Great leaders dream of a better future – from business sustainability to growing future leaders, increasing speed to market, or operating with greater purpose. To turn dreams into workplace realities, leaders set strategies. Unfortunately, many organizations keep strategic plans a secret and don't involve others outside the executive leadership team. Evidence suggests that only 5% of employees grasp their company's strategy. This is alarming, given that a direct positive correlation exists between employee commitment to strategy and employee involvement in strategy development. It is hard to argue that being more inclusive is a bad idea. But how inclusive should your strategic thinking and planning be? Here are the strategic thinking competencies leaders need to develop and a plan to foster employee commitment and overcome workplace obstacles to inclusivity. Benefits of Inclusive Strategic Thinking and Planning A strategy is simply a plan of action to achieve a stated goal. A business strategy aims to align followers and teams toward achieving a shared goal from the company's vision. The best strategies in business meet the following four criteria: Developed inclusive of followers, Focus on helping others for the greater good, Account for mixed future realities, Are implemented. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality” — William Bennis In this short video, Gary Hamel discusses why leaders must shift their roles from authors to editors and why traditional strategic planning must die. Leaders must comprehend various complex situations. Strategic thinking uses critical thinking to consider the fundamental business drivers and challenges specific to an organization. It is about awareness of what could be and the foresight to help the organization be successful. The following video breaks down the difference between strategic planning and strategic thinking. Leveraging diversity enhances strategic thinking, creativity, engagement, and strategy quality. Although achieving complete transparency and involving every possible stakeholder is likely not feasible, there is high value for inclusive leaders and organizations. Research has demonstrated a direct positive correlation between individual commitment to strategy and involvement in strategy development. Inclusive strategic thinking impacts the organization's bottom line, leading to a leader's success and significance. When leaders solicit ideas from others outside the traditionally involved management team, it improves the creativity of the ideas and reinforces that leaders value employees. Creative ideas that reflect the customer's stated and unstated needs likely will come from those with no stake in the status quo and closest to the customer. Being transparent with access to strategic input and processes enhances follower outputs. When the employees responsible for implementing strategic plans are the same employees contributing, there is increased awareness, engagement, buy-in⁠, and firm performance. 5 Key Leadership Strategic Thinking Leadership Competencies A leader's ability to question and make connections between ideas and evaluate options improves strategic thinking. Here are five strategic thinking leadership competencies that are often underdeveloped: Strategic Thinking Leadership Competency #1: Scanning When searching for weak signals, businesses are essentially delving into the realm of potential disruptions and opportunities that may not be readily apparent. These signals are often subtle, emerging trends or environmental changes that could significantly impact the future. By actively seeking out these weak signals, organizations can gain a competitive edge by being better prepared to adapt and respond to evolving market conditions. Strategic Thinking Leadership Competency #2: Visioning Clarifying the organization's shared purpose and dreams with group benefit is crucial in fostering a strong sense of unity and direction among team members. By clearly defining the common goals and aspirations that everyone is working towards, individuals within the organization can align their efforts and work collaboratively towards a shared vision. This process not only helps in creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie but also enhances motivation and engagement among employees. A culture of teamwork and cooperation can be cultivated by emphasizing the group benefit that comes from pursuing the organization's shared purpose and dreams. Strategic Thinking Leadership Competency #3: Reframing Encouraging a shift in perspective by questioning established beliefs and exploring innovative ideas for what lies ahead. Challenging current assumptions opens the door to new opportunities and unexpected solutions. Embracing fresh thinking allows us to break free from conventional boundaries and envision a future filled with exciting possibilities. It is through this process of reevaluation and creativity that we pave the way for progress and growth, sparking a journey toward a more dynamic and promising tomorrow. Strategic Thinking Leadership Competency #4: Making Common Sense An intellectual process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating data. It involves a series of cognitive activities that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Conceptualizing is the ability to form abstract ideas or mental representations based on the information. Applying involves applying these concepts or using them in real-world situations to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Analyzing requires breaking down complex information into smaller parts to understand their meaning and significance. Synthesizing involves combining different elements or ideas to create a coherent whole or new understanding. Evaluating is assessing the data's validity, relevance, or quality and the conclusions drawn from it. Strategic Thinking Leadership Competency #5: Systems Thinking This methodology involves considering the whole system rather than individual parts in isolation. By examining how different elements interact and influence each other, researchers can comprehensively understand the underlying dynamics at play. A holistic approach encourages researchers to consider the broader context in which these interactions occur. Factors such as environmental influences, historical background, and cultural norms can all significantly shape outcomes. By incorporating these external elements into the analysis, a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the interrelationships between different parts can be achieved. Various psychometric leadership assessments can measure an executive's strategic and critical thinking capability. The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) is a valid leadership assessment based on recognizing assumptions, evaluating arguments, and drawing conclusions. For more information on the Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal, visit www.talentlens.com. In addition to measurement, leaders looking to improve strategic thinking skills need time for deliberate practice and coaching feedback to shape strategic thinking habits beyond motivation and commitment. Partnering with a qualified executive coach is proven to improve strategic thinking skills. How to be Inclusive with Strategic Planning and Thinking Before taking an inclusive approach to strategic planning and thinking, senior leadership needs to agree on the process, participating stakeholders, and the organization's business vision, values, and mission. For larger hybrid organizations , it will likely be helpful to first place participants into groups based on their planned involvement, such as crowd, selected crowd, business leadership, and strategic planning decisions team. Finding a user-friendly system for all stakeholders is vital when choosing strategic planning technology. A generic, inclusive strategic planning process engages others in ideation, refinement, and development. Ideation. The first step is to listen . Stakeholders are invited to submit ideas using a planning platform. It is crucial to select a technology readily accessible and use multiple forms of communication to encourage participation in the strategic planning process. Refinement. Ideas are tagged and compared through comparison sorts. Stakeholders are invited to prioritize the ideas submitted using pre-identified criteria such as culture alignment, cost, quality, and timeliness. This phase also includes a checkpoint for leaders to ask for more information and accept, revise, or reject ideas. The use of scores makes it easier to filter ideas. Development. After collecting and refining the ideas, it is time to transform them into a strategic plan. Stakeholders from each part of the business are asked to take the refined strategy and create a detailed plan. A strategic plan typically includes a vision statement, mission statement, goals, objectives, tactics and measures, and a review timeframe. How to Overcome 3 Inclusive Strategic Planning and Thinking Barriers Advances in technology enable a more inclusive, timely, and less costly approach. However, an inclusive approach has some potential drawbacks to address rather than ignore, such as bias, agility, and communication effectiveness. Strategic Planning & Thinking Barrier #1: Bias When being inclusive, leaders must avoid potential bias toward certain stakeholder groups. There is no need to go through the work of being inclusive only to have a process that devalues different inputs based on a tendency toward a particular group's feedback. Approaches that promote anonymity of feedback are demonstrated to reduce bias and not negatively impact output buy-in. Strategic Planning & Thinking Barrier #2: Agility Leaders need to pay attention to time and effort when being inclusive. It is easy to be less agile and get caught in analysis paralysis when being inclusive. Solid project management processes can help leaders avoid the trap of over-analysis. Strategic Planning & Thinking Barrier #3: Communication Effectiveness Thoughtfully incorporating technology has many positive impacts, but that does not mean it is without challenges. Numerous research studies have shown that different communication mediums effectively support in-the-moment feedback, information sharing, communication cues, emotions, and message customization. Scientific research probably does not need to be conducted to understand that face-to-face communication is the most effective type of communication. Schedule a meeting with us today if you need help creating compelling and inclusive strategic plans. With a flexible, systematic, and proven method, you can establish robust strategic plans that transform your business to achieve success and significance. Key Summary Points It is hard to argue that being more inclusive is a bad leadership habit. A business strategy aims to align followers and teams toward achieving a shared goal from the company's vision. The best strategies are developed inclusive of followers, focus on helping others for the greater good, account for mixed future realities, and are implemented. A leader's ability to question and make connections between ideas and evaluate options improves strategic thinking. Making common sense requires critical thinking skills. Various psychometric leadership assessments can measure an executive's critical thinking capability. The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) is a valid leadership assessment based on recognizing assumptions, evaluating arguments, and drawing conclusions. Leaders looking to improve their strategic thinking skills need time for deliberate practice and coaching feedback to shape strategic thinking habits beyond motivation and commitment. A generic, inclusive strategic planning process includes engaging others in creativity, refinement, and development. Advances in technology enable a more inclusive, timely, and less costly approach. However, an inclusive approach has some potential drawbacks that must be addressed rather than ignored, such as bias, agility, and communication effectiveness. References: Amrollahi, A., & Rowlands, B. (2017). Collaborative open strategic planning: A method and case study. Information Technology & People (West Linn, Or.), 30(4), 832-852. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-12-2015-0310 Bennis, W. G. (2008). Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. Journal of Property Management, 73 (5), 13. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K. M., & Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization's enduring success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Kaplan RS, Norton DP. The office of strategy management. Harv Bus Rev. 2005 Oct;83(10):72-80 Nwachukwu, C. E., Chladkova, H., & Olatunji, F. (2018). The relationship between employee commitment to strategy implementation and employee satisfaction. Trends Economics and Management, 12(31), 46-56. doi:10.13164/trends.2018.31.45

“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” Taken from lessons in history and life experiences, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote these words in The Prince, published over 550 years ago. The message is clear: the end justifies the means. These words might seem harsh, but they are not surprising. They reveal the tension that can exist in business between profit and people. Is cheating to achieve favorable results part of doing business? Should managers exploit others to achieve goals? These are not uncommon leadership dilemmas. And are situations that your company or you might be navigating. The way forward is obvious for some leaders. However, the best way forward is more complex for those with Machiavellian personality tendencies. The best place to start is by weighing the good and bad of Machiavellianism in the workplace. The good and bad of Machiavellianism in the workplace “The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to frighten wolves.” Machiavelli Machiavellianism refers to a manipulative personality trait. The personality is cunning and calculating, believing that the end justifies the means, regardless of how ruthless or moral. Psychologists Christie and Geis studied the thought processes and actions behind individuals who manipulated others and were the first to define this personality trait as Machiavellianism. Their construct was based on personality traits displayed in the characters of Machiavelli’s literary work The Prince. In this book, Niccolò Machiavelli described how leaders must manipulate and use power through any means necessary to achieve their goals. He presented that people cannot be trusted to do what is needed because they typically lack the experience and motivation or have biases and prejudice toward doing what is needed. Here is a short video about What “Machiavellian” really means. Despite the negative connotations of Machiavellian leadership, sometimes its admired, and the presence of this personality trait is found in all kinds of businesses and at all levels. Interestingly, research into Machiavellianism leadership suggests both highly damaging implications along with some surprisingly positive outcomes for individuals and entire organizations: The Good: Able to retain social control during difficult and chaotic situations, strategic foresight and planning, lower operating costs, high task orientation, not impulsive, gets work done by others, able to be competitive and cooperative. The Bad: Unethical behavior, moral ambiguity, lying, revenge, threats, fraud, cheating, emotional abuse, lack of trust in others, excessive politics, theft, and paying for kickbacks. Although research reveals some good business outcomes of Machiavellian leadership, an overwhelming number of studies demonstrate this kind of manipulative leadership hurts leadership performance. The impacts of lower-quality leader-follower relationships negatively influence performance, company culture, and results. Do you have Machiavellian tendencies? Fortunately, extreme levels of Machiavellianism are rare in the workplace. However, we all likely have some degree of Machiavellianism in our personalities. The Mach-IV is a 20-question inventory that assesses your Machiavellianism tendencies. This site provides your Machiavellian score and a graph showing how you compare to others taking the assessment. The higher your score on the Mach-IV, the more Machiavellianism. If you score 60 out of 100 or higher on the MACH-IV, you are considered a “high-Mach.” If you score below 60 out of 100, you are considered a “low-mach.” High Mach tendencies: Business goal-oriented and calculated when interacting with others. Taken to the extreme, they are highly focused on winning and willing to use any and all means possible. Low Mach tendencies: Believe everyone has a good and bad side. They tend to be more people-oriented and empathic in their interaction with others. Taken to the extreme, "low-Machs" can be passive, highly agreeable, and socially inept. What do you do when you find Machiavellianism in the workplace? “There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you” Machiavelli, The Prince Can you change your personality? Or is it true that Yoda told Luke that if you start down the dark path, it will forever dominate your destiny? Luckily, there is hope. The Big Five personality traits serve as the building blocks of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research into these personality traits suggests it is possible to change them through persistent interventions. There is no single right way to change personality. Behaviors constantly evolve from situation to situation and moment to moment. The following are six proven countermeasures for Machiavellian behaviors in the workplace. Machiavellian Countermeasure #1: Executive Assessments The higher you move within an organization, the less objective the feedback you tend to receive; however, it becomes more critical personally and professionally. Executive assessments can provide deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. When selecting an assessment, using a qualified executive coach to help interpret and apply the learnings is crucial. Machiavellian Countermeasure #2: Executive Coaching There are many benefits of executive coaching . 