We talk a lot about leadership at all levels and its importance, and then potentially pay lip service to it. Organisation's Learning & Development interventions can easily put the emphasis on “processes”, and performance conversations often do the same.
We encourage or force change onto people and can ignore the power and impact of ownership and buy-in. The outcome is potentially ineffective, but we still feel that we have 'ticked the box'. The problem is that we might follow rules and processes (management) but it is how we do it (leadership) that really makes it work.
We need to spend more time on developing ownership and recognising our role models. Let’s also not forget that leadership as well as acknowledging positive behaviours, also has the courage to challenge poor performance, be it productivity or behaviours. Always with the emphasis on development. In that way we actively drive the culture that we need, not just write it in our brochures and manuals.
Leadership drives the behavioural change that develops an environment of positivity and motivation. Management gives us the processes, structures and tools, leadership is the way that we communicate (the how).
So next time we plan process training, let's also focus on the leadership buy-in to achieve real results.
