LeadForward Vol.1 No. 3

Culture

“A noble mission can hide a toxic culture, especially in nonprofits, where people convince themselves that good intentions are enough.”

Here comes the hard part for many leaders. Our data shows that leaders are not the occasional barrier to a healthy culture. Most of the time, they are the barrier. I have seen numbers indicating that roughly 72 percent of leaders create environments that drive defensive behavior instead of constructive behavior. People under them avoid conflict rather than solving problems. They chase approval instead of results. They resist change rather than embracing it. I do not share that to shame leaders. I include myself in that group. Every scar I carry from my own leadership mistakes has become a lesson. I share it because until leaders understand how they are creating the very behaviors they dislike, it is almost impossible for them to change those behaviors. The good news is that leadership is not reserved for a chosen few who were born with charisma.

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