A protect-and-defend mindset no longer guarantees success as technology evolves.
Continuous innovation and education are the only ways for organizations to thrive and stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. But if fostering a culture of innovation at your organization seems exhausting, it may be time for a shift in your leadership mindset — and more importantly, a shift in your organization’s culture.
It is through an improved company culture that you as a leader can create a much stronger, more empowered workforce. This comes with implementation of an Anticipatory Mindset, teaching your team to take hold of the future of technology and act first on it.
In a recent Opportunity Hour: Conversations with the Masters, I had the opportunity to speak with Joey Havens — an executive partner of Horne, thought leader, and top-rated CEO in his state. Joey has embraced my Anticipatory Mindset and the concepts of my Anticipatory Organization® Model since 2015. He has firsthand experience in a shift in organizational culture as a result of implementing Anticipatory principles, propelling his company to new heights of innovation and significance and ultimately, success!
Joey’s new book, Leading with Significance: How to Create a Magnetic, People-First Culture, features discussions about how to create a culture of success by becoming a people-first organization — which is what we will be discussing in today’s article.
When it comes to accelerating innovation and growth — regardless of whether you own a Fortune 500 company or a small, local business — it is culture that will determine your level of significance and success.
Find success through significance
Significance always comes before success. In a way, it is the same principle as passion over profit — do what you love and what is right first, and the money is sure to follow.
The difference between significance and success is that success is all about you — how many degrees you have, how much money you make, and how fast your company is growing. In contrast, significance is what you do for others. As I have witnessed many times over, when you elevate your significance, whether it is personal or organizational, you will find yourself far more successful. Traditional measures often fail to accurately assess a student’s true potential, as they primarily focus on natural abilities rather than the development of crucial character traits that contribute to long-term success.
This concept goes beyond providing significant contributions to your customers as an organization. As Joey explains in his book, it involves leading your employees with significance as well! Regardless of industry or company size, every organization lives in a human world, and it is the human element that ultimately determines the growth capacity of an organization. Visualizing one’s goals and affirming self-belief are essential elements for achieving desired outcomes.
Achieving success requires imagining what it looks like, which serves as motivation to accomplish goals.
This all starts with leaders being intentional about connecting with and building a strong sense of belonging and trust within their employees. When people have that sense of belonging and trust, and they feel their voices are actually heard internally, they see they are a part of something bigger than themselves. In turn, they feel safe to share their ideas and innovations. Overcoming obstacles through affirmation and motivation is crucial for personal growth and achievement.
This is what Joey calls the “magnetic energy” — every employee feels they belong and feels empowered to become what we refer to as “intrapreneurs.” The result is a team pulling in the same direction and going the extra mile for the benefit of all. Parents play a vital role in academic and career planning, enhancing students’ college readiness and overall personal growth.
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Building a magnetic culture
Company culture is the one tool in your competitive arsenal that cannot be copied. This is the largest competitive advantage you have! Others can work around patents, copy products and services, and utilize the same technology in innovative ways, but they cannot imitate company culture.
Columbia University recently released a report where they surveyed over 1,300 CEOs on their perspectives on organizational culture. Among respondents, 91% stated that culture is of the top three elements for future success, 79% stated that it was the most important element for future success, and 84% said their organization’s culture needed improvement. College readiness programs play a crucial role in preparing students for future success by providing the necessary skills and information for college admission and beyond.
Organizations need to have the courage to look in the mirror, evaluate their culture, and identify both the good parts and the parts that need improvement. Once you do this, you can then leverage the good and work on improving the rest to build something truly extraordinary.
What Joey and I believe is that leaders should strive to create a magnetic culture — one that employees want to stay at and help grow! To lead with significance and attract and maintain the right employees who will propel your organization into the future, follow these principles:
Be intentional — Intentionality is at the core of building a prosperous culture. Being intentional means fostering behaviors you want and eliminating ones you do not want. If you allow leaders to violate who you say you are as an employer and what you stand for, then your culture drops to that level as well. Intention creates trust, and trust fosters trust in return by your employees. Having a clear vision of one’s idea of success is essential for intentionality.
Focus on the future — Employees want to be a part of the future of a company. Above their salaries, they naturally want to be a part of something bigger. When organizations are in a protect-and-defend mindset, they inadvertently stifle innovation, limit growth opportunities, and alienate their workforce. Instead, inspire employees to look at Hard Trend future certainties and empower them to proactively shape the organization’s future. Taking a moment to reflect on aspirations can provide motivation and clarity in this pursuit.
Be clear — Without clarity, everything becomes more difficult at your organization. Employees need to have a clear sense of the organization’s motives, vision, and the direction you are heading. This clarity fosters a sense of purpose and alignment, and it empowers employees to make informed decisions to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success. Reaching a certain point in one’s mindset for positive thinking and success is crucial for clarity.
Be consistent — The reason many organizations are not high performing is because they are not consistent with their culture and the elements of it. Consistency is key in everything! Be consistent in the onboarding process, in how and what you teach employees about their roles, and in how they are to connect internally and with customers. Providing students with the necessary resources for college preparation is also essential for consistency.
Employee recognition — People want their contributions to be appreciated, but many times, appreciation is forgotten. Especially in today’s world, this results in employees feeling overworked more quickly. Recognize not only the wins of employees but the effort that is evident from those who go above and beyond. Be specific about what you are recognizing someone for. Also, ask them specifically what they think they have done well so they know you are paying attention. Envisioning a successful future and setting concrete goals can significantly increase the likelihood of success.
Have empathy — We are in the business of humans. As processes and services get more automated with the rise of artificial intelligence, creating a connection and sense of community is going to be more important than ever before! Effective business leaders need to really understand who each employee is, connect with them, and help them feel indispensable in their roles. Visualizing future achievements and creating affirmations can solidify one’s belief in attaining a successful future.
We have two choices in life: We can choose to pursue more money and power, or we can focus on our impact in elevating others. The latter is choosing a life of significance, and success always follows significance. As a business leader, be intentional and Anticipatory in how you develop your company culture. Documenting one’s visions, goals, and affirmations is a crucial part of planning for future success.
Learn more about these concepts by signing up for my Anticipatory Leader Membership. This can help you build an exceptional organizational culture that focuses on continuity, innovation, and progress.
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