Tweaking office leadership in pursuit of success

WE ARE all back to work with altered, transformed work culture and leaders are finding themselves in uncharted waters; with their work cut out for them in ways that extend far beyond a P&L.

The spotlight is on executives, CEOs and business owners to make decisions; but we don’t have the answers because – guess what – we are scared as hell, and this makes leading our companies in the current landscape a “not so peachy” experience.

3 how-tos of learning to lead again and rebuilding a company, from fear to future-proof

1. You’re not going to be everyone’s peach.

Boundaries are important, but not everyone likes them. Example: wearing tie-dye on Zoom was once considered cool, but it isn’t acceptable at Head

Office. What this means is that some rules are here to stay – and the sooner you communicate this to your staff, the sooner they will come to accept it. But there will always be those tiedye vigilantes that’ll snub you in the kitchen, the corridor and even on social media. It’s okay. As a leader, you need to be okay with not being the most popular person in the room.

How to be okay with not being everyone’s peach:

Have the courage to redefine your company culture in the way that is best for the business; even if it goes against popular demand.

Keep communicating (over-communicating) and remind your teams “This is who we are, this is why you joined us, come walk the journey with us”.

Lead from the front: be confident in the choices you make and set the right cultural tone.

“Sell don’t tell” your company culture.

Everyone in the business needs to be aligned with the voice of the brand, the objectives of the brand and the “selling strategy” of the business – and it starts with the ones at the top. As a leader, you’re either selling or telling what your company and culture is – and the two get very different results: one gets buy-in and the other doesn’t.

How to sell your company culture to your people:

Remind your team (and yourself) of your company values. What does your business stand for? When you grow confident about this, sell these values to your teams and keep repeating them. Then, even, design a poster and stick it up!

Lead by example: always have your company hat on! Be consistent about your values and get your teams to do the same. Invite them to collaborate on the old and new values, in a way that makes them feel heard, happy and proud.

Open up the space for buy-in from your leadership teams so as to eliminate push-back. Collaborate with them in ways that allow the refuelling of their passion and commitment so that they may inspire others in the organisation.

2. Be the Energy in the Room

As a leader your energy informs your office culture, ultimately. Prompt your team to take responsibility for the energy they bring into the building, the meeting, and the room. It seems face-to-face interaction is not entirely enough these days, leaders need to dig a little deeper and show up with energy, commitment and a new and evolved mindset to inspire, not deplete. The team will follow suit.

3. How to evoke good energy inside your office space:

Remember that your words matter, in person and on email. Use positive statements and encouraging affirmations amongst colleagues to create an upbeat environment.

Get them excited. Arrange a casual monthly get-together (where no one needs to prepare a presentation!). Keep it real, chilled and fun.

Place quirky reminders around the building that remind your teams that you are all in this together; that everyone is responsible for what they are bringing to the company on a daily basis.

Embody your company vision: how you dress, how you speak, how you respond, how you engage. This is the good stuff and we could all do with more of it in the room.