Cultivating a Healthy Team and Organizational Culture
The right leadership motives can create a thriving work environment and align your team with the company’s core values.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker
The health of a team and the broader organizational culture are significantly influenced by the motives of its leaders. When leaders prioritize the right motives—those aimed at serving rather than self-enrichment—they foster an environment where trust, commitment, and engagement flourish.
At Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard's focus has consistently been on environmental sustainability and ethical practices, which align with the company’s core values. This leadership style has not only earned the loyalty and trust of Patagonia’s employees, but also resonated deeply with customers, creating a strong, positive brand identity. Under his leadership, Patagonia has thrived by aligning its business goals with its cultural values, demonstrating that the health of the organization is directly tied to the motives of its leaders.
A leader with the right motives cultivates a positive, healthy work environment that encourages employees to invest their best efforts and align with the company’s mission.
A positive organizational culture results in numerous benefits, including lower employee turnover, higher job satisfaction, and improved performance. Leaders play a critical role in shaping this culture by the values they endorse and the behaviours they model.
Action Step: Review the values that your leadership promotes within your team and organization. Are they conducive to creating a healthy work environment? Consider implementing regular feedback sessions with your team to ensure your leadership practices are supporting a positive culture and aligning with broader organizational goals.
Creating a healthy organizational culture starts at the top. As a leader, your motives set the tone for the entire organization, shaping its culture and defining its path to success.
To learn more about how leadership motives can influence organizational health, be sure to check out our book of the week: “The Motive” by Patrick Lencioni.