The Leader's Podcast with Maxie Carpenter

The combination of COVID-19, the toxic political cycle that never stops and the culture war in the country has created a White Storm of New. That new is a new workplace requiring a new leadership.  

When organizations become dysfunction, inefficient, or ineffective it's primarily because they get so focused on process that they lose sight of the whole of organization, especially their people. That kind of Leadership doesn't cut it anymore. 

There are average leaders and then there are elite leaders, which are those that make everyone around them better. Which are you?

Many leaders are so consumed by process that they default to a command-and-control leadership style, especially in crisis. (COVID anyone?) As a result, their level of awareness to leadership gaps (both personally and professionally) is neutralized. 

I often talk with Leaders that can't define their leadership culture. If the culture of an environment depended upon fairness and everyone playing by the rules, what kind of leadership do you think that would look like?

Daily process-driven decisions are one thing. Major people-driven decisions are quite another. More often than not, process overrules people and major decisions are made in a silo at the cost of people, rather than in the interest of them. 

Our culture has forever been obsessed with labels. Not only do we label events and movements, we label people. I talk to many, who without realizing it, talk of themselves using negative descriptors, or labels that clearly reflects their state of mind. We have enough people labeling us without doing it to ourselves. 

The character traits shared in Part I and here in Part II are unchanging and have to be cultivated over time. When I say unchanging, I mean they're never passé or cliched. They're focused on people and the behaviors people expect and require from their leaders in an environment that's been changed forever by COVID.  

There is one character trait missing from most leaders and it's that of being a continual learner. It's the one trait that motivates elite leaders (those that rise above the rest) to become better every day. 

I've said before that it's difficult to understand others when you can't understand yourself. Following that logic, it makes sense that you can't lead others unless you can first lead yourself.