Have a Strategy for Your Strategy Leaders are encouraged to lead by culture management. I call leaders that have successful culture management experiences, Culture Management Strategists (CMS). What are the behaviors of a CMS? Effective Culture Management Strategist demonstrate the ability to monitor, manage, care for, and update their cultural forces. Promoting this notion of … Read more
Ask Questions Ask Questions. It is important to remember that you stepped into the culture. You did not bring it with you. Remember number one: It is what it is. New leaders cannot rush in and change the culture overnight. So, the best way to start is to ask a series of questions: What are … Read more
Set a Pace Set a Pace and Take Action. Martin Luther King Jr, said, Tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time … Read more
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. The communication between top management and stakeholder groups needs to be sufficient for creating and sustaining healthy organizational cultures. The leaders at the institution must explicitly pass on necessary information to all concerned so that interested parties are aware of tasks expected of them and when they are supposed … Read more
Social Media Make Social Media Your Friend. It is no surprise to anyone that social media has changed the leadership landscape. While social media may never become your BFF, it should be in the close friend category. The most conservative leaders now understand that issues and ideas can spread virally across organizational units. Information can also … Read more
Keep Your Promises Keep Your Promises. Let’s admit it. Leaders make a lot of promises. Often new and veteran leaders make promises that they simply cannot keep. A president may offer to meet with faculty on a regular basis as an approach to improve communication when what the faculty desire is an assurance that they … Read more
Align Priorities Align Priorities and Strategic Plans with Organizational Culture. It may be no surprise that your strategic plan may not be consistent with your organization’s culture. For example, if your institution’s culture focuses on access and winning athletic teams and your strategic plan involves ramping up completion outcomes, employees may resist the need to … Read more
Behavior Matters Behavior Matters. An important aspect of the leader’s job is to provide clear operational structures for subordinates which means giving subordinates a definable scope of work, providing specific guidance, and clarifying organizational structures, policies, rules, and procedures. Start at the top! The leaders at the top must demonstrate the behaviors they want to … Read more
Redesigning Leadership for 21st Century Institutions This blog series is the first of an eight-series leadership development model devoted to Redesigning Leadership for 21st Century Institutions; eight insightful Leadership Briefs which can be implemented to inspire leaders to achieve best practice when working with and developing their people and institutional effectiveness. You can read this … Read more
Leadership Style Leadership Style Isn’t What It Used to Be. Leadership is not a universal style that can fit all organizational cultures. An effective leader must adapt her approach to fit a particular situation; this is why a leader should have a thorough understanding of many leadership frameworks and styles. The more leadership strategies managers … Read more