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence. Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report recouping their investment in coaching and more. Machiavellian Countermeasure #3: Leadership Style Research in organizational behavior has illuminated the importance of ethical leadership in addressing and mitigating undesirable behaviors often associated with Machiavellianism. Ethical leadership, as a concept, encompasses a wide array of principles and values that guide individuals in making decisions that are not only morally sound but also beneficial for the greater good. It involves considerations of right and wrong and a sense of moral duty and obligation towards others. One particular leadership style that has gained attention for its ethical underpinnings is Servant Leadership. This approach emphasizes influence over positional power, focusing on the well-being and growth of others rather than asserting authority through hierarchy. By prioritizing the needs of their followers and empowering them to reach their full potential, servant leaders create a positive and nurturing work environment that fosters trust, collaboration, and innovation. Organizations that embrace a servant leadership style stand to reap numerous benefits. Leaders can inspire greater employee engagement, loyalty, and productivity by cultivating a culture of empathy, humility, and service. Furthermore, emphasizing ethical decision-making and social responsibility can enhance the organization's reputation, increasing stakeholder trust and support. Machiavellian Countermeasure #4: Reward and Recognition Systems Tightly aligning your company's reward and recognition systems with desired behaviors is crucial in fostering a positive work environment. When incentives are directly linked to the behaviors and values the organization wishes to promote, employees are more likely to be motivated to align their actions with these expectations. This enhances individual performance and cultivates a sense of unity and collaboration within the team, as everyone works towards common goals and shared rewards. Machiavellian Countermeasure #5: Training and Development Training and development play a crucial role in honing the skills and abilities of individuals across various personality types. Research indicates that providing targeted development opportunities during significant career transitions can significantly impact individuals with Machiavellian personality traits. By investing in tailored programs that focus on shaping work expectations and behaviors, organizations can effectively steer these individuals toward more constructive and beneficial outcomes. Such initiatives not only enhance individual performance but also contribute to a positive organizational culture, ultimately leading to reduced risks of potential errors and financial losses. Machiavellian Countermeasure #6: Therapy A "high-Mach" personality can present unique challenges in various aspects of life, including relationships, work environments, and personal well-being. Individuals with Machiavellian traits often exhibit manipulation, deceit, and a lack of empathy. These behaviors can lead to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships and challenges in navigating social interactions effectively. Seeking support from a mental health professional can be instrumental in developing coping mechanisms to manage these traits and their impact on daily life. Therapy can provide individuals with the tools and strategies needed to address underlying issues, improve self-awareness, and cultivate healthier ways of relating to others. Some therapeutic approaches that may benefit individuals with Machiavellian personality traits include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. Additionally, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may be useful in developing skills for emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. By working with a mental health professional, individuals with high-Mach personalities can gain insight into their behaviors, learn how to navigate social situations more effectively and cultivate healthier relationships based on trust, honesty, and empathy. Seeking help is a proactive step towards personal growth and well-being for those grappling with the challenges associated with Machiavellian traits. So, what is your real leadership challenge? References: Christie, R., & Geis, F. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. Academic Press. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Kumar, D. (2019). Good, bad, ugly: Exploring the Machiavellian power dynamics of leadership in medical education. Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism, 7(1), 42–46. Page, N., Bergner, S., & Wills, S. (2017). Who empathizes with Machiavellian or Narcissistic leaders? Harvard Business Review. Rehman, U., & Shahnawaz, M. (2021). Machiavellianism and task-orientated leadership: the moderating effect of job autonomy. Leadersh Educ Personal Interdiscip J 3, 79–85. Van Dierendonck, D., & Patterson, K. (2015). Compassionate love as a cornerstone of servant leadership: An integration of previous theorizing and research. Journal of Business Ethics, 128 (1), 119-131.

Building trust is increasingly challenging and vital for executive leadership teams. Distrust in society is breeding polarization. Evidence suggests less than a third of employees are willing to help, live near, or work alongside someone who disagrees with their point of view on things that matter. Trust is the currency of any business and holds a company together during change. CEOs and top management teams are expected to be visionary change catalysts. However, many leaders privately question whether it's possible to be considered trustworthy during change events, given the decline in employee confidence. The good news is that you can rebuild trust after it is broken, but only if you manage what you say and do well. Here are proven strategies to build high-quality trust-based relationships and a quiz to gauge your trustworthiness. Why executive leadership trust matters "The reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something." Merriam-Webster.com Numerous studies demonstrate that leadership is a critical determinant of successful organizations and change. Regardless of whether a change is department-specific or company-wide, it benefits from executive engagement. Executive leadership teams provide vision, establish strategy, prepare the corporate culture for change, and motivate employees to change. This is important because trust has been shown to mediate employee openness to change and, ultimately, the outcome of change. When trust is present, organizations navigate and manage change with improved outcomes. Change events heighten emotional responses, making communicating effectively challenging for the most skilled leaders. How to build trust with your communication A boss-subordinate relationship and transactional leadership style are not helpful when trying to build trust. The most effective leaders are transparent and vulnerable and demonstrate caring and respect for others. There are two common themes that emerge from the research on building trust; transparency and relationships. To communicate effectively, leaders need to understand the context and perspectives of others and avoid jumping to conclusions too quickly. In the book, Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results, Judith Glaser provides a helpful way to remember these attributes: T – Transparency R – Relationship U – Understanding S – Shared success T – Testing assumptions Establishing trust during change requires building rapport, inviting and responding to emotions, and explaining the change event clearly and concisely. Communications that create openness to change and build trust include: Communication Trust Builder #1: Vision The idealized goal for the organization to achieve in the future. Communication during change events should link to organizational values and provide enough detail so employees see the roadmap and benefits of the change. The goal is to create positive attitudes toward change and support for change. Communication Trust Builder #2: Energy Demonstrating personal excitement. An executive leader's positive emotions and mood are contagious. Research has shown that leadership communication that enables followers to experience positive emotions enhances happiness and well-being. In return, the improved positive emotions of followers increase employee motivation, cooperation, and support for change. Communication Trust Builder #3: Support Executive leaders demonstrate support by providing encouragement, reassurance, listening, and sharing feelings. Research has found that when individuals receive help, they are more receptive and willing to cooperate with change. How to be a trustworthy leader Trust takes place between two people and is earned. Successful businesses are built upon relationships. In his book Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, Francis Fukuyama presented that business would not be productive without trust. The International Coaching Federation has identified six behaviors essential for building trust-based relationships: Show genuine concern for the other person's welfare and future. Continuously demonstrate personal integrity, honesty, and sincerity. Establish clear agreements and keep promises. Demonstrate respect for other's perceptions, learning styles, and personal being. Provide ongoing support for and champion new behaviors and actions, including risk-taking and fear of failure. Ask permission to coach others in sensitive, new areas. Leadership trustworthiness comes from four essential attributes of the leader: Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #1: Credibility Credibility is the most frequently achieved attribute of trustworthiness. However, having the title of leader does not always equate to being perceived as credible. Credibility has rational and emotional aspects related to an individual's expertise and personal presence . Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #2: Reliability Reliability is based on the frequency of interactions with someone and the consistency of expected behavior. Saying what you are doing, doing what you say, and saying what you did matter for building reliability. Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #3: Intimacy Intimacy requires your willingness to be vulnerable and have a courageous conversation when needed. This is one of the key differentiating attributes of trustworthiness. Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #4: Self-Orientation Self-orientation relates to the amount of focus placed on oneself versus the emphasis placed on the other person. A high degree of self-orientation creates significant distrust from others. Self-orientation is linked to the leader's conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience personality traits. The attributes of trustworthiness (see Figure 1) can be placed into the following equation to measure your trustworthiness. Are you a trustworthy leader? High-quality relationships are high-trust relationships. Evidence suggests that improved workplace relationships increase individual and organizational productivity and profitability. The Relationship Trust Checker is a free quiz you can use to gauge your level of trust in a relationship and identify opportunities to improve your trustworthiness. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates Ready to take the next step? Effective leadership affects the results you achieve and the life you live. Leaders must continually transform and adapt or fall behind. Striving for better habits is a competitive advantage for any leader looking for a powerful point of differentiation. Upskill your leadership with our development approach that is grounded in evidence from the fields of behavioral psychology and neuroscience - and helps leaders to successfully apply the servant leadership skillsets and mindsets that bring out the best in their teams to achieve strategic goals. References: Bono, J., & Ilies, R. (2006). Charisma, positive emotions, and mood contagion. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (4), pp. 317-334. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity . Free Press. Glaser, J. (2016). Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results. Routledge. Men, L. R., Yue, C. A., & Liu, Y. (2020). Vision, passion, and care: the impact of charismatic executive leadership communication on employee trust and support for organizational change. Public Relations Review, 46 (3). Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. (1989). Motivation and cognitive abilities: An integrative aptitude-treatment interaction approach to skill acquisition. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74 , pp. 657-690. Maister, D. H., Green, C. H., & Galford, R. M. (2000). The trusted advisor . Free Press. Shamir, B., House, R., Arthur, M. (1993). The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: A self-concept based theory. Organization Science, 4 (4), pp. 577-594 Wanberg, C., & Banas, J. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of openness to changes in a reorganizing workplace. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85 (1), pp. 132-142,

