Your Culture
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Your Culture
The “ecosystem” of the world you live in and how it affects your decisions
ELEMENT 1.4: YOUR CULTURE
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
–Peter Drucker
YOUR Culture
Culture is the character of the place in which we live and work. Culture is made up of our values, behaviours, and attitudes, and we also often see it reflected in the physical objects and settings we surround ourselves with.
You may be quite used to discussing culture as it applies to the workplace. Company culture has a significant effect on a business because it determines who is attracted to your company and who stays with it over the long term. The same goes for the culture in your family life and social life—your culture in those areas determines whom you draw into your inner circle as well as the quality of those relationships.
YOUR ATTITUDE
Although we often make conscious attempts to affect our culture—through overt statements, style of dress, and even decor—much of our culture is a by-product of what is already happening within ourselves and in our relationships with others. Culture isn’t something that you can easily set up; it is something that already is. It’s a reflection of your current reality.
Thus, even if you list “positive outlook” as one of your workplace values, if you show up to work each day with a cynical and critical attitude, you are creating a cynical and critical culture. And when the gap between your stated culture and your real culture is wide, others are likely to take note.
“Be passionate about the culture and the business, and remain positive because it inspires others.”
–BARRY LIBER
YOUR CLARITY
You no doubt can think of some business leaders who claim to have a workplace culture that is very different from their actual culture. For instance, the former CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick, often boasted that his company was “super-women-friendly” when in reality it consistently disregarded women’s complaints about sexual harassment in the workplace. As a result, Uber lost talented employees and its reputation took a massive hit when one of its former employees went public about the real state of Uber’s culture.
It’s important, then, to examine the culture in your life as it is today and assess whether aspects of that culture are negatively affecting you or your ecosystem in ways you might not have realised.
Getting clarity on your culture will help you cultivate greater intention around the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours you bring into your personal and professional life. This internal change in turn will affect the culture that surrounds you—making it more grounded, positive, and inspiring.
YOUR CULTURE QUESTIONS
We’ve selected these questions for you. We recommend you set aside time to ponder and think about each one. Journal to make notes. Do this no more than 72 hours before our session so that your responses are fresh in your mind and relevant.
- Socially, where do you feel the most comfortable—and the most uncomfortable?
- What are three positive internal influences in your life, and what are three negative external influences?
- What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done that took you outside your comfort zone?
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"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
-George Bernard Shaw
The LIONS program is a unique and holistic approach to leadership. In the program you’ll learn how to utilise tools, strategies, and mindsets to reinvent yourself and become the extraordinary leader you were meant to be.
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