It is the responsibility of every single employee to uphold the organizational culture.

And it most definitely begins with people we give the right to “Leadership”. 

There are 2 absolutes about the “Leadership” role: 

1) Their experience and skills match the role (for instance if people are put into wrong roles & higher grades without prior experience & prior skills that the role requires, its a disservice to the organization, all the direct reports managers & employees reporting to the direct reports managers and of course, unfair to themselves because only having to perform 1/10th of tasks required at a certain grade level and not understanding why existing direct reports do what they do in detail is NOT an option

2) Upholding the Organizational values and culture – inclusion, diversity, integrity, compassion, collaboration, relationships are not just mere words, and it starts with a single value of, “inclusion”

If Leadership ignores the values when issues are reported and retaliate and blames the employee instead, it’s an impromptu example, that is set up by the Leadership on how peers & subordinates can behave in an organization thus affecting organizational culture with a trickle-down effect.

Here’s what Leadership is NOT:

1. Under qualification for the role at hand – a cobbler is not a dentist
2. Intimidating staff & direct reports – “Reign of Terror “ is not a requisite for the role. Did you or anyone who “planted” you there read the job description?!
3. Forming negative & ill-will networks – pretty soon you are going to run into a wall and someone is going to pull the curtains down on your actions because people are not your puppets
4. Demotivating & discouraging staff & direct reports by constantly criticizing & acting unethically
5. Coming into your brand new Leadership role & take non-sense actions without first really making an attempt to “qualify yourself” for the role because everyone else knows better than you at the moment
6. Acting irresponsibly & retaliating against your new staff or direct reports due to past work history with them. If you do not have “integrity”, you do NOT belong in that role
7. Show-offing about yourself to your new staff & direct reports. Most inspiring Leaders empower & make others feel good and like a winner by not making themselves stand in the spotlight nor are they desperate for attention. Check your motives & intention because if you don’t, it already is too obvious to your staff
8. Acting unethically & think that they will go unnoticed – trust me, everyone knows when you bypass the organizational values
9. Ill-intentioned Leadership & Management – again, if you think people don’t know, they do & will talk about it regardless of you trying your best to control people

Days of the ‘Leadership & its Subordinates’ view is not just outdated, it’s over. Management & Leadership is not a privileged role any longer. Look around and make yourselves aware that its flat structures everywhere that are not based on intimidation. It’s a function to mobilize resources, human resources & a support function to enable the team that does the real job. If you think that it’s a role you have to act unethically or intimidate people or feel important, to rule & act eccentrically – you do not deserve to be in it. Leave before your unethical actions have a chance to catch up with you.”

Written by Pooja Duggal Batra.