Most leaders are not getting the feedback they want and need. Evidence suggests that eight out of ten employees feel their leader has an undiscussable flaw. You have the vision to be a great leader and grow your business. But, no matter how often or how directly you ask others for feedback, your request gets ignored or is focused on your strengths. Frequently, when critical feedback is provided to executives, it is too little and too late. The unfortunate truth is that there are many rational reasons why employees are less likely to discuss constructive feedback with a leader as they move up in an organization. Developing these seven constructive feedback habits helps you increase revenue and avoid costly mistakes by getting the performance and strategic feedback no one wants to give. Why Performance and Strategic Feedback Matters Silence is expensive. Continuously learning and improving is critical for any organization and leader. The operational complexities associated with disruptive changes in the workplace make the importance of leadership habits increasingly vital. The benefits associated with receiving feedback are well documented. Evidence from a study spanning more than ten years and over 50,000 executive leaders revealed that l eaders who ask for feedback are significantly more effective than those who don't. In a global study of more than 100 workplace improvement strategies, fair and accurate informal feedback had the most significant positive impact on employee performance and engagement. The evidence suggests that feedback improves workplace performance by up to 39%. Feedback improves decision-making and creates a better environment for innovation. Understanding the implicit and explicit needs and wants of followers and customers leads to creativity and decisions that are valued. The common hierarchical design in organizations naturally reduces the closeness of workplace relationships for executives. Receiving and acting on feedback from followers improves relationships. Improved relationships minimize workplace stress and improve perceptions of respect and trust . Drama in the workplace is on the rise. Feedback allows for productive conflict and helps minimize the risk of avoiding conflict that leads to workplace strife. A workplace with a strong feedback culture makes leaders and followers more comfortable with difficult conversations . "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." Ken Blanchard You may have heard the saying, Ignorance is bliss. I know I have used that saying more than once. However, being unaware of your bad leadership habits or overestimating your leadership skills is not bliss as a leader. Lacking self-awareness limits a leader's ability to realize professional and personal goals, like trying to navigate a ship without a compass. Self-aware leaders are not naive about bad habits and can develop healthy ones. The higher you move within any organization, the less objective and general feedback you receive. Limited self-awareness prevents an accurate assessment of leadership competence and strategic plans. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a relatively common cognitive bias in which people with little self-awareness overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. 7 Good Feedback Habits The more constructive feedback you receive, the more practical decisions you can make that grow your career and business. The following are seven proven strategies to overcome various barriers to getting the feedback no one wants to give. Feedback Habit #1: Ask and act Make feedback a regular part of your schedule, give examples, and ask specific open-ended questions. Simply asking if you have any feedback is too vague, and you will have more success when your question includes some context. Such as, do you feel your ideas are being heard? Or how could we improve our one-to-one meetings? The more regular you make getting feedback, the less risky it will become (if you handle it well). Not taking action on the feedback you receive is one way to make sure you won't get the feedback you need in the future. Taking action doesn't always mean exactly fixing what was asked. Sometimes, you need to manage expectations by letting them know what you can or can not do. When you do take action, you always want to let others know why you are taking action. Help explicitly connect your steps back to the feedback provided. Feedback Habit #2: Be the change you want to see If you want feedback, you should lead by example. When possible, be transparent and share the tough constructive feedback others have raised and how you work to improve. Also, when providing balanced feedback, let others know what they are doing is right. Giving others feedback creates reciprocity. “We must be the change we wish to see in the world” Gahndi Feedback Habit #3: Actively listen Actively listening is your ability to hear and improve mutual understanding. Receiving feedback is not a synonym for listening. When you actively listen, you pay attention, show interest, suspend judgment, reflect, clarify, summarize, and share to gain clarity and understanding. When practicing active listening, you are available to the other person. Verbal, nonverbal, and empathic listening are a few active listening skills. Feedback Habit #4: Cultivate a community As in life, leadership is better within a community. Asking for feedback is a sign of strength and not weakness. Like a pyramid, most organizational charts narrow at the top, providing few opportunities for a role-based community. As leaders move up the corporate ladder, the healthy habit of enhancing community requires more intentional effort. Peer advisory groups, communities of practice, and affinity groups are increasingly popular leadership communities to leverage for feedback. Feedback Habit #5: Practice open strategic planning Employees are often motivated by giving feedback when they see that it impacts senior leader behaviors and company actions. Unfortunately, most organizations keep their strategies a secret . On average, 95% of employees don't know or understand their organization's strategies. Feedback Habit #6: Say thank you Your world is perfectly designed for the results you are getting—your reactions to feedback in actions and words matter. Increasing the frequency of behavior requires providing positive reinforcement to overcome the negative consequences of the behavior. Simply saying thank you can be a meaningful way to reinforce giving feedback positively. Feedback Habit #7: Engage a coach Coaching provides you with clear and direct feedback. It moves you closer to your future, assessing where you are currently and your goals for the future and exploring and discovering the steps to get to your desired future. The ultimate goal is a change (e.g., behavioral, attitudinal, or motivational) you want to make. Key Points: Getting the Feedback No One Wants to Give For many reasons, leaders are likely not receiving the constructive feedback essential to growing their careers and businesses. The best leaders ask more people and more frequently for feedback. Chances are that you are not receiving the performance and strategic feedback you want and need. However, the proven strategies outlined in this article help you to overcome the various barriers and get the input no one wants to give. References: Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Grenny, J. & Maxfield, B. (2019). How leaders can ask for the feedback no one want to give them. Harvard Business Review. Kaplan, R. (2011). Top executives need feedback-here's how they can get it. McKinsey Quarterly. Kaplan, R., Norton, D. (2005). The office of strategy management. Harvard Business Review. 83(10):72-80 Kruger, J. & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing ones own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Toegel, G. & Barsoux, J. (2019). Its time to tackle your team's undiscussable. MIT Sloan Management Review. Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. (2013). Overcoming Feedback Phobia: Take the First Step. Harvard Business Review. Zumaeta, J. (2018). Lonely at the top: How do senior leaders navigate the need to belong? Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are key growth strategies for many organizations: entering new markets, acquiring new technologies, or leveraging scale and size. Culture is acutely critical during notable changes, such as M&As, which offer an opportunity for a renewed start on culture. When two organizations combine through mergers and acquisitions for economic reasons, it is doubtful that the two cultures will remain precisely the same. Sadly, evidence suggests that 50% to 85% of mergers fail to deliver on shareholder returns despite leadership's best intentions. The two cultures must harmonize to achieve the desired financial goals of the new organization and avoid a clash. Anyone who has endured an M&A knows how stressful it can be for everyone. The clashing of organizational culture is the most cited reason for failure. The leadership challenge is to figure out the best way to manage the formation of a blended new shared culture. Without intervention, it is most likely that a new culture will evolve, and the dominant culture will assimilate or reject members from the other culture. The best method to achieve the goals of the merger or acquisition is to identify the best parts of both cultures and create a new harmonized culture. This article explains the role of culture in M&As, cross-cultural issues, and the proven practices of creating a shared culture intentionally. How to read this white paper This white paper has six sections. All sections are essential to understanding the importance of creating a shared culture. The white paper starts with an explanation of culture and a summary of its role in organizations. It then discusses the challenges and proven steps to harmonize the two cultures. The white paper ends with a discussion of the significant benefits of creating a shared culture and a conclusion. This white paper explains why creating a shared culture when bringing two organizations together is essential. As designed, it presents a clear picture of the organizational culture and, ultimately, a leader’s role in leading culture harmonization for the merger or acquisition. Section 1: Understanding Organizational Culture Culture has been studied for years, resulting in many different models and definitions. Also, if ten employees are asked to define the company culture, there may be ten different answers. The concept of culture is abstract and not well understood. Organizational culture is complicated because it involves individuals, their interactions, teams, and the organization as a whole. A working technical definition of corporate culture is an often hidden shared pattern or system of beliefs, values, and behavioral norms. A simplified working definition of organizational culture is how things get done within the organization when no one is watching. Culture lives in the stories that are passed on from employee to employee. An organization’s culture reflects the various lessons it has learned through its history and incorporates the many behaviors and processes that have developed over time. Often, many elements of an organization’s culture are not visible to its employees. It is comparable to breathing. Breathing is essential to life but controlled unconsciously. Likewise, many elements of culture drop into the background and become automatic. However, highly visible and disruptive events like mergers and acquisitions can make cultural differences striking. Section 2: Understanding the local cultural context Today, many industries and organizations operate on a global scale. Understanding the dynamics of organizational and local cultural context is imperative for leaders in these organizations. Not understanding the impact of local culture on organizational culture can lead to grave miscalculations. Local culture is learned at the beginning stages of childhood and reinforced by local social, spiritual, economic, and education systems. It is held deeply and typically changes slowly over generations. It influences how employees perceive and judge the organization's and leaders' actions. Also, local culture affects employee communication both verbally and nonverbally. Organizational culture does not replace local culture. Therefore, leaders have the opportunity to harmonize local and organizational cultures. Leaders have to be experts in the paradox of local versus organizational culture. Most global organizations face significant issues related to the diversity of employee and customer interactions. One company in the casual dining industry that has navigated some of these issues well holds to company quality standards and values but allows local flexibility on its customer menu. For example, rice is a substitute for fries in Indonesia and roasted pork for hamburgers in Korea. Section 3: The role of culture in organizations Organizational culture impacts everything in business and plays a role at the individual, team, and organizational levels. The following is a short list of some of the critical roles of organizational culture by level: Individual Level Drive and reinforce profitable behaviors among employees. Shape employee interactions in the workplace. A healthy culture promotes employee trust , community, positive competition, and effective leader-follower relationships. Enhance individual commitment to the company within the workplace. Influence the leaders’ leadership style . Team Level Shape the structure, performance, capability, and effectiveness of teams. A healthy culture promotes productive conflict, team member participation, and team engagement. Organization Level Support the brand image with a unique identity to the market. Organizations become known by their culture. Provide policy guidance enabling the organization to bring out the best in each employee. Influence organizational design in support of the vision, mission, strategies, and critical priorities. Section 4: Cross-cultural issues in mergers and acquisitions Many studies have reported that the first reason for merger and acquisition failure is the lack of cultural integration. Even companies with strong organizational cultures may develop into dysfunctional organizational cultures after a merger without actions to harmonize the two cultures. Mergers and acquisitions create volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments for those trying to integrate cultures. Additionally, in recent years, the push for a quick return on investments has impacted how cultures are integrated. This push leads to an organizational priority placed on financials, and creating a shared culture takes a back seat to financial needs. Also, as momentum builds, more people become involved, and it becomes more visible and harder to stop. Lack of cultural due diligence is often a problem. Usually, due diligence is conducted by lawyers and experts in finance or accounting rather than experts in understanding and diagnosing culture. Because culture is resilient and implicit, it is not susceptible to change. The staying power of culture is because it feels right and natural; cultural values imposed are opposed and seldom replace existing cultural elements. Employee communication is difficult during mergers and acquisitions. Both organizations struggle to know whom to communicate with and when to communicate, leaving employees in the dark about the merger and acquisition, amplifying the rumor mill, and fear among employees being left out. Communication is a skill that becomes critical for leaders during mergers and acquisitions. Listening becomes more complex as workloads increase. Awareness of employees' concerns and questions is crucial for knowing what to communicate. Employee retention is a challenge during mergers and acquisitions. Negative thoughts and beliefs about the change can result in employees leaving. Uncertainty, lack of job security, questions about leadership credibility and trust, and confusion frustrate employees. The added complexity of the merger and acquisition of the turnover creates distractions, making it harder to get the work done. Also, the turnover contributes to the loss of tribal knowledge about how to get things done. Global mergers and acquisitions can present challenges due to physical distance and time zone differences between employees. Language differences can also become cross-cultural issues in mergers and acquisitions and can create added costs for translations or misunderstandings. Additionally, variations in national culture can further complicate communication. M&A may create a sense of fear among employees because of the anticipated changes and known high failure rate. Perhaps it is the fear of the unknown or the fear of repeating a past failure. Employees from the announcement start to wonder how this change will impact them personally, such as redundancy of their position, changes in reporting structure, changes in responsibilities and their capabilities to meet the changes, and many more factors. Section 5: Proven steps to integrate culture The following are not expectations of a panacea that will guarantee success but practical and proven steps and tools a leader can take to face the challenges of cultural issues in mergers and acquisitions. The key is to engage in efforts to create a shared culture early in the merger and acquisition process rather than waiting for a culture clash to occur. Changing culture requires much more than creating and communicating a new company's catchphrase, vision, and mission statement. Successful mergers and acquisitions require more than integrating policies, organization charts, and systems that often get the most attention. Strategies need to include CEO sponsorship, reinforcement, communication, and specific action plans. Proactive and transparent communication can help build trust. A frequently asked question (FAQ) document to communicate answers to questions employees might have in advance of them being asked can help reduce fears and rumors. Creating a shared culture requires lots of involvement, input, ideas, teamwork, and commitment to take place. Culture During Mergers and Acquisitions The merger and acquisition process has three phases. First, the organization identifies a growth strategy in the pre-combination phase, and potential targets are selected. Due diligence begins, the executives negotiate the deal, and then it is legally approved by shareholders and regulators. Second, in the combination phase, action plans start to combine both companies. Third, in the post-combination phase, the shared culture begins to form and settle in. Creating a shared culture in mergers and acquisitions begins with the pre-combination phase to review potential targets and conduct due diligence. Once the company has selected a target for merger or acquisition, then the target’s culture should be discussed. Be discrete during the due diligence to allow for analysis. If not already defined, it is a good practice to assess the current state of the culture and identify the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Potential targets should be reviewed for known elements of the target’s external culture. Consider the target’s ability to adapt by evaluating their perceived customer focus, change resilience, mission, and vision. Also, it is vital to establish cultural