Organisations that seek to drive performance by forcing employees to comply under the threat of discipline or through forceful management, create toxic cultures.
Such organisations have higher than average workplace relations issues, fail to retain good talent, and produce below average performance.
After 25 years helping organisations trouble shoot employee relations issues we identified that poor leadership was a common factor.
A leadership model used by some of the highest performing organisations in the world.
The more we investigated the concept, the more we realised we were right; we found the worlds highest performance organisations (for example) Google, Intel, HP, DropBox, Oracle, Spotify, BMW, Disney, and SAMSUNG had already come to the same conclusion.
It is such a powerful concept, we re-engineered our entire consulting practice philosophy to help organisations transition from toxicity to high performance.
There is an evolving perspective of what leadership is. In the past leadership was typified by the stereotypical leader having a commanding presence, a strong personality, and a track record of infallibility – the ‘authority figure’ typified by Chief Executives, Presidents, and military leaders.
However, when we look at the leaders that are having the greatest impact and creating the highest performing teams, we see a more realistic and nuanced approach. Rather than over-powering with forceful personalities and “it’s my way or the highway”, effective leaders set directions with definite boundaries, define clear pathways, and encourage team members to contribute to the development of the solution.
Sometimes this means exhibiting qualities such as vulnerability and being prepared to be open and saying “I don’t know, but we need to find the answer”.
While traditional leaders might disapprove of this seemingly weak approach, effective leaders do not shy away from difficult conversations, holding team members to being accountable, and sometimes pruning poisonous apples.
An effective leader doesn’t need to have all the answers, instead they are accountable for building an effective team skilled at finding solutions and delivering outcomes. It’s about creating commitment and enthusiasm to achieving results through teamwork.
High performance doesn’t come from having leaders who develop solutions single handed, it comes from teams where all members take ownership and contribute to the problem solving process. The leader’s job is to create and foster such environments.
Team members who feel they are trusted and integral to contributing to the solution, and not made to feel they are a problem are more inclined to leaping out of bed in the morning wanting to get to work.
This philosophy of leadership is as true on the shop floor as it is in the boardroom. At EMA Consulting, we have developed a suite of tools for guiding organisations toward creating this style of leadership at all levels from board room to shop-floor.
1. Be a good coach: Leaders should provide guidance, support, and feedback to their team members to help them grow and develop their skills.
2. Empower your team and don’t micromanage: Leaders should delegate responsibilities to their team members and trust them to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
3. Create an inclusive environment: Leaders should value diversity, create a safe and inclusive work environment, and encourage their team members to share their perspectives and ideas.
4. Be productive and results-oriented: Leaders should set clear goals, prioritize tasks, and focus on achieving results that drive the success of their team and the company.
5. Communicate effectively: Leaders should communicate clearly and actively listen to their team members to build trust, resolve conflicts, and foster collaboration.
6. Build strong relationships: Leaders should build strong relationships with their team members, customers, and stakeholders, and work collaboratively to achieve shared goals.
7. Show a strong customer orientation: Leaders should understand and prioritize the needs of their customers and strive to provide high-quality products and services that meet their needs.
8. Demonstrate integrity: Leaders should act with honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior, and hold themselves and others accountable for their actions and decisions.
Like everything in life (and particularly with organisational and employee behaviors) nothing is ever simple.
However, as a broad principle, our philosophy is simple and effective.
The complexity comes from taking an existing organisation, where leadership is far from the ideal model, and implementing an effective transformation.
Cultural change takes time.
It means equipping leaders with more than just a sound philosophy, we need to also provide them with insight, understanding, and tools for managing teams.
A philosophy, framework, and software tools designed to promote accountable leadership.
The Accountable Leader provides a leadership framework and proven organisational science-based tools that support, diagnose, monitor, measure, and report leadership performance as key to influencing employee psychological safety.
The Accountable Leader is a leadership development program that comprises consulting and software services that help:
– Transform Managers into Leaders.
– Increase employee engagement.
– Build high performance teams.
– Manage employee interactions more consistently.
– Provide organisational visibility of leadership performance.
Our methodology and tools ensure that leaders at all levels have the knowledge and skills to be able to consistently manage performance and behavior and drive high performing teams.
EMA Consulting provides a comprehensive methodology for creating an Accountable Leadership Culture not just for select individuals but entire organisations.
The Accountable Leader program is tailored to the individual needs of each organisation. The key components are…
Proven philosophy/ methodology of organisational leadership that helps to build high performance teams.
Coaching/Consulting in setting up a best-practice performance-based system.
Science-based software tools that support, diagnose, monitor, measure, and report leadership performance.
You tell us about your organisation and your challenges, desired objectives, and constraints. We provide you with a more detailed insight into what The Accountable Leader program is and how it works. We respond with a proposal.
Pick-up the phone today (or complete our email enquiry form) to discover the path to developing a high performing organisation.
