Fifteen Ways to Be More Intentional as a Workplace Culture Leader
Great workplace cultures don’t happen by accident.
And great leadership doesn’t happen by accident. Here are fifteen ways to show up as an intentional leader, fifteen ways to be more purposeful as a leader.
1. Let your actions do the talking by being consistently reliable. Show up. Keep your commitments. Do what you said you were going to do.
2. Ask for help. Real leadership is never about having all the right answers. Being a leader means being open to asking for help when you need help.
3. Ask for feedback or advice. Asking for feedback is different than asking for help. It’s not easy to hear honest feedback, especially as a leader, but asking for feedback demonstrates that you are open to learning new approaches, that you care what your employees think, and that you want them to have a real voice. And it sends an important message – if you want your employees to be open to constructive feedback then you need to model that behavior yourself. Just don’t earn a reputation as an “askhole” – someone who constantly asks for advice but then goes ahead and does the complete opposite. Every. Single. Time.
4. Be a positive energizer and take the time to actively listen to employees, be present with them, and demonstrate that you have their best interests at heart.
5. Check in with your employees, consistently. Make it a habit.
6. Connect with other departments. Yes, we are back to the pie metaphor. Demonstrate that you’re not just thinking about your own slice of the pie by actively reaching out to managers in other departments.
7. Look for the small moments that can make a difference, those simple opportunities to connect with your employees in a meaningful way, whether it’s at the end of a meeting or passing an employee in the hallway, these are the moments that will define you as a leader.
8. Make decisions with your culture in mind. Turn this question into a habit so it becomes second nature to ask: “How does this reflect our desired culture and how will this build to our desired culture?”
9. Set daily intentions. Many successful leaders I have interviewed stress how important it is for them to set daily intentions for themselves. So start each day by reviewing a list of intentions – specific leadership mindsets that you want to work on. Take a few minutes to sit at your desk and go through your list each morning. Then, at the end of the day, review the list and assess how you did.
10. Use checklists. Pilots, doctors, safety leads, and score of other professions understand the life-saving benefits of using a checklist. So why not do the same as a leader? Create a short checklist relevant to your position that will help you ensure you never miss a critical detail as a leader.
11. Invest in development as a leader. Find a trusted coach, mentor, or advisor. Many leaders have advisory panels, a concept I love because we too often think of leadership as a solo endeavor. Create a leadership mastermind where you can openly discuss challenges and offer each other ideas and support.
12. Take care of you. It’s a cliché, but only because it’s true: If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of the people around you. Ruthlessly carve out time for yourself. Set appropriate boundaries. Model excellent work/life balance practices.
13. Start a leadership journal to capture your progress as a leader. Some of the most effective leaders I’ve interviewed spoke to me about the power of recording their thoughts, capturing ideas and stories, and writing down the lessons they learned that they would later revisit. The US military provides service members with green memorandum books that fit perfectly into the pocket of a uniform or flight suit. They are instructed early in their careers to use the green books to write down leadership lessons that would help them distinguish between good and bad leadership styles.
14. Share your leadership style profile with employees. This is an interesting idea that some leaders I’ve interviewed have done as a way to help explain their own personal values and leadership approach. They write out what is essentially a mini manifesto of their leadership approach, typically a 1-3 page document that outlines what they value, what gives them a sense of purpose at work, why they work where they do, their preferred communication style, and what their vision of a great workplace looks like.
15. Have fun! I can’t be the author of a book called, “The Humor Advantage” and not mention the importance of leading with laughter. Leadership ought to be fun. Adopt the mindset that it’s fun to come up with innovative ideas for your culture and business and to connect with employees at a deeper level. If employees see you having fun and enjoying the journey, they’re far more likely to have fun themselves.
*The above is an excerpt from Michael’s raved about book, Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results
Michael Kerr is a Canadian Hall of Fame Speaker who writes and speaks about inspiring workplace cultures, inspiring leaders, and businesses that leverage their humor resources to drive extraordinary results. He is the author of nine books, including Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results, The Jerk-Free Workplace: How You Can Take the Lead to Create a Happier, More Inspiring Workplace, Hire, Inspire and Fuel Their Fire: How to Recruit, Onboard, and Train New Employees to Live Your Culutre Out Loud, and The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank.
