• All CHANGE is CULTURE

In any society, organisation or family, if you don’t understand the cultures and customs, you will struggle to understand the basis of the relationships. Equally so, if you do not consciously change existing toxic cultures you tend to reproduce the same toxic relationships even if the leadership or staff change. Environment conditions the atmosphere and ambiance in any organisation.

Any meaningful change in any organisation or society, is first a culture(s) change. Any organisation has dominant and other cultural traits (some good and others horrible). Cultures hurt, they wound or they can build, nurture and enable. This is because Culture determines in many ways attitudes, aptitude, and performance. All visions, strategy & structure are fueled by culture. Organisational persona and performance is often the outcome of relationships of mutuality and trust not meticulous branding and profiling.

Organisational Culture does just happen. It is the result of behaviours , attitudes, actions and omissions that consistently either rewarded , sanctioned , ignored , enabled or covered up !

• CULTURE doesn’t SELF-REPRODUCE

The taboos, sacred cows, unspeakables and silences of any organisation ultimately speak the Loudest! Leadership sets the tone of culture through words and actions that are consistently applied. As a leader you are often – consciously or subconsciously- the reward system alarm in any organisation. Those closest to you or deemed to be often model what the organisation is, believes and tolerates. Closeness is both rank and/or informal access. For example a political leader surrounded by thugs or just exuberant mediocrity tolerates and believes in it !

Political Culture – as is the case with organisational culture – ultimately determines outcomes and quality of both relationships, performance and operational environment. It is co-created by all levels of leadership and membership of a society or organisation.

Culture is a very potent weapon or instrument of change or the greatest guarantor of the status quo (the mess that we are and cannot escape). It is enabled by formal and informal processes, platforms and relationships. Mind your organisational culture, it kills patriotism, collective good, belief in systems and leadership, trust, standards & accountability!

You cannot counter corruption in any system or organisation without rebuilding trust in transparency and accountability. Without building counter – culture that addresses tendencies whereby false equivalence based on formalised informal access and power determines organisational tone and ultimately decision-making.

There are folks that destroy trust, unity and accountability in organisations by constantly whispering toxic stuff into ears of Presidents, CEOs and Board Chairpersons. There are unwise, insecure or narcissistic Leader’s that destroy their own credibility and teams by relying on rumours to govern. Look, human beings are human, they will use you to fight their perceived or real competition or nemesis.

Toxic cultures or Toxicity is not only associated with mediocrity. Brilliance can co-exist with toxicity. Misogyny can co-exist with genius and insecurity and immaturity with phenomenal performance. Toxicity is the product of character and personality. As a leader you must always firmly manage, monitor & address head on those extremely brilliant toxic folks in your team. They may be excellent or genius – but destructive and divisive. When they flourish no one or nothing else is allowed to grow and/or shine. It is difficult because as a leader you quickly become dependent on your five-star performers. But some are so poisonous by nature or nurture!

I have worked closely with all sorts of organisations over the last 32 years and I can safely tell you that will find toxic brilliant folks at all levels and all sorts of spaces, including : in churches and mosques, in private companies, medicine, law, etc.

Then – of course – there are folks who are LIARS or those burdened with fancy IMAGINATION !

Some toxic folks are those whose AMBITION is on STEROIDS. These can produce toxicity on an industrial scale!

Enjoy your weekend don’t be TOXIC!