goals along with economic growth goals. In the due diligence stage, creating the desired end state for the culture is critical. It is a target, not an absolute. Through the M&A, there may be issues or opportunities, and the goal is to adapt as they arise. While there are many ways to define the end state (see Defining the End State figure below), ranging from using one culture or another or transforming a new culture, perhaps the best option is to utilize the best of both companies, achieving synergy through harmonization. Blending the best of both cultures is often the most successful. Anticipate that most people will initially respond to the merger or acquisition with concern. During the pre-combination phase of the merger or acquisition, it is an excellent practice to be confidential with a small team to allow for as much work as possible before both organizations find out. More work done in advance allows for a quicker response and minimizes employee turnover risk. Expect that the process of working toward a shared culture will take time. Plan on the creation of a shared culture to take at least a year. Establishing a new culture is like pouring cement; it takes time to cure completely. Even after the initial work is done, do not let up. Don’t walk away. Define the End State Figure adapted from Marks, M. L., & Mirvis, P. H. (2011). A framework for the role of the human resource in managing culture in mergers and acquisitions. Human Resource Management, 50(6), 859-877. Conducting a current-state culture assessment of the newly merged or acquired company is essential during the merger or acquisition's combination phase. Do not accept comments that the two companies are exactly alike. The evaluation will surface strengths and weaknesses and identify any possible subcultures or areas of opportunity. Taking the time to assess both cultures allows for a better definition of the culture and behaviors necessary for teamwork and optimal performance. Engage in a discussion to create a shared understanding of the evaluation results and to discuss the implications of the current culture. This discussion helps clarify an approach to creating a shared culture. Next, choose what to harmonize, gaining agreement on keeping the best of both and focusing the efforts on areas with the most significant business impact. Lastly, create action plans to move the shared culture forward by prioritizing and developing specific action plans. It is essential to anticipate and plan for likely reactions from both companies’ employees. What leaders reinforce, either from positive reward and recognition or negative threats and punishment, will be done. Leaders at all levels play a vital role in the success of the M&A. When creating action plans, utilize the following primary and secondary actions and tools for leaders to embed the new culture : Primary Actions and Tools Pay attention to metrics that matter and provide regular updates Respond to organizational crises Resource allocation Training and development Rewards and recognition Selection, promotions, and terminations Manage change Secondary Actions and Tools Organization design Policies and procedures Rituals and events Workspaces Traditions and stories Vision and mission statements Remember that resistance is almost guaranteed with mergers and acquisitions, even when perceived as desirable. The disruption from resistance can derail or delay action plans. Make plans to respond to disruptions and quickly respond to questions, concerns, or rumors that surface from employees. During the post-combination phase of the merger or acquisition, sustaining the efforts to create a shared culture is crucial. A culture assessment should be repeated to measure the progress made in this process. The assessment results can also be used to develop new action plans to support and shift to the new shared culture and connect culture back to the economic goals of the merger or acquisition. Section 6: The benefits of creating a shared culture Mergers and acquisitions continue to be widespread forms of corporate economic growth strategies. The two years of 2020 and 2021 demonstrated that M&A activity is highly resilient and rebounds quickly from setbacks. In 2021, the overall value of worldwide mergers and acquisitions in business amounted to almost six trillion dollars . In 2023, the total deal value of global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) was $3.2 trillion. According to Forbes, financially successful companies have identified organizational culture as a critical factor in their success. Empirical evidence has also highlighted the importance of organizational culture in organizational performance. Ultimately, every organizational result is the direct contribution of an employee. In addition to organizational outcomes, research has linked culture to employee morale, commitment, health, productivity, and well-being. Conclusion Most mergers and acquisitions (50-85%) fail to be successful. So why do organizations pursue them? If successful, mergers and acquisitions can lead to tremendous organizational growth. Creating a shared culture is the best method for achieving merger and acquisition success. The proven actions and tools leaders can use to harmonize both cultures and avoid culture clashes outlined in this article do not guarantee success. Best practices are to consider the culture and take action at each phase of the merger or acquisition from pre-combination to post-combination. References Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework (Third ed.). Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Heffernan, M. (2012). Why Mergers Fail. Marks, M. L., & Mirvis, P. H. (2011). A framework for the human resources role in managing culture in mergers and acquisitions. Human Resource Management, 50(6), 859-877. M&A Community. (2024). Mergers and acquisitions examples: Major deals from the past seven years. Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational culture and leadership, 5th edition (5th ed.) John Wiley & Sons.

Have you ever wrestled with the idea of being vulnerable in a conversation? Regardless of leadership level or amount of experience, most leaders struggle with the tension of being vulnerable or not. In difficult conversations, followers want to know you care about them. But concerns about managing perceptions often keep leaders from showing vulnerability. And when a leader is guarded in a difficult conversation, it promotes distrust. Although leaders are expected to convey an image of competence, confidence, and power, followers already know you are not perfect. Leaders have to learn to be comfortable without having all the information they want or need in difficult conversations. Being vulnerable requires courage and produces trust. If you find yourself accidentally avoiding vulnerability in difficult conversations, here are five proven strategies that will move you closer to your goal. Why Leadership Vulnerability Matters in the Workplace In a fast-paced digital workplace, leaders need empowered followers to take charge. But taking charge in a crisis can be risky. However, a recent study revealed that only 30% of employees see a reason to say something when they see something is wrong, and only 30% believe their opinion counts. Vulnerability in the workplace is found to enhance: trust collaboration innovation employee retention psychological safety and a feeling of connection that improves the quality of leader-follower relationships and employee performance The Power of Vulnerability As a leader, vulnerability involves taking risks that might end in failure or create the best of what might be in the organization. Often, the word "weakness" is considered a synonym for vulnerability. However, being vulnerable as a leader takes strong leadership and creates a significant amount of leadership power, confidence, and influence. Vulnerability is a courageous choice. In this short video, Simon Sinek expands on the tension leaders face and how to show vulnerability in the workplace as a leader. Leaning into vulnerability in a difficult conversation is best modeled by leaders first. When leaders model vulnerability in a conversation, it establishes trust and safety for followers. A display of vulnerability by the leader encourages followers, in turn, to take risks by being vulnerable. Vulnerability given is vulnerability received, leading to improved communication, productivity, and relationships. Followers want to see that their leader cares for them and is open to learning. Here is a Ted Talk by Brene Brown discussing The Power of Vulnerability: A re You Being Vulnerable in Difficult Conversations? To identify your tendency—to be vulnerable in difficult conversations —take the following free five-question quiz and receive your vulnerability leadership score. If you'd like to level up your leadership vulnerability after completing this quiz, consider asking others to give you feedback on how vulnerable you are in difficult conversations using these same questions. How to Be Vulnerable in a Difficult Conversation While there is no one complete checklist of actions you can take to show vulnerability. The following five s trategies are compiled from proven research on mastering difficult conversations: Vulnerability Strategy #1: Be transparent Keep the conversation open and genuine. This does not mean sharing personal secrets. It means metaphorically that you invite those you are speaking with into the front door of your house rather than making them stand on the doorstep and talk with you from behind your screen door of image management. Being transparent pertains to both the logical rationale aspects of the conversation and your feelings about the other person and the conversation. Keeping the conversation open and genuine is essential for fostering meaningful connections and building trust. When we talk about openness, it goes beyond just the words we speak; it encompasses a willingness to share thoughts, ideas, and emotions authentically. This authenticity is not about revealing deeply personal secrets but rather about being real and vulnerable in a way that invites others to do the same. Imagine a conversation as a doorway to your inner world. By keeping it open, you allow others to step inside and see a more authentic version of yourself. This openness creates a space for genuine interactions, free from the constraints of image management and superficiality. It's about inviting others into your metaphorical house, where they can see the real you, rather than keeping them at a distance behind the facade of a screen door. Transparency in communication involves not only conveying the logical aspects of your thoughts but also sharing your emotional responses honestly. It means being open about your feelings towards the other person and the topic of conversation. By being transparent, you create a foundation of trust and understanding that can lead to more meaningful and fulfilling interactions. Vulnerability Strategy #2: Put others first Entering a difficult conversation with the sole intention of coming out as the victor or providing the perfect answer often results in a breakdown of effective communication. It is crucial to realize that prioritizing the needs and perspectives of others does not diminish your own value or importance. Rather, it reflects a deep sense of empathy and respect for the individuals involved. By approaching such conversations with a genuine desire to comprehend the other person's viewpoint before asserting your own, you create a foundation for meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding. Actively listening to their words, emotions, and underlying concerns allows you to identify their true needs and concerns, fostering a more productive and harmonious exchange of ideas. Vulnerability Strategy #3: Demonstrate selfless love Selfless love, as the act of willing the good of another person, encompasses a profound sense of altruism and care that goes beyond mere words. Embodying selfless love in challenging conversations requires a deep level of self-awareness. This self-awareness enables individuals to approach interactions with clarity, understanding their own emotions, biases, and intentions, thus fostering a more authentic and empathetic exchange. In the realm of difficult conversations, the essence of selfless love shines through in the form of empathy and compassion. Empathy plays a crucial role in fostering genuine connections by allowing individuals to truly listen and comprehend the emotions and perspectives of others. Through empathy, one can bridge the gap of understanding and create a space for mutual respect and dialogue. Compassion, another pillar of selfless love, propels individuals to take meaningful actions that benefit others. In the context of challenging discussions, compassion motivates individuals to prioritize the well-being and feelings of the other person, steering the conversation toward a more constructive and positive outcome. By acting with compassion, individuals demonstrate a genuine commitment to the welfare and growth of those they engage with, fostering trust and fostering deeper connections. Vulnerability Strategy #4: Take action Difficult conversations can have significant repercussions if left unaddressed. The cost of neglecting such conversations extends beyond just the immediate situation and can impact relationships, team dynamics, and even personal well-being. When approaching a difficult conversation, it is crucial to consider various aspects such as the nature of the issue (what), the appropriate setting for the discussion (where), the manner in which it will be approached (how), and the timing of the conversation (when). Achieving a balance between thorough preparation and timely action is essential. While it is important to gather relevant information and plan for the discussion, excessive preparation can sometimes lead to a state of inertia where the conversation is continuously postponed in anticipation of more data or a better moment. This tendency towards procrastination can hinder progress and allow the issue to escalate further. By acknowledging the importance of addressing difficult conversations promptly and thoughtfully, individuals can navigate such situations more effectively. Proactive communication, coupled with a willingness to engage in uncomfortable discussions, can lead to resolutions that are constructive and beneficial for all parties involved. It is through these challenging conversations that growth, understanding, and stronger relationships can emerge. Vulnerability Strategy #5: Ask for feedback Vulnerability is a profound aspect of human experience that involves acknowledging one's weaknesses and limitations, yet also signifies a willingness to learn and grow. It is the courage to expose oneself to the uncertainties and risks that come with opening up to new perspectives and insights. When we find ourselves in challenging conversations where feedback is crucial, it is important to approach them with a sense of humility and openness. Seeking feedback should be seen as a valuable gift that can provide us with valuable insights and opportunities for personal development. In such situations, it is essential to recognize that effective communication is a two-way street. Listening attentively to the feedback being provided is just as important as expressing your own thoughts and feelings. By being receptive to what others have to say, we create a space for meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding to take place. When delivering difficult messages that may be met with resistance or discomfort, it is advisable to be direct and concise in your communication. By clearly articulating your message and offering to discuss it further at a later time, you allow the other person the opportunity to process the information at their own pace. This approach enables them to engage with the message both intellectually and emotionally, fostering a more constructive and empathetic exchange of ideas. Key Summary Points: Regardless of leadership level or amount of experience, all leaders struggle with the tension of being vulnerable or not. Leadership vulnerability involves the willingness to take risks that might end in failure or create the best of what might be in the organization. Vulnerability is a courageous choice. When leaders model vulnerability in a conversation, it establishes trust and safety for followers. Be transparent, put followers first, demonstrate selfless love, take action, and ask for feedback. What is your leadership vulnerability challenge? References: Edelman. (2023). Edelman trust barometer: Navigating a polarized world. Grenny, J., Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2021). Crucial conversations . McGraw-Hill Education. Patterson, K., (2005). Crucial confrontations: Tools for resolving broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior. McGraw-Hill. TEDTalks: Brene Brown—The power of vulnerability (2010). TED.

