This is part of an ongoing series of blogs based on the latest Level Five Associates book, The Power of Being All In.
What Will Effective Leadership Look Like in the Future? | Part 2: We Paid the Price
“We paid the price for valuing competence more than character.” — General (retired) Martin Dempsey, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
As I described in my previous book from 2017, there are essentially five levels of culture in any organization:
- Level 1—The “Nametag” culture: This ecosystem is a loose confederation of self-centered individuals acting in their own personal interests.
- Level 2—The “Follower” culture: This environment has few leaders and many followers, and only those with tangible ownership are vested in the company’s welfare.
- Level 3—The “Points of Light” culture: A few individuals characterize this culture and personally align with the organization’s values; however, most are just doing their job and performing the associated tasks.
- Level 4—The “Coalition of the Willing” culture: The coalition culture has a large population of those who want the organization to be successful and align their personal goals and aspirations with the company’s.
- Level 5—The “We’re All In” culture: Level 5 is a culture of excellence characterized by fully committed team members who see their personal success and fulfillment in achieving the organization’s goals and objectives. Everyone belongs.
Levels 1 and 2 define the “Culture of Compliance” I described in my last blog, where competence mattered more than character. Or, in the words of Larry the Cable Guy, just “get ‘er done” …!
The reality of the world we’re in now demands that we must adapt to the new world of why: the “Culture of Commitment.” Levels 3 through 5, which I first outlined in 2017, are the ecosystems we must establish and nurture now more than ever. Leaders must continually strive to build a better work culture — to achieve and sustain Level 5, The “We’re All In Culture,” as our way of life.
What’s the problem with just going straight to that level and declaring victory? What’s holding us back?
The simple answer: Time. That’s what we’re up against, and how we handle it will determine whether we can grow or stay stuck in place. It is up to us whether this becomes a wall we run into. Alternatively, we can use our values and leadership ideals to find ways forward.
I’ll be creating future entries in this ongoing blog series that describe why culture change is such time-consuming “adult work.” I hope you follow along.
Enjoy the journey!
This blog post is based in part on the book, “The Power of Being All In.” You can download the first chapter for free at this link. Or, if you’d like to purchase the entire book (available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook), it is available on Amazon.
