By Judith E. Glaser and Nancy Snell | Leadership Excellence
Published July 2006

It takes we-centric leadership.

No work is more important for a leader than creating a culture in which all team members can contribute. That raises the collective IQ of the company and pays big dividends as the business gleans ideas for new strategies and improved processes.

Before most workers will share their ideas and insights, leaders must create the environment for sharing— it doesn’t happen by telling people to do it. Leaders who create a culture in which decisions are made at the top can’t turn on a dime and ask for help from the troops. They don’t have the credibility. To develop it, they first must regard as assets the experiences, observations, and imaginations of their people—and create opportunities for them to experience what “we” can do for everyone.

Shifting Patterns

We find that coaching—for the leader and by the leader—can help change the culture and get people to see themselves as empowered team players. When an executive learns to communicate in a “we-centric” way, the IQ of the organization rises.

First, it helps to identify and break down some of the attitudes and behaviors of I-Centric leaders—patterns that make them less effective than they could be. These individuals refuse to share power or speak candidly for fear they will appear weak or soft. The I-Centric leader, perhaps unintentionally, turns the focus of the organization inward, because everybody wants to know what the all-powerful boss is up to. The company takes its collective eye off the customer—with predictable results.

I-Centric leaders often assume that voicing their ideas and repeating them will cause employees to embrace them. It doesn’t work that way. They fall into the Tell-Sell-and- Yell Syndrome and create resistance rather than engagement. I-Centric leaders want to be the last word on everything. For these people, winning means somebody else has to lose. They never admit mistakes.

By contrast, we-centric leaders are not hung up on status and maintaining ultimate authority. They lead by example—showing others that it is essential to listen as well as talk, to share information and to learn from mistakes. They share power at meetings by giving the lead to your employees so they learn how to lead too. They seek feedback by asking, “How am I doing as a leader?” and listening and being open to change. They focus everyone on pleasing the client by turning attention outward, to the market. They share a framework for change by setting over-arching goals, asking people for strategies to achieve them, and engaging people in both. They behave like a leader by creating environments for success for everyone. They break down silos by identifying areas where territoriality is getting in the way, finding strategies to end turf wars, foster cooperation, and require teams of people to work together. They model the change by changing how they interact with others, admitting when they are wrong and showing that they can turn a mistake into a learning moment. They focus on creating the future by asking, “What can we create together that will enhance our business. And they celebrate we by sharing the credit and spreading the praise—emphasizing “we are all in this together.”

Putting WE in Action

Once the leader has started creating a We culture, team coaching is a way to engage people. Start asking employees for their help in identifying ways to improve partnering, performance and profitability. This exercise determines what constitutes excellence for you, creates a common language about what good looks like, and helps to identify what is good and working.

Sharing culture. Sharing ideas, and best practices routinely is an essential way of elevating skills, generating enthusiasm, reinforcing culture, and building mutual trust so necessary for growth and profitability. As colleagues learn from each other, they are more apt to develop an “appreciative culture” where sharing is the norm.

Evolve your DNA: Don’t expect overnight results. This process needs to become part of culture. As leaders repeatedly ask questions about how to do the job better, they create a virtual cycle of discovery, collaboration, and innovation. They create a community of colleagues who look forward to coming to work every day.

• Dialogue: These conversations need to be “dialogues” not “talk-ats.” Set the ground rules and determine the scope and objectives, so each member can play a role in creating the future. Organize groups around common experiences to share best practices—a team of sales executives, or a team of marketing executives. Pay attention to group dynamics; don’t let any one person, even the boss, dominate.
• Diversity: Select team members for diversity of viewpoint—in the clash of ideas new insights are formed.
• Describe Impact: Ask team members to describe processes they use that have a positive impact. Talk about how they can transfer this knowledge to others and how it can be applied across functions.

As a leader, you need to promote mutuality and counter territoriality and silo thinking by encouraging everyone to grow with you. As everyone receives feedback on their ideas, performance and behavior, your organizational IQ (and profitability) grow exponentially. It’s a win-win, which is what We-Centric leadership is all about.

ACTION: Shift to we-centered leadership.