I inherently trust most people and can quickly distrust others. Why? For the same reasons as you. To avoid something terrible from happening. Deciding whether to trust someone or not is an essential life skill. Putting faith in the wrong someone or something is costly. Increasingly, leaders face the challenge of overcoming an inherent distrust in leadership. A recent global trust study discovered that less than one in three people are willing to help those with whom they disagree. Only 20% are willing to work with those they disagree with. Being trustworthy is a life-changing leadership habit. Evidence suggests that distrust tends to be for the same reasons when it exists. That is actually good news for leaders. It means diagnosing and fixing many of the trust challenges you face is relatively simple. Here are the four common leadership trust killers, plus the fixes to build trust. Why trust matters Trust is the currency of business relationships, and an absence of trust can bankrupt the organization and its employees. At an individual level, a lack of trust contributes to feelings of: Frustration Rejection Stress Anxiety Depression When we experience feelings of distrust, our body responds immediately at a bio-chemical level within less than a second. Cortisol, catecholamine, testosterone, and norepinephrine levels in our blood increase rapidly. This chemical cocktail triggers a wave of emotions, producing feelings of stress, aggression, and a need for fight or flight. In conversations, when experiencing a sense of trust, our body produces a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone." It is oxytocin that increases feelings of well-being. Feelings of trust and distrust influence thoughts and feelings at a chemical level, which shape our beliefs and ultimately drive behaviors and actions in conversations (see Figure 1). An absence of trust or the presence of distrust at the organizational level undermines the business's goals and interests and the engagement and organizational commitment of employees. When leaders in an organization are unable to trust, the organization is less likely to innovate and take risks, holding back the organization's performance and productivity. Trust Killer #1: Lack of Credibility Credibility is the most frequently achieved attribute of trustworthiness. It has rational and emotional aspects of an individual's expertise and presence. Daily actions and routines can either create or destroy credibility. As a leader ascends within an organization, the distance from the frontline increases, threatening the leader's credibility about the work. A common threat for leaders, especially those in executive positions, is a desire to move too quickly. When leaders make decisions without listening or think a paycheck is enough of a thank you, it diminishes leadership credibility. Admitting what you don't know, being curious about the business, saying thank you, and being empathetic and cooperative are ways to build credibility. Trust Killer #2: Lack of Reliability Reliability is an unwritten expectation of leaders. Reliability is based on the frequency of interactions with someone and the consistency of expected behavior. Leaders who say they will do something but fail to follow through or do something different are perceived as unreliable. For example, leaders who discuss the importance of following procedures in one meeting and then critique followers in the following meeting for not taking innovative approaches to solving problems are considered unreliable. Poor communication , a lack of follow-through, chasing every shiny object, inability to say no, or being unpredictable diminish leadership reliability. Likewise, when what is said is done, clear priorities are established, and leaders show up authentically, creating reliability. Trust Killer #3: Lack of Transparency Transparency requires a personal willingness to have difficult conversations. This is one of the key differentiating attributes of trustworthiness. W hen leaders lack transparency, it fuels suspicion and rumors in the workplace. A lack of transparency increases misinterpretations, causing misunderstanding, distrust, follower uncertainty, and anxiety. Being guarded, telling a 'white lie,' sharing too much, and being manipulative create a lack of transparency. A lack of transparency can come from a leader's failure to act or, worse, their intentional actions. When leaders purposefully withhold information to manipulate a situation, it creates a toxic culture and is a sign of a dark personality type called Machiavellianism . Being open, honest with the good and the bad, sharing timeline-relevant information, and serving followers are practical ways for leaders to be transparent. Trust Killer #4: Lack of Humility Humility relates to the amount of focus placed on oneself versus the emphasis placed on the other person. A high degree of self-orientation creates significant distrust from others. An absence of humility is often considered narcissism , characterized by a highly self-involved personality and a fragile ego susceptible to the faintest criticism. When leaders have an inflated self-view, believe they are superior, prefer personal recognition, or reject negative feedback, they diminish trust. Likewise, when leaders have an honest self-view, believe in the team's greater good, prefer shared recognition, and view critical feedback as a path to a better future, they are perceived as humble and enhancing trust. How to measure your relationship trust Everyone can benefit from reflecting on the essential attributes of trust. Measuring your trustworthiness provides helpful, structured insights that can improve your personal and professional success and significance. Assigning values to each of the four attributes of trust and placing them into the following trust equation allows for a personal measurement of your relationship's trustworthiness. Trustworthiness = (Credibility + Reliability + Transparency) / Humility Below is a short quiz you can use to assess the trust level of any of your relationships. As you take the quiz, your relationship trust index is calculated. You can use this score to gauge your level of trust in your relationship. What's the real leadership trust challenge for you? References Brender-Ilan, Y., & Sheaffer, Z. (2019). How do self-efficacy, narcissism, and autonomy mediate the link between destructive leadership and counterproductive work behavior. Asia Pacific Management Review, 24(3), 212-222. Bono, J., & Ilies, R. (2006). Charisma, positive emotions, and mood contagion. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (4), pp. 317-334. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Edelman. (2023). Edelman trust barometer: Navigating a polarized world. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity . Free Press. Maister, D. H., Green, C. H., & Galford, R. M. (2000). The trusted advisor . Free Press. Men, R. & Bowen, S. (2016). Excellence in internal communication management. Business Expert Press. Nevicka, B., Ten Velden, F., De Hoogh, A., & Van Vianen, A. (2011). Reality at odds with perceptions: Narcissistic leaders and group performance. Psychological Science. 22(10):1259-1264.

