Leadership At A High Level

Everyone wants to do well. Yet, so many do not reach the heights of performance they potentially could. We can do something about that: help more people do significantly better in reaching their potential in business.

Many consistently high performing companies have learning cultures, i.e. cultures that value continuous learning and improvement for their people. In fact, when my former company surveyed companies we felt stood out in their fields, the common thread identified was that companies that valued and fostered this type of learning environment for their people helped these companies become known as “best in class”.

Some of these companies had even created their own universities, as we then followed suit and developed. Of course, now with technology, this is a lot easier and less costly to accomplish.

I believe the foundation of a learning environment is a fundamental emphasis on continuous improvement, especially on one-on-one learning via coaching, encouraging, supporting, providing helpful feedback, and listening with care. Such a culture will lead to an exciting, collaborative corporate environment – one that values it people, helps everyone feel appreciated, and realizes their importance and the positive difference they can make. Most will respond with enthusiasm, energy and gratitude.

Companies with this kind of genuine learning culture will experience the great value of bottom up ideas. Want operations improved? Ask the people who are actually doing the work. They’ll know and, with encouragement, they will increase productivity. Watch the energy rise.

We’ve heard the often-used philosophy of MBWA, “management by wandering around”.
Let’s make it leadership rather than management, and let’s be sure it is being out with your people, asking purposeful questions, listening with care, observing how people are feeling, encouraging their ideas, letting them know their importance, and making sure they know they make a difference. This is leadership at a high level.