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In the last post, I discussed the Everyone for Themselves, and the Status Quo leadership cultures. This time I’ll discuss the One Decision Maker and Give and Take cultures.

One Decision Maker

In this organization, the boss makes all the decisions. Subordinate leaders are held responsible but are given very little, if any, authority. This culture can become dysfunctional very quickly and subordinate leaders will quit leading. The One Decision Maker culture is characterized by a boss who is always inundated with work and who never seems to have time for anything, especially family and a personal life. That’s because the boss becomes the only one doing any leadership or management tasks. This organization can very easily fall apart when the person who was the sole decision maker leaves. The One Decision Maker Culture can be almost the same as The Boss is God if the senior leader has became comfortable with that position. Often though, it’s a result of a leader who is too insecure to trust others.

Effects On Leadership Development

In the One Decision Maker culture, new leaders may appear to emerge and develop; however, this can be deceiving as they will only go as far as the boss lets them and they likely will develop the same style as the boss. Since the boss doesn’t completely trust anyone, developing leaders will never really get the opportunity to exercise true leadership, since the boss keeps all real authority for himself.

Effects On Strategic Planning

In the One Decision Maker Culture, strategic planning is only as effective as the decision maker makes it. Frankly, if the senior leader doesn’t release some of the decision making authority, there is no need to form a leadership team. The senior leader must push the leadership team to take ownership of goals, then demonstrate that the team has the authority to take action to meet those goals. Also, the leadership team must be given responsibility for much of the communication of the plan. Perception is very important in this situation. Subordinates must clearly see that the leadership team really does have the responsibility, and authority, to implement the new plan.

Give and Take

In this culture, there is a free flow of information and responsibility between levels and different parts of the organization. There may be a specific hierarchy but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a healthy relationship between leaders and subordinates. In the Give and Take culture, leaders give subordinates appropriate levels of responsibilities while encouraging them to question and challenge. Give and Take can often be seen as a sub-culture of a Lockstep organization.

Effects On Leadership Development

This is a great culture for developing leaders. Development is encouraged and there is plenty of opportunity for emerging leaders to practice the craft while enjoying the support of their leaders. However, leaders must guard against a laissez faire attitude developing as this can result in migration to an Anything Goes leadership culture instead of leadership development.

Effects On Strategic Planning

This is probably the easiest organization for strategic planning. The senior leader has a good relationship with the leadership team and they are all seen by subordinates as having the best interests of the organization at heart. Watch that the leadership team doesn’t try to take on too much when setting goals.

Next time, I’ll wrap up the series with some ideas on how to determine what your leadership culture is.

This post is taken from the mini-book Leadership Culture and Its Effect on Strategic Planning and Leadership Development. Learn more at http://www.planleadexcel.com/Products/copypreptolead.html.



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In the last post, I discussed the Anything Goes and The Boss is God leadership cultures. This time I’ll discuss the Everyone for Themselves, and the Status Quo cultures.

Everyone for Themselves

This culture represents a big problem. No one is looking out for the good of the organization, but instead is concentrating on what they can get for themselves. The Everyone for Themselves culture is much more prevalent than leaders like to admit. It also can be present as a subculture of other cultures, especially Lockstep, where strict hierarchal structures may hide the problem.

Effects On Leadership Development

Oddly enough, it can be fairly easy for leaders to develop in this culture. The problem is, they may be the wrong leaders and they may learn the wrong lessons. One of the behaviors that is prevalent in the Everyone for Themselves culture is careerism, as subordinates are blatantly pursuing their own interests at the expense of the organization. Leadership development is the best way to fix this organization. Once this culture has been allowed to develop and thrive it is quite difficult to change. Once the leader realizes this culture exists, definite and even harsh measures may be required as people are used to having things their way. A good way to deal with this culture is to bring in new subordinate leaders while at the same time training new leaders from within the organization. These leaders must be taught to balance their own needs and desires with that of the organization. At the same time, the leader must take positive steps to either bring current leaders in line or replace them.

Effects On Strategic Planning

This is actually a fairly easy culture in which to do strategic planning; if the senior leader undertakes two very important tasks. First, he or she must make subordinate leaders understand the plan is to help the organization improve, which will benefit everyone. Second, he or she must make every effort to get the leadership team to work together as this culture usually suffers from serious distrust. Interestingly, people in this culture are often looking for good leadership. Creating a strategic plan gives the leader an opportunity to enhance the leadership team’s position and authority while giving the organization something to strive for that’s bigger than themselves.

