Almost by definition, the appointed leaders of any team have the greatest influence over team members. Others take note of what the leaders say and do, and of how they behave. Whether the process is conscious or unconscious, the values and behaviours of these leaders are translated into norms, expectations, codes, and behaviours that the team adopts in one way or another. In other words – the leaders’ actions, words, and behaviour shape the culture of a team to a great extent.
Until recently, as I reflected on this process in relation to my own leadership, I sometimes thought: “Very well, I can and must accept this responsibility. But must my shortcomings set the culture as much as my strengths? Is there a better, more reliable way for my team to have the most beneficial, most productive – and most enjoyable – culture? Does it have to depend on me quite as much?”
These questions had been on my mind when I first encountered the work of Ray McLean, founder of Leading Teams Australia. As I read his book Team Work, I realised that, in fact, my past experiences contained the key to answer these questions.
In my early twenties I was part of a music group comprised of very talented people, but that nonetheless regularly underperformed. There was unclarity on who had ultimate authority between the operational and the artistic heads. And, among this group of possible leaders there was tension; everyone operated around them on eggshells, especially when they were all present. With that lack of clarity there was also a degree of fear, and mistakes happened during performances that were the product of assumptions and misunderstandings.
I joined this group at a time when, as an ensemble, we went through a program that helped turned the ship around. One of the key things we did was create a code of conduct with a very clear purpose. We wanted all our energy in rehearsal to go into the music, and none to unessential distractions or navigating strained interpersonal dynamics. So, we all agreed that we would learn to receive feedback professionally, rather than take it personally. In this way we set behavioural norms that we all agreed to abide by, including the leaders. We also began to get together more often. We rehearsed more (formal practice), and also got together to just play music for the sake of it (informal jams), and in that way started to understand and know each other more as musicians.
Our ensemble was transformed from within. And something else happened that was somewhat unexpected. After about a year of operating by our code of conduct and increasing our time making music together, multiple leaders naturally emerged from within the ranks, and as a group these new leaders greatly outperformed the previous leadership cohort. I was one of these new leaders – it is in this very context that I began my journey as a music conductor and artistic director.
As Ray McLean puts it, proactive leadership is essentially impossible when the culture is either unclear or considered to be the responsibility of just a few. But when a team clearly defines the culture that it wants, and when team members agree on what that culture looks like, leadership is truly unlocked. Anyone can be a model of that desired culture, and anyone can call it out when others don’t live up to the agreed standards. Every team member is thus empowered to drive the culture and keep each other’s foibles – and those of the appointed leaders – in check, to the benefit of all. The result: an ever higher level of performance.
To come back to the title of this article, what should come first for a team: leadership or culture? To a degree, it is a bit like the chicken and the egg. But, when a team truly regards culture as its foundation and puts it first, leadership can flourish from the team’s every corner.
As a facilitator at Leading Teams, I am proud to support leaders who want to develop leadership across their teams and choose to prioritise team culture as the means to do just that.