Star Wars presents an epic struggle between the light and dark side of the force. This special-effects-laden movie saga produced over ten billion dollars of revenue for Disney. However, in the workplace, the made-for-movie behaviors of dark personality traits are not the same. A dark personality sits in between what is considered a normal personality and clinical pathology. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy make up the Dark Triad. These dark personality types are proven to increase costly, counterproductive work behaviors, such as sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda tells Luke, "If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Is the same true for leaders? This article provides six dark-side countermeasures for your team and what to do if you work with or for someone with a dark personality. What is a dark personality? Like in Star Wars, the use of the word dark has a chilling effect. Before discussing the meaning of "dark" personality, it is helpful to understand what personality is. According to the American Phycological Association: Personality refers to the individual differences in the characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. While research into the dark side of personality has increased in recent years, there is little consensus on what makes a personality feature dark. However, the following working definition is widely accepted: A dark personality is socially undersireable and linked with interpersonal challenges and potentially destructive organizational behaviors such as aggression, manipulation, and exploitation. Dark side personality traits are proven to increase the likelihood of leadership failure. In contrast, normal personality characteristics are proven to be catalysts for positive organizational results. What is the Dark Triad Modern research into dark personality has focused on the three particularly offensive but nonpathological personality types. The Dark Triad is made up of Machiavelianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Machiavellianism refers to a personality type that is a master manipulator. They are described as calculating, conniving, deceptive, and lacking empathy. A manipulative quote you could expect to hear from a Machiavellian is attributed to P. T. Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute." Machiavellianism is associated with increased counterproductive workplace behavior and a lack of conscientiousness in the workplace. It is worth noting; however, at least one study revealed positive and negative effects from this dark side personality type. A survey of over 600 working adults from various industries found that Machiavellianism negatively influenced if employees would go above and beyond the expectations of the job for the betterment of their colleagues and the organization. Narcissism refers to a highly self-involved personality. Narcissists have an inflated sense of importance, a high need for attention and admiration, and a fragile ego susceptible to the faintest criticism. You would expect to hear from a narcissist that they don't care what you think unless it is about them. In a Cornell University workplace study, narcissists supported hierarchical organizational structures when they were at the top or expected to get to the top quickly. In another study of over 2,700 working adults, narcissism was the dominant predictor of counterproductive workplace behavior among the dark triad personality types. Counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB) is simply any behavior that undercuts business goals and aspirations. Psychopathy refers to a personality type marked by thrill-seeking with unusually low anxiety, a lack of empathy, antisocial behavior, a lack of guilt, and an absence of conscience. A representative quote you would expect from this personality type is attributed to actor James Marsters, "I am a psychopath, but I don't have a problem with that." According to researchers, psychopaths are "appreciating liabilities" that account for 1.15 trillion in annual costs due to coworker and organizational fallout in the workplace. Here is a short video that explains how the Dark Personality Triad types are similar yet distinctly different. Do you have Dark Triad tendencies? After reading to this point, you might wonder if you (or someone you know) have Dark Triad tendencies. If so, here is a link to a free Short Dark Triad assessment developed by Delroy Paulhus and Daniel Jones, strictly for educational and entertainment purposes. After taking the assessment, you will receive a detailed report. Can you change your personality? Or is it true what Yoda told Luke that if you start down the dark path, it forever will dominate your destiny? Luckily, there is hope. The Big Five personality traits serve as the building blocks of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Evidence suggests that making personality trait changes through persistent and deliberate interventions is possible. There is more than one way to make changes. Here are a few proven talent management suggestions to counter dark personality behaviors in the workplace. Countermeasure #1: Organizational Culture Your workplace culture influences everything. For example, narcissists are less likely to demonstrate counterproductive workplace behaviors in a collectivist culture, where self-serving behaviors are not rewarded. Consider using a culture assessment to discover how your company culture is reinforcing desired workplace behavior. Countermeasure #2: Executive A ssessments When you know yourself, you have the insight to recognize bad leadership habits and make transformational changes that deliver proven results. The higher you move within an organization, the less objective the feedback you tend to receive; however, it becomes more critical personally and professionally. Executive assessments can provide deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. The NEO-PI-R is a measure of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) that provides a systematic assessment of normal personality and insight into facets of the Dark Triad. Countermeasure #3: Executive Coaching Combining executive coaching with assessments is proven to create positive outcomes. Most people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. Most companies report recouping their coaching investment through enhanced business outcomes. Countermeasure #4: Performance Reviews Chances are you are not as good at performance management as you think. When providing performance feedback to dark personality types, it is helpful to precisely communicate the desired behaviors in the context of achieving organizational goals and supporting team cohesion. Making it clear that company performance is the desired outcome. Countermeasure #5: Reward and Recognition Don't fall into the trap of believing that any recognition is better than no recognition. Know what motivates employees and don't reinforce the wrong behaviors. Machiavellians are concerned with impression management. Tightly aligning reward systems with desired behaviors will make them more appealing and encourage their behavior toward team cohesion. Make recognition a leadership habit . Countermeasure #6: Training Bringing out the best in all personality types includes employee learning and development opportunities . Research demonstrates that investments into development at critical career transition points effectively influence dark personality types. Helping employees understand appropriate work expectations and behaviors can help organizations avoid costly mistakes. The adverse effects of dark personality types on others and the organization (e.x., sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism) demand that organizational leadership take responsibility for change. What if you work with or for someone with a dark personality? Dark personalities in the general population are not common, typically less than one percent. However, they do exist, and most of us have some dark personality tendencies. The good news is that people can change if they want to change. The bad news is that you can not make them change. Here are a few thoughts to consider before taking an action you regret. Start with checking your MVP . Your motivation, vision, and perspective for this relationship moderate the effectiveness of your actions. If you have a positive MVP about this coworker or leader, you are more likely to have a positive outcome if you try to work on the relationship. When you don't have a positive MVP, you are less likely to be effective in your ability to work with them. Motivation. Is your motivation about caring for them? Or is your motivation to be right? Reasons for a conversation matter. It is less likely an action you take will lead to positive changes without a positive reason. Vision. How do you see the conversation's result going? Is it the best of what might be? Or is what you see a list of all the things that could go wrong? Anticipating a positive step in the journey provides a sense of purpose and direction to inspire your best and achieve success. Perspective. When the lens through which you perceive a relationship is off, your results will turn out poorly. Is your paradigm of a healthy relationship? Or is your perspective that it is best to avoid the relationship? Next, consider your options. You can accept the relationships for what they are, work to redefine the relationships or find a new place to work with different people. Although you can not make them change, you do have options, and it is essential to remember that you are in control of what and if you take action. Shifting your mindset allows new perspectives and presents a never-ending opportunity to grow and achieve new heights in life and work. An effective executive coach will challenge assumptions and encourage, stretch, and challenge you. What you should read next about dark personality types If you enjoyed learning about the Dark Triad, you would likely enjoy reading The Dark Side of Personality: Science and Practice in Social, Personality, and Clinical Psychology by Virgil Zeigler-Hill. In this book, the author goes beyond the Dark Triad to address another dark side of personality traits such as spite, authoritarianism, and perfectionism. Another book you might like is Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work by authors Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare. These authors discuss the impact of psychopaths in the workplace and provide practical tools to help you avoid getting bit by them. Key Points: Darkside personality types are proven to increase costly, counterproductive work behaviors, such as sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism. Dark personalities negatively impact teams and organizational outcomes. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy dark personality types make up the Dark Triad. Narcissism is the dominant predictor of counterproductive workplace behavior among the dark triad personality types. It is possible to change dark personality traits through persistent interventions. If you have organizational culture or leadership development needs you cannot solve independently, we're ready to partner with you to craft a solution specific to your organization's context and challenges. Getting started is as easy as visiting www.organizationaltalent.com or contacting us via email at info@organizationaltalent.com. References: Anderson, N. E., & Kiehl, K. A. (2014). Psychopathy: developmental perspectives and their implications for treatment. Restorative neurology and neuroscience , 32 (1), 103–117. Becker, J. & O'Hair, D. (2007). Machiavellians' motives in organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Communication Research. 35 (3). Pp. 246-267. Burke, R.J. (2006). Why leaders fail: Exploring the darkside. International Journal of Manpower , 27 (1), pp. 91-100. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Michalak, R. T., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2020). Working with monsters: Counting the costs of workplace psychopaths and other toxic employees. Accounting and Finance (Parkville), 60 (S1), 729-770. Psychology Topics. (2021). Personality. American Psychological Association . Spain, S., Harms, P. & Lebreton, J. (2013). The dark side of personality at work. of Organizational Behavior . 35 , S41-S60. Zitek, E. M., & Jordan, A. H. (2016). Narcissism predicts support for hierarchy: At least when narcissists think they can rise to the top. Social Psychological and Personality Science , 7 (7), 707–716.

What sets a data-driven organization apart? Evidence suggests better revenue and customer value. Data-driven organizations are better equipped to make decisions and take the right actions. Today's generative AI is driving a data revolution. Recent evidence suggests that the percentage of data-driven organizations has recently doubled, an increase greater than at any time before. But, unlocking the full potential of what is possible with data analytics requires a talent strategy tightly aligned with your company's strategy. Executives with the right analytics infrastructure and the right talent in the right place have a significant competitive advantage. To avoid falling behind and making costly mistakes, here are two essential talent strategy steps you need to take now. Talent Strategy Step #1: Identify the right analytical skill sets After establishing your data analytics strategy that is tightly aligned with the organization's mission and culture, you need to determine the roles and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the talent most critical to meeting the needs. Analytical skills include more than the obvious need for technical competence with applications for modeling, forecasting, and statistical analysis, such as SPSS, R, and Python. Analytical skill sets also need to include: negotiating consulting communication developing others quantitative analysis Also, organizations need analytical leadership at every level, not just in the CTO or IT department. In data-driven organizations, leaders need to: Develop the analytical capabilities of your team Set strategy with analytic performance metrics Seek out and exploit quick wins for analytics Possess a passion for data analytics Take a long-term view of analytics Grow their analytical networks Work across the business Leaders and employees with the right skills are shaping the future of the workplace. There is a high demand for employees with data analytics skills, and it is very challenging to source, recruit, and retain those who possess these analytical attributes. The World Economic Forum suggests that as technology utilization increases, the in-demand skills across jobs will continue to shift over the next five to ten years. The table below shows the expected employee skills from 2015 to 2030. Having the right talent strategy begins with getting clear on the analytical skills your organization needs to support its culture and data analytics strategy so you can effectively source and develop the best and most creative talent. Talent Strategy Step #2: Align your analytical organization An organization's culture and having enough of the right talent with the right skills in the right places is essential. Architecting culture is an essential activity for leaders. Having an analytical orientation within the organization's culture is vital to building a successful analytical organization. An organization's perceived value associated with analytics directly influences decisions on the best way to align analytical resources across the business. The following are six high-impact and low-cost culture levers leaders can pull to build an analytical cutlure orientation. Cutlure Lever #1 : What leaders pay attention to regularly. This is one of the most potent mechanisms every leader has in your company. What leaders choose to measure, reward, and control matters, and the opposite is also true. For example, a great starting point is to ask leaders what data they use to make decisions. By asking the question, you reinforce the importance of data-driven decision-making. Culture Lever #2 : How leaders react to critical incidents. Much can be revealed when a business or a leader faces a significant challenge. Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the face." These crucible moments in business are like a refining fire. It is the heightened emotional intensity that increases individual and organizational learning. Culture Lever #3 : How leaders allocate resources and control costs. Budgets reveal a lot about the organization's assumptions and beliefs. Resources include physical assets such as equipment, tools, and human resources. What gets resourced gets reinforced. Leaders should consider what tools and resources employees have available for data analytics. Culture Lever #4 : Deliberate role modeling and training. How  leaders act and behave outside of training is more significant than what is said or demonstrated within leadership development events . Leaders looking to build an analytical cultural orientation would benefit by explaining to and showing the organization how they use data to make decisions on a routine basis. Culture Lever #5 : How leaders allocate rewards. Rewards and recognition come in many different forms. Also, what is considered a reward varies from person to person. What gets rewarded, how it gets rewarded, and what does not reinforce organizational culture. There are tangible rewards and social rewards. Simply saying thank you for presenting a decision using data analytics is a social reward. Culture Lever #6 : How leaders recruit, promote, and excommunicate.   Who gets hired, promoted, and fired , and for what creates and reinforces organizational culture. Talent management decisions can be viewed as a more subtle nuance to culture change because decisions are influenced by explicitly stated criteria and unstated value priorities. A leader looking to influence an analytical cultural orientation would benefit from assessing the skill sets needed within the organization and then hiring based on those skills. Having a critical mass of analytical talent across the organization creates a tipping point. The following is a simple tool you can use to perform an organizational evaluation. You can then use the results of this evaluation to set hiring, development, and succession planning activities in support of your strategy. The evaluation involves counting the number of analytical talent resources across your organization and assessing their depth of analytical capability within three categories of tasks: Level 1: capable of workbench, standard reports, and alerts Level 2: capable of multidimensional analysis, analytical applications, and data visualization Level 3: capable of what-if planning, predictive modeling, and statistical analysis Note: This example is adapted from Davenport et al. (2010). It uses a talent competence scale rating from basic to advanced. Once you can visualize the organization's analytical talent structure, capacity, and capability, leveraging talent strengths and addressing opportunities is easier. The organizational design challenge is placing the analytical resources close enough to the business to focus on the most critical initiatives while still enabling mutual learning across the analytical resources. This organizational design decision needs to consider the organization's analytical culture orientation and maturity. References: Abina, A., Salaj, A., Cestnik, B., Karalič, A., Ogrinc, M., Lukman, R., & Zidansek, A. (2024). Challenging 21st-Century Competencies for STEM Students: Companies’ Vision in Slovenia and Norway in the Light of Global Initiatives for Competencies Development. Sustainability. 16. 1295. 10.3390/su16031295. Bughin, J., Hazan, E., Lund, S., Daholstrom, P., Wiesinger, A., & Subramaniam, A. (2018, May 23). Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce. McKinsey Global Institute. Davenport, T. H., Harris, J. G., & Morison, R. (2010). Analytics at work: Smarter decisions, better results . Harvard Business Press. MA. Deloitte. (2019). Deloitte survey: Analytics and data-driven culture help companies outperform business goals in the age of with’. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Grossman, R. L., & Siegel, K. P. (2014). Organizational models for big data and analytics. Journal of Organization Design (Aarhus), 3 (1), 20-25. Indeed.com. (2020, November 23). Analytical skills: definitions and examples. Indeed Career Guide. Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Tambe, P. (2014). Big data investment, skills, and firm value. Management Science, 60 (6), 1452-1469. Wallace, D. (2022). How Data Maturity and Product Analytics Improve Digital Experiences and Business Outcomes. IDC Research.

