Why Being an Intentional Culture Leader Matters More Than Ever!
Let’s start with the end in mind: One day we’re all going to be dead. (How’s that for an uplifting opening?)
Hopefully it’s not going to happen for a very long time, but – spoiler alert — it is going to happen.
If we’re fortunate, most of us have been allotted, on average, about 4,000 weeks in this rollicking adventure called life. When you put it in those terms, 4,000 weeks doesn’t sound like a lot, does it? Your last week probably sailed by ridiculously fast. And look, here comes another one right after that!
Another reality check: You’ve already used up a lot of those weeks. In fact, chances are that many of you reading this have already gobbled up more than half of your 4,000 weeks.
Now I’m not trying to depress you or fill you with despair over regrets (that really was the hairstyle in the 80s, you need to move on). Just the opposite.
I want to remind you that life is too short and precious to work in a soul-sucking, fun-sucking workplace.
And life is too short and precious to not make the most out of your position as a leader.
As a leader, you have been gifted a unique responsibility and opportunity to influence the people around you in profound ways.
To leave your mark.
To leave behind a legacy.
To make a meaningful and lasting impact on your organization, community, and perhaps even the world.
As a leader, you have a disproportionate impact on your workplace culture. Which means you also have a disproportionate impact on the level of happiness, sense of self-worth, and sense of purpose on your employees and colleagues.
I’ll say it again, because it’s just that important: Life is too short to work in a soul-sucking, fun-sucking workplace.
And work is too important to not embrace your role as a leader who can make a profound difference to the people you lead, and not just during their working hours.
Work impacts you and your employees far beyond just earning a paycheck. It truly is how you make a living in the broadest sense.
Work affects your employees’ family lives and marriages, social networks, friendships, personal development, and growth as human beings. It can offer a profound sense of belonging, meaning, and connection. Work often affects where people live, put down roots, and start a family. I mean, how else can you explain North Dakota? (OK, please don’t write me nasty letters. I had to pick on someone and I chose North Dakota because I did the math and I figure there’s a slim likelihood that anyone from North Dakota will read this. If I’m wrong, drop me an email and I’ll send you a gift.)
There is also no doubt that work has an enormous impact on our mental well-being and physical health. The book Dying for a Paycheck by Stanford business professor Jeffrey Pfeffer lays out a thoroughly depressing argument that not only is work the primary source of most of the stress people experience in life, it’s also a leading cause of illnesses and death (the title of the book should have been the first clue). Pfeffer’s research shows that work environments in the US are likely responsible for 120 thousand excess deaths a year and that the workplace is the primary driver of the healthcare crisis facing the United States.
Work is also the single biggest use of your waking hours in this 4,000-week journey. A typical Canadian (where I live) works 80,000 – 90,000 hours over the course of their life. Chances are that you, and most of your employees, will spend more time with your fellow employees than you will with many of your friends or even family members. (I know, I know, depending on your family, that might be a good thing.)
Remember the sense of urgency during the pandemic for workplaces to return back to “normal” as soon as possible? But when you consider that too many people are dying for a paycheck and that, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 report, only 23% of employees are engaged at work, clearly “normal” wasn’t working for a lot of people! So, lets collectively aim higher than the old “normal” and reconsider how workplaces can work, not just for a few, but for everyone.
As a leader, influencer, and a catalyst for change, I believe you owe it to your employees and their families, to your colleagues and customers, and yes, to yourself, to step up fully as a leader to create a kinder, more compassionate, and ultimately inspiring workplace that works for everyone and that drives outrageous results.
Your inspiring leadership journey begins by embracing your role as a culture champion – where the small moments truly matter.
*This is an excerpt, the introduction in fact, to Michael’s latest book on Culutre leadership due out in 2024.
Michael Kerr is a Hall of Fame speaker who researches, writes, and speaks about inspiring workplace cultures and inspiring culture leadership. He is the author of nine books, including The Jerk-Free Workplace, The Humor Advantage, and Hire, Inspire, and Fuel Their Fire.
Book an appointment with Michael to find out how he can help energize your workplace culture!
