A leader, at any level in an organization, can jumpstart organic cultural change, if he or she chooses. It isn’t particularly hard, but it does take courage. For 99% of leaders, this is new territory. Although the general direction isn’t hard to visualize and the process is straight forward, the journey itself will require letting go of control, to create power. One must trust in the process and in the hidden talents of people.

Creating an organic business culture is a growth opportunity, for walking into new territory is the fastest way to expand your own capabilities. The courage you need isn’t about facing danger. Running with scissors is more dangerous. This requires pushing through a personal boundary; trusting the suspension bridge holds your weight.

Some choose the journey as a form of service to others and their mission. You team will become more involved, develop ownership, feel more in control of their work and performance, and have a strong sense of contribution. The organization will benefit from the increased involvement, focus, and coordination. Typically effectiveness increases, costs decrease from efficiencies, employee and customer loyalty increase, resulting in greater profitability.

Support is Available

You are not alone on the path. This site’s purpose is to guide. You can bring along a coach if you choose. In the near future, we will offer free Q&A teleconferences. As you know, a journey with an experienced guide is, not a scary plunge into a dark jungle, but an adventure into an amazing and exciting new world.

Let Go

Yes, you will have to let go of control, to gain power. This is primarily daring and counterintuitive for two personality types, Reformers and Challengers (I’m going to use the Enneagram personality topography for this site. Although more people are familiar with Myers-Briggs, which is really Jung’s work, the Enneagram is deeper, richer, and contains the dimension of healthiness. In addition, Riso and Hudson have successfully mapped the Enneagram to the DSM-IV. Here is one of many Enneagram sites. ). The Reformer is “principled, purposeful, self-controlling, and perfectionistic.” The Challenger is “self-confident, decisive, dominating, and confrontational”. Steve Jobs and Donald Trump come to mind as examples of each type. The Reformer and Challenger personality types have the most to gain from giving up control (it will change their lives), while other types will more naturally gravitate to the principles of organic organizational change, and have fewer self-imposed barriers to overcome.

Hidden Talents

The power comes from unshackling dormant talents. Few realize the magnitude of hidden talents undetected in organizations, nor realize that the only way to find and free them is to give people permission to participate. For example, a year ago, I led a full-day visioning workshop with a company transition from a loose startup to an operational, market-facing company. In one of the visioning teams was a young Chinese woman, in the US for less than a year. Although she had a master’s degree in linguistics from an excellent university in Shanghai, her work consisted mostly of data entry. When her team finished their project, they chose her to speak although she was clearly the junior member of her team. This shy, young woman captivated the room. She told the company’s story: its early years, struggles, near death, sense of anticipation for the future, and dreams of fabulous success with such feeling and humor that eyes welled with tears and bellies hurt from laughing spasms.

Many organizations see its people through the narrow filters of roles and confined within the barriers of daily tasks, and miss discovering the genius, resourcefulness, and spirit that lies just below the surface.

Commit

How long has the future been calling you? Who else wants you to step up? When will you give yourself permission to commit?

Keywords: organizational change, change leadership, engaging change, business culture change, culture tune up^TM.

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Michael Cushman, The Engaging Guru, wants you to master enrolling others in your truth, get the goodies of life, and change the world.  www.engagingchange.com