Evolving from a Boss into a Leader
You’ll be receiving each chapter via email over the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for Chapter 2 in your next email from BOSS.
Table of Contents (for previous chapters)
1. The First Ripple
Culture isn’t something that you can order people to live. It’s not something that is cast out from yourself. You have to be there constantly acting to create the vibe you want in your business. Without your constant presence, reinforcement, and tinkering, this new infant culture will die out.
Because it warrants repeating, here is that first tip again – don’t order a culture, live it.
If you separate yourself from this feeling that you’re trying to create in your company then your employees won’t believe in you. “This person is telling us to pull together as a team but then locks himself away in his ivory tower?”
If they don’t believe in you they’re not going to believe that the new culture actually means anything because you yourself can’t be bothered participating in it.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Have you heard of Dave Neeleman, the president of JetBlue? Every single month he personally gets on a JetBlue flight and helps the stewards and stewardesses give out snacks, pillows, blankets, and answer customer questions. If he doesn’t know an answer to a question he takes the number of the customer and promises to have someone get back to them within a day.
How amazing is that? If you’re a JetBlue employee and you see the boss doing the exact same work you do then you know that if you have any suggestions that they’re going to be listened to seriously. If you’re a customer the CEO, and therefore the company itself, isn’t some nameless entity that you’re powerless against if something goes wrong.
JetBlue has a name and a face.
“What you can’t buy is the loyalty that comes through our dedicated crew members.”
– Dave Neeleman
Now think about your own business – are your employees likely to think that you have their back? Do your employees want to offer amazing service because they want their actions to reflect well on you and the company they work for?
If not, it might be time for you to get out of the command bunker and into the trenches.