Status Quo

In this organization, everyone is happy with how things are and aren’t interested in change. This is common in many organizations and is also a very common leadership subculture. The Status Quo culture tends to develop when an organization has become stagnant. This can also be a subculture of Lockstep when the senior leaders don’t keep lower levels energized to improve. Status Quo is similar to Everything Goes in that most people have reached a level they are comfortable with and don’t want to change.

Effects On Leadership Development

Aspiring leaders may find this organization frustrating. Members may see emerging leaders as a threat to their comfortable existence and try to hold them back. On the other hand members of the organization who have leadership ambitions will likely feel they need to leave the organization to advance.

Effects On Strategic Planning

This is a tough culture to work with; however, the rewards can be great. The senior leader should be careful to present the plan as a positive step forward that is based on what the organization has already done. The people in this organization are comfortable with the way things are and new goals will be a threat to their comfort. Enthusiasm for the process and the potential results is imperative. Though it’s important to not to threaten formal leader’s positions, it may be useful to tap the informal leaders to help champion the idea and potential of the new strategic plan.

Next time, One Decision Maker and Give and Take.

This post is taken from the mini-book Leadership Culture and Its Effect on Strategic Planning and Leadership Development. Learn more at http://www.planleadexcel.com/Products/copypreptolead.html.

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In the last post, I discussed the Lockstep leadership culture. This time I’ll discuss the Anything Goes and The Boss is God cultures.

Anything Goes

This organization is almost the exact opposite of the Lockstep. In the Anything Goes culture, there is an extremely free flow of ideas and almost no hierarchy, or at least it’s suppressed. This culture will appear to have very few rules, though an unwritten, and sometimes fairly strict set of norms have likely developed. These norms may become a leadership subculture that will define social limits of behavior and establish a pecking order. This culture was prevalent with the rise of technology firms. It is also common in non-profit organizations where there is sometimes the belief that since there is no paycheck, there is no need for a lot of rules.

Effects On Leadership Development

There are people who have natural leadership talent and they tend to move to the forefront of these organizations. Unfortunately, training and development is not usually high on the list of priorities. Natural leadership talent doesn’t necessarily mean good or effective leadership and so the organization can suffer.

Another danger of the Anything Goes culture is that it tends to be a breeding ground for bullies. There is a saying that “if everyone is in charge, no one is in charge.” Similarly, if no one is in charge, there is no defined leadership and bullies tend to emerge. The one with the loudest voice or most devious manner may very well suppress emerging leaders with greater potential.

Effects On Strategic Planning

This is probably one of the hardest cultures for strategic planning. Since everyone feels like they’re on their own, they may not give a lot of credence to the plan, especially if they weren’t involved in creating it. It may also be difficult to find a leadership team. This sort of culture doesn’t work well with an organization of any size and so the planning process might be a good time to positively identify who the leadership team is. You will also need to use the plan to encourage all members to rally to a common cause, survival of the organization. No matter what, it will be a hard sell. Oddly enough, this type of organization probably has a fairly strong leadership sub-culture that may approach the Lockstep model. Even if there has been no conscious effort to develop leaders, some will have emerged, and including them in the process will increase the likelihood of success.

The Boss is God

This organization is run by a person who is worshiped by most of the members. For whatever reason, the organization has developed extreme loyalty to the senior leader and will do almost anything to please him or her. This sounds like a great position to be in, especially if you’re the boss. Be cautious, though. Leaders who see themselves here must be aware that there are likely to be pockets of resentment and discontent festering below the surface which they may not see. There is an important difference between respect and even affection for a leader and this kind of messianic adoration. Though it might seem counter intuitive, one of the indications of a The Boss is God culture is a scarcity of feedback to the boss. Subordinates tend to feel they should not question.

Effects On Leadership Development

In The Boss is God culture emerging leaders may find their path to higher office smoothly paved. However, the first misstep that in any way appears to be counter to the boss’s wishes may cause the path to be blocked by the loyal followers who will beat down the offender. Leaders who are at the top of this type of culture may or may not realize they are seen this way. Or, they have become so accustomed to the personal benefits that they don’t see the damage it’s doing. Though it is very difficult to recognize, or accept the need for change on a personal level, leaders who find themselves in this position must diligently strive to bring up new leaders, and share at least some authority with them, making it clear that they are protégés. Without them, the organization may very well come crashing down upon the boss’s departure.

