Leadership

Do you manage energy? Most of us don't, at least not consciously. Leaders tend to manage information and influence within their network. Traditionally, leadership is associated with influencing people to do things. However, energy is a crucial resource within organizations. The fascinating thing with energy is that when you spend energy on relationships it increases. Energy is the source of action, and organizational performance!

All organizations exist to prevent deviance. Organizations aim for stability and end up in the middle. Not bad, but neither extraordinary. The natural focus is on what's wrong and to fix that. Think of the medical perspective, legal, and business.

But in the middle is not where the magic happens... The big dollar question is: How do you get organizations in a state of flow? How do we benefit from the best of the human condition? How do you create "positive deviance", or in other words, high performance?

What would you rather be: a heroic leader or a servant leader? Which do you need to develop a positive culture where people and performance thrive?

Most people don't want and cannot be either. It can be demanding to be the hero who solves everything. It can be frustrating to be a servant who serves everyone.

Is culture less important in a "tech company"? While it's crucial when you provide services, based on both research and practice, the answer is no. Culture matters everywhere.

The Supermarket

Organizations that provide a service to clients depend on culture. Services are "people work". The added value is created in interaction with the client and this results in an experience. Think of healthcare, legal advice, accountancy, government organizations, hospitality, recreation, consulting, but also retail.