Without selfless love in the workplace, achieving the best of what might be is impossible. Stop and think about the implications of that statement for a moment. There is no serious debate that well-designed organizations with clear organizational strategies influence desired behaviors, culture, and performance. Numerous studies identify failure as often tied to misalignment between the organization and its operational environment. However, while organizational alignment is essential, it is also not sufficient. Selfless love brings out the best in how people think, act, and feel. If you want to start embracing selfless love as a leader in the workplace, you’ll need to start tapping into these four keys today. The benefits of selfless love in the workplace The well-documented individual and organizational benefits of selfless love include: Intrinsic motivation Increased creativity Discretionary effort Better workplace climate Enhanced employee capacity Enhanced leader-follower alignment Two complex challenges leaders face today are attracting and retaining top talent and creating inclusive workplaces that bring out the best in all employees. Diversity in the world and the workplace is increasing. Globalization and technological advances are projected to continue to increase workgroup diversity. This increase in diversity can have many positive workplace effects, such as enhanced performance, creativity, innovation , and decision quality. However, workplace practices rooted in favoritism are costly, leading to increased relational conflict and a lack of team cohesion. In-group favoritism results in actions that favor one group. When leaders demonstrate selfless love, they cultivate an organizational culture in which healthy and caring leader-follower relationships reduce the adverse effects of in-group and out-group differences. All you have to do is drive down any street or walk through your local retail district to see the signs for help wanted and understand the challenge of attracting and retaining the best and brightest employees. Organizational commitment is a term for identifying as an individual with a particular company. Evidence suggests that higher levels of organizational commitment are associated with lower employee turnover rates. Studies have demonstrated that selfless love enhances organizational commitment. The following short video from leadership guru Ken Blanchard provides some thoughts on the power of servant leadership in today's workplace. What is selfless love? Selflessness is being more concerned with the needs and desires of others than with your needs. And one of the best definitions I have come across for love in the workplace comes from St. Thomas Aquinas. "To love is to will the good of the other." St. Thomas Aquinas Selfless love in the workplace is to desire and put into action the will for the good of another ahead of your own interest . It is a radically different paradigm from a transactional worldview of the workplace. If you have nine minutes, the following video captures the essence of the meaning behind the definition used by St. Thomas Aquinas. Although the video does not use a workplace example, the intent of willing the good of the other is shown. The following poem, called "Outwitted" by Edwin Markha,m captures the belief that selfless love creates a radical sense of belonging for everyone: He drew a circle that shut me out—Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in! Are empathy and compassion different from selfless love? Empathy, compassion, and selfless love are interrelated, but distinct differences exist. Empathy is the ability to be aware of, feel, and take on the emotions of another person. It plays a vital role in moderating the effects of workplace conflict. Research has linked empathy with forgiveness and healing relationships. The following is a short video from Brene Brown that explains empathy and its value within the workplace. Compassion is an empathic understanding with a desire to help another person. Recent studies into the benefits of compassion at work link it to improved job performance, mental health, and leader-follower relationships. Although awareness (empathy) and a desire to help (compassion) are essential, the world needs leaders who prioritize the good of others over their own interests. Leaders who emphasize selfless love bring out the best in how people think, act, and feel in the workplace, leading to success and significance both personally and professionally. Tapping into selfless love Selfless love is not just something you are either born with or not. You can apply these four keys to cultivate selfless love in the workplace. Key #1: Measurement Selfless love is not just something you are either born with or not. Selfless love may seem complex and challenging to articulate, much less measure; however, validated measurement instruments exist. Muel Kaptein introduced and validated the Corporate Ethical Virtues Mode l, which measures virtues at the organizational level. Vincent Ng and colleagues expanded on the Comprehensive Inventory of Virtuous Instantiations of Character instrument by creating a valid multidimensional forced-choice individual character instrument. The Leadership Character Insights Assessment measures an individual's character through self-assessment or 360-degree assessment using behavioral anchors. The Values In Action (VIA) Survey is a free, 15-minute self-assessment that helps discover your greatest strengths. Key #2: Development Like leadership behaviors, selfless love can be developed. Evidence suggests that development specific to selfless love should include knowledge transfer, reasoning, and practice elements. Development primarily takes place through role modeling with intentional time for feedback. However, feedback on character gaps is not commonly provided in the workplace, given the complexity of these conversations. Evidence suggests that organizations can incorporate selfless love development into competency development programs. Separate programs focused only on character and virtue development are not required. Key #3: Reflection Most leaders spend little to no time reflecting on character experiences because of blind spots. A dedicated and skillful executive coach can improve character feedback and purposeful character reflection. Numerous studies have found that dedicated mentors can also support character development by openly reflecting on insights gained from their experience. Key #4: Leadership Style Servant leadership characteristics are practical ways for a leader to bring selfless love into the workplace : Listening to oneself and others Showing empathy Healing self and others Being aware Persuasion and not coercion Conceptual thinking, not linear thinking Applying strategic foresight Stewardship of others' needs Commitment to the development of others Building community Conversely, a traditional transactional leadership style adopts a top-down view of an organization with the leader at the top. Transactional leadership is based on the belief that employees perform best: Within a well-formed chain of command Rewards and punishments motivate Following the leader's directives is the employee's primary goal Transactional leaders give employees something they want in exchange for getting something they want. This leadership style adopts a mental model that workers are not self-motivated and require structure, instruction, and monitoring to achieve organizational goals correctly and on time. In stark contrast, when adopting a selfless love worldview, the leader desires to bring out the best in their followers by giving them the best of themself. A servant leadership style aligns well with selfless love. Are you a servant leader? Maybe you already understand the basic concepts but are unclear on how servant leadership differs from other contemporary leadership styles. The free Servant Leadership Style Checker answers these questions and provides your Servant Leadership Style Score. Take this free quiz to find out. Key Points: Selfless love in the workplace is to desire and put into action the will for the good of another ahead of your interests. When leaders demonstrate selfless love, they establish an organizational culture where healthy and caring leader-follower relationships break down the adverse effects of in-group and out-group differences. Selfless love enhances organizational commitment, productivity, job performance, and emotional well-being. Leaders who emphasize selfless love bring out the best in how people think, act, and feel in the workplace, leading to success and significance both personally and professionally. To gain a competitive advantage in an uncertain world, leadership needs to move beyond cultivating organizational strategy, design, and behaviors to include selfless love. References: Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Ferris, R. (1988). How organizational love can improve leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 16 (4), 41-51. Fry, L. W., Vitucci, S., & Cedillo, M. (2005). Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement, and establishing a baseline. The Leadership Quarterly, 16 (5), 835-862. Kaptein, M. (2008). Developing and testing a measure for the ethical culture of organizations: The corporate ethical virtues model. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29 (7), 923-947. Lok, P., & Crawford, J. (2004). The effect of organisational culture and leadership style on job satisfaction and organisational commitment: A cross‐national comparison. The Journal of Management Development, 23 (4), 321-338. Mulinge, P. (2018). Altruism and altruistic love: Intrinsic motivation for servant-leadership. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 12 (1), 337-370. Ng, V., Lee, P., Ho, M. R., Kuykendall, L., Stark, S., & Tay, L. (2020). The development and validation of a multidimensional forced-choice format character measure: Testing the Thurstonian IRT approach. Journal of Personality Assessment, 1-14. Ran, Y., Liu, Q., Cheng, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Implicit-explicit power motives congruence and forgiveness in the workplace conflict: The mediating role of empathy. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 32 (3), 445-468. Seijts, G., Crossan, M., & Carleton, E. (2017). Embedding leader character into HR practices to achieve sustained excellence. Organizational Dynamics, 46 (1), 30-39. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.02.001 Van Knippenberg, D., De Dreu, Carsten K. W, & Homan, A. C. (2004). Work group diversity and group performance: An integrative model and research agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89 (6), 1008-1022. Zachary, G. W. (2013). Spiritual leadership: Investigating the effects of altruistic love on organizational commitment. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 6 (2), 767.

