

Looking to learn more about transforming the culture of your organization? Yvonne Thompson will be doing an in-person workshop in Vancouver, titled, Transforming Culture: Transforming Results on May 16th. Register today!

Yvonne Thompson is a leading expert in the field of leadership and organizational culture. She is known for her highly progressive approach to her learning and development interventions that underpin long-term sustainable change. With a focus on the development of a Personal Accountability Culture she works closely with individual leaders and teams to create new energy organizations. She has a Masters of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University, British Columbia Canada. She is the author of three books. She has worked extensively with leading organizations across North America and Europe building alignment, and shifting culture. Yvonne has taught at the University of Winnipeg and Providence University as core faculty in Learning and Development, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management. Yvonne is currently the President of Change Innovators Inc.