Effects On Strategic Planning

Forming the leadership team and developing the strategic plan is a great time to begin dispelling the “God” persona. Make sure everyone understands that the plan is for the organization and not for the leader. It is very difficult for a leader to change the atmosphere that develops around this culture but it’s essential to ensure the leadership team provides honest input.

Next time, Everyone for Themselves and the Status Quo.

This post is taken from the mini-book Leadership Culture and Its Effect on Strategic Planning and Leadership Development. Learn more at http://www.planleadexcel.com/Products/copypreptolead.html.



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Much has been written about culture in an organization and that culture is certainly an important thing for a leader to study. In both my personal experience and study of leadership, I’ve discovered that there is another culture in an organization that deserves a leader’s attention. This culture is probably not clearly defined and there won’t be signs hanging on the wall about it, but it can severely impact how an organization functions and whether it flourishes or remains stagnant.

What is this culture? The leadership culture. This leadership culture may be a subset of the organizational culture as a whole, or it may even be completely different, which tends to lead to very dysfunctional organizations. I define leadership culture as the way leaders and groups interact within the organizational hierarchy. Within the organization’s overall culture, the leadership culture can change from one level to another. In fact several types of leadership culture can exist, usually adhering to the overall organizational culture as defined by the senior leader or perhaps by tradition built over a span of years. I say usually because sometimes, the leadership culture can seem to be the polar opposite of the organization’s stated culture.

Study of the leadership culture, as a vital yet separate part of the organization’s culture as a whole, is critical for two primary reasons. First, strategic planning should be done by a leadership team and that team, and especially its leader, must recognize what leadership cultures exist within the organization and how to react to them. When creating a strategic plan for the organization, it’s essential for the leader to consider the existing leadership culture (or cultures). It’s also critical for the leader to be completely honest in his or her evaluation. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable, or even painful, but it must be dealt with to achieve success.

Additionally, the leadership culture has a significant impact on the development of future leaders. A company may have developed a successful culture of quality service or constant improvement, yet if up and coming leaders are stuck in a leadership culture that doesn’t encourage development, the organization will suffer as a whole. This is where a leader must be careful to understand the leadership culture of subordinate groups. While a clear connection between organizational culture and performance is difficult, I’ve found there is a definite link between leadership culture and the organization’s development of leaders.

I’ll cover each culture type in future articles. For now, let’s start with the Lockstep Culture.

The Lockstep Culture

In this organization, everything runs on a bureaucratic model. Leadership is very formal with a strict chain of command. There is usually very little interaction between the higher and lower levels of the hierarchy. Communication flows downward in the organization, but sometimes the reverse is difficult. The military is an example of this type of culture and it is more prevalent in older companies. Depending on the size of this organization, there may be one or more subcultures; however, everyone will usually defer to senior leaders. The Lockstep culture is not necessarily a bad model. In very large organizations it can be a natural development. But, its success or failure though largely depends on what subcultures develop in the various parts of the organization.

Effects On Leadership Development

This leadership culture can be very conducive to developing leaders. The downside is that to be successful, emerging leaders usually must conform to the style of the organization without much deviation. I’ve observed that emerging leaders who can master the difficult upward communication in this type of organization usually prove to be more successful.

Effects On Strategic Planning

In the Lockstep culture, strategic planning is made easier when the senior leader supports the process, and very difficult if he or she doesn’t. Once created, the plan will be accepted because the boss said so, but enthusiasm for the plan may be a completely different story. Since it may appear to be just another top-down direction, the new plan may not be embraced by the larger organization. Proper communication of the plan is critical and the senior leader must involve lower levels in implementation.

Another issue with the Lockstep culture is within the leadership team itself. Because of the strict and hierarchical nature of this culture, the team’s leader must work hard during the planning process to encourage honest contribution by team members.

In the next post, I’ll discuss the Anything Goes and The Boss is God cultures.

This post is taken from the mini-book Leadership Culture and Its Effect on Strategic Planning and Leadership Development. Learn more at http://www.planleadexcel.com/Products/copypreptolead.html.