Making culture stronger and healthier every day

Culture isn't created by accident. And it is not something to be managed but rather something to be led.

In this article in Leader to Leader Journal, Mike Myatt, a leadership advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs and boards of directors, discusses five critical areas for building a sustainable culture. The article is an adaptation from Myatt's book Hacking Leadership.

It can be noted that a number of leaders talk about culture, but work little towards improving culture. Myatt discusses five critical areas for building a sustainable culture. He states that great corporate cultures are intentionally built by design:

• Culture and strategy go hand in hand
  Culture is extremely important for the success of any organisation. However, if it is built without a strategy or not driven by the strategy, culture can prove hazardous. A strong and healthy corporate culture requires the corporate strategy to be its key driver.
• The best construct for a successful culture needs to be selected
  Culture is less about complex frameworks and more about people. Leaders should understand that culture is not something that requires managing but something that requires leading.
• Leadership and management should work together
  Leadership and management need to coexist and work together in order to bring out the best in them. However, in recent times, businesses have created a culture of management, but what they really require is a culture of leadership.
• Leadership should be ubiquitous
  In order to create a culture of leadership, think of leadership as ubiquitous and not scarce. Every person in the organisation should be able to lead.
• It takes courage
  Creating a culture of leadership requires a tremendous amount of courage.