The choices they make when sharing resources send a strong message about what is valued. Two very important symbols for leaders is how they spend their time and what do they allocate budgets to.
At the top of the building (hierarchy) or in the middle (approachable)? In the only offices with a view, or on the floor? Where the CE and the top team sit often tells an interesting story. Does she use words such as “please” or “could you” that demonstrate respect, or does she issue orders in a hierarchical manner? Does she use “we” to stress collaboration or does she often use “I”? For example, the language a leader uses is a powerful symbol. Symbols are small things that send a strong message. No point asking people to behave in a certain way if the leaders aren’t. They must think about what they say, about the leadership symbols they use. The leader’s influence is far reaching –a factory on the other side of the world where the CE has never set foot will feel his influence.Īs a consequence leaders must pay attention to their actions and their behaviours. The second interpretation of the concept is that after a while, organisations tend to become the shadow of their leader. People look up to leaders and, because there is a human desire to want to fit in, start copying them. The first interpretation is that leaders cast a long shadow: what they say and do has a very large impact. This concept can be explained in two ways. These two schools of thought are both right it simply depends on whether culture is led from the top, or not.Ĭulture leadership is linked to a concept called “the shadow of the leader”. Another school of thought believes that the leaders of the business are the initiators and the guardians of the culture, and that it is their remit to ensure that the culture is fit for purpose. There are two schools of thought about how culture develops in the workplace: one school believes that culture is created by employees and should remain with employees, and that attempts at changing it are futile because “the culture is the people”. It means that the impact of top leaders on organisational culture is massive. You may have heard the phrase “Culture is led from the top”.