Have you ever wondered what servant leadership is? Maybe you already understand the basic concepts. But have questions about how servant leadership differs from other leadership styles or if a servant leadership approach is appropriate for your team. The costs of poor leadership often show up in the workplace disguised as low employee engagement, a lack of team cohesion and collaboration, high employee turnover, and failed execution. Businesses need leaders who can take action amid growing uncertainty and operate effectively in a complex workplace with a diverse workforce. This article provides insights into the proven benefits of servant leadership for elevating leaders and empowering organizational excellence. It includes a case study of servant leadership from a global leader in the business services and supplies industry and a leadership style quiz. How Servant Leadership Makes a Difference in the Workplace There are several well-researched employee and company benefits associated with servant leadership, such as: performance productivity intrinsic motivation organizational citizenship behavior organizational alignment workplace climate employee capacity creativity A servant leader's selfless love for followers is a benefit multiplier. Evidence suggests that selfless love increases leader and follower commitment, yielding enhanced intrinsic motivation that amplifies workforce and business strategy alignment. Intrinsic motivation is also a moderating factor in employee engagement. It improved intrinsic motivation, resulting in higher levels of employee engagement. "Higher levels of intrinsic motivation cause people to do more and results in higher performance" Patterson In addition to enhancing what leaders expect, servant leadership unlocks the unexpected. Discretionary effort, also known as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), is increased by servant leadership. For example, consider two employees walking down a hall. Both employees see a piece of paper on the floor. Only one employee stops to pick it up, even though it is neither employee's responsibility. Servant leadership enhances the workplace climate, increases discretionary effort (unexpected worthy behaviors), and improves business results. No organization looks to stay the same year after year. Innovation is required to remain relevant and succeed in a fast-paced digital marketplace. Studies reveal that a servant leadership style improves employee productivity and creativity. Employees are more likely to provide constructive criticism and engage in productive conflict without fear of exclusion or retaliation. It is in this environment that employees can be creative. The Servant Leadership Style Described Most attribute Robert Greenleaf as the founder of servant leadership. He described a servant leader as a servant first and used the following test to answer the question: What's servant leadership? Would you pass this test? The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not be further deprived. Greenleaf & Spears The following short video from leadership guru Ken Blanchard provides some additional insights into the potential of servant leadership in today's workplace. 10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader These ten characteristics are foundational to understanding the servant leadership style: Listening to self and others: Servant leaders use v erbal, nonverbal, and empathic listening to build trust and improve relationships. Displaying empathy: Servant leaders possess the ability to be aware of, feel, and take on another person's emotions. Empathy plays a vital role in moderating the effects of workplace conflict. Research has linked empathy with forgiveness and healing relationships. Healing: Servant leaders provide physical and emotional support to restore broken relationships and help hurt employees. Awareness: Both general awareness and self-awareness strengthen the leader's ability to understand issues involving ethics, power, and values holistically . Persuasion: Servant leaders rely on persuasion vs. positional power to make decisions. This is one of the most apparent differences between a servant leader and a traditional leader. Conceptual thinking: Servant leaders consider the best of what is and what can be by tapping into the team's dreams. Rather than solely focusing on the short-term, the servant leader can align followers with the company's purpose and vision of the organization. Strategic foresight: The goal is not to predict the future but to enable better decision-making and preparedness so leaders can grow revenue amid uncertainty. Stewardship of others' needs: Servant leaders hold others' needs in their trust while serving and influencing with persuasion. Commitment to follower development: Servant leaders see their followers' potential and value beyond their tangible contributions to the business. Building community: A community is defined by shared social identification among the members. Servant leaders recognize and take action to build community with those in the workplace. Creating shared social identity provides the missing link between employees feeling excluded and included. Employees are looking for leaders who demonstrate these behaviors. However, these characteristics alone do not fully capture servant leadership. 7 Virtues of Servant Leadership Like the operating system on your phone, the leader's inner game values and virtues moderate leadership effectiveness. While characteristics describe what a leader should do in a given situation, the leader's virtues and character determine what a leader will do. Virtues provide a foundation for the characteristics of a servant leader. The following are the seven virtues of a servant leader: Love: Doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reasons. Humility: Having a realistic self-image, others focused, being willing to listen, and being vulnerable. Altruism: Concerned for others' welfare and equity and derives pleasure from helping others. Vision: Able to see around the corners, understand follower capability, and possess a growth mindset. Trust : Having integrity, respect, transparency, and goodwill. Empowerment: Sharing power, teamwork, transparent expectations, goals, and responsibilities. Service: Choosing others over self and authentic. Comparing the motivations and dimensions of different leadership styles reveals similarities and differences, contributing to a deeper understanding of servant leadership. Servant Leadership vs. Transformational Leadership While similar to servant leadership, the primary focus of transformational leadership is the organizational benefit. The emphasis of servant leadership is on service to the follower. The table below displays the motivations and dimensions of servant and transformational leadership. Servant Leadership vs. Authentic Leadership In contrast to servant leadership, authentic leadership focuses on the leader being who they were created to be—authentic leadership and servant leadership overlap in dimensions of leading with heart and humility. The critical difference between these two contemporary leadership approaches is the difference in the leader's focus on themselves for authentic leadership and others for servant leadership—the table below displays servant and authentic leadership motivations and dimensions. Servant Leadership vs. Spiritual Leadership Spiritual leadership is distinctly different from servant leadership, although it is the most similar theory of the four contemporary leadership theories discussed. Spiritual leadership focuses on motivating the leader and others, which contrasts with service to others in servant leadership. Both spiritual leadership and servant leadership theories share the dimensions of love, vision, and altruism. The following table displays the motivations and dimensions of servant and spiritual leadership. A Servant Leadership Example in Business Sodexo's journey provides excellent examples of servant leadership in business. Headquartered in France, Sodexo is the leader in the global business services and supplies industry. It started as a family-run business in Marseilles, France. Since its beginning in 1966, Sodexo's mission, values, and ethical principles have guided its people-focused actions around service. This global organization of over 470,000 employees is located in 67 countries and served 100 million consumers daily in 2019. While Sodexo does not explicitly state servant-leadership, the organization's mission and leaders align with servant-leadership characteristics. Here are some examples: Sodexo measures employee quality of life as the employee's physical environment , health and wellbeing, social interaction, recognition, ease and efficiency, and personal growth. Sodexo considers the lifestyles of its employees globally and encourages work flexibility to promote improved performance for clients and customers. Sarosh Mistry , Region Chair for North America and Chief Executive Officer, suggested that improved performance starts with ensuring an excellent quality of life for Sodexo employees. Sylvia Metayer, Chief Growth Officer, humbly stated, "I am learning that to be a CEO is to be a servant." Sodexo's senior leadership shares a servant focus. The following table provides examples of servant leadership from Sarosh Mistry and Sylvia Metayer, two members of the Sodexo Executive Committee. Sarosh indicated that Sodexo looks for leaders who motivate employees through service by giving back to the communities they serve. A servant-leader understands that leaders can use power to serve others' needs through performance. Servant Leadership Quotes "Leadership is an extreme sport requiring both courage and humility." Cheryl Bachelder, Former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. "Listen, show compassion, and ask for feedback." Liz Theophill, Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Novartis AG "How you get the results is more important than the results themselves." Art Barter, CEO, Datron World Communications, Inc. It is no longer acceptable for corporate leadership to be blind to their followers' needs and the communities where they live and work. People are looking to business leaders to help remove barriers that impact meeting their own needs. Servant leadership, an emerging 20th-century leadership style, provides solutions to today's dilemmas. Take Our Servant Leader Quiz Take this free quiz to learn if your leadership style aligns with servant leadership. References Alba, R. (2018). What majority-minority society? A critical analysis of the Census Bureau's projections of America's demographic future. Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 4 . Bass, B. M. (2000). 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Think back to the last big decision your team faced. What were the options considered? How was the choice made? A recent extensive survey conducted by PWC revealed that data-driven companies are three times more likely to make better decisions than businesses that are not. Decision-making is a significant part of leadership; many depend on your decisions. Without good choices, companies and leaders can't thrive. But, studies reveal that more than half of us rely on intuition to make significant decisions. The problem isn't with using intuition. The problem is when your intuition comes at the cost of using data or the default way you decide. If your company is like most and choosing to invest significantly in building analytics capability, be aware that the benefits will not be fully realized until the company culture supports data-driven decision-making. Here are the seven characteristics of a data-driven culture and practical steps every leader can take to architect culture. The value of data-driven decisions Advances in technology create a significant advantage for organizations that can leverage data to make better decisions and take the right actions. Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) has become somewhat of a buzzword as many leaders and organizations aim to be data-driven. A good working definition of what it means to embrace data-driven decision-making is: Using facts extracted from data and metrics to guide business decisions that support business goals rather than relying on experience, intuition, and stories alone. A study involving more than 1000 executive leaders demonstrated that 80% of organizations with a mature approach to data analytics exceeded their goals, and 48% significantly exceeded their goals. Making data-driven decisions is not the only way leaders can succeed. However, there are many advantages, such as: Enhanced decision speed and sophistication. In a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous digital workplace, leaders need to find insights and speed matters. Businesses need to make good decisions quickly. A better understanding of what is and is not working. Testing and data collection enable leaders to fail fast and learn from making decisions. Reduced costs and increased revenue. Using data enables organizations to optimize operations. Predictive analytics goes one step further, allowing organizations to transform during market change quickly. Improving strategic foresight . The goal is not to predict the future but enable better decision-making and preparedness so that leaders can grow revenue amid uncertainty. Data-driven decisions can be descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive. While understanding why something happened and what will happen is helpful. Understanding what should be done provides the most significant organizational value. The following video gives a real-world example from Google of how businesses can make better data-driven people decisions . Seven Data-Driven Culture Characteristics A recent 2021 Fortune 1000 executive leaders survey revealed that 99% are investing in data initiatives to transform their companies. These investments in technology are producing a deluge of available data within companies. But are these investments leading to better decisions? According to this same report, 96% of executives report that they are achieving measurable business outcomes. However, these leaders identify culture as the most significant deterrent to becoming a data-driven organization. "Culture is more powerful than anything else in the organization," and often why good management ideas fail." Upadhyay & Kumar To maximize data, analytics, and AI value, organizations need a data-driven culture orientation. However, this represents a sizable shift for many cultures that often rely on stories and experience to make decisions. Here are seven attributes and behaviors of employees working you would expect in a data-driven culture:⁠ Characteristic #1: Desiring to find the truth W. Edwards Deming is attributed as saying, "in God we trust. All others must bring data." This saying is something you would likely hear in a data-driven culture about using data to find the truth without bias. When seeking truth, employees are often surprised, and it sometimes leads to politically incorrect actions that result in innovation. Characteristic #2: Looking for patterns and root causes Data-driven cultures aggregate data to identify patterns that can lead to predictions and root causes. In a data-driven culture, problems are considered symptoms of deeper issues rather than being 'swept under the rug.' Identifying root causes protects the business from recurring systemic errors. Characteristic #3: Developing detail-oriented analysis Averages are considered flawed and a distortion of truth in data-driven cultures because averages ignore inevitable variations. Granular data is used for decision-making. A detail-oriented analysis allows stakeholders to determine causation more effectively and present solid arguments for decisions. Characteristic #4: Using data to analyze questions Stories and anecdotal evidence provide a personal connection, but alone, they are not often representative. Data-driven cultures use data to tell stories and make decisions. Data stories are the annotations of crucial data insights. Characteristic #5: Appreciating both positive and negative findings in the data Finding out something doesn't work is just as valuable as finding data that supports an idea. Data-driven cultures adopt an experimentation mindset and seek to learn from the data about predictions. "The unexamined decision isn't worth making." Davenport Characteristic #6: Making decisions and following through on actions Power and politics are not driving forces in a data-driven decision-making culture. Emphasis is on the value of results from decisions rather than a confirmation of senior leadership ideas. Authority is vested in the data quality rather than the positional power of the person with the data. Characteristic #7: Being realistic about when and where to use data analytics Data-driven cultures are practical about the need for velocity, veracity, volume, and variety of data before making decisions. Decisions are based on experience and available data and avoid analysis paralysis. "Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Drucker If you recognize your culture doesn't demonstrate the seven characteristics of a data-driven culture, you will want to work on architecting the desired culture ahead of or in parallel with your data analytics investments. How to architect a data-driven culture orientation Organizational culture is the one thing that influences every aspect of a business. It directly impacts organizational success, employees, customers, and communities. An organization's underlying cultural values affect employees' behaviors and decisions. Executive-level sponsorship is vital for investments in data analytics. However, leaders at all levels play a vital role in shaping organizational culture in business . Organizations are likely to resist the need for culture change. Although architecting corporate culture is challenging, changes often don't require considerable investments or physically co-located employees. Leaders can leverage the following primary and secondary actions and tools for leaders to embed the desired culture: Primary Actions and Tools Pay attention to metrics that matter and provide regular updates Respond to organizational crises with data Allocate resources to support data-driven decision making Provide data analytics training and development Provide rewards and recognition for data-driven decision making Make selection, promotion, and termination decisions in support of data-driven decisions Manage change created by shifting to data-driven decision-making Secondary Actions and Tools Organization design Policies and procedures Rituals and events Workspaces Traditions and stories Vision and mission statements Organizational culture varies to some extent across teams, departments, and geographies. When designing a data-driven culture , it is best to understand your culture at a granular level. You will need a data-driven,  actionable measure of your current and preferred company culture to do this . What's the real data-driven decision-making challenge? References: Bartlett, R. (2013). A practitioner's guide to data analytics: Using data analysis to improve your organization's decision-making and strategy. McGraw-Hill. New York. Davenport, T., Harris, J., & Morison, R. (2010). Analytics at work: Smarter decisions, better results. Harvard Business Press. MA. Deloitte. (2019). Deloitte survey: Analytics and data-driven culture help companies outperform business goals in the age of with’. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/deloitte-survey-analytics-and-ai-driven-enterprises-thrive.html Greenstein, B., & Rao, A., (2022). PwC 2022 AI Business Survey. PWC. Upadhyay, P., & Kumar, A. (2020). The intermediating role of organizational culture and internal analytical knowledge between the capability of big data analytics and a firm’s performance. International Journal of Information Management, 52 , 102100.