Paying A Lot of Dumb Tax
The irony: I was invited to speak at the Barron’s Top Advisory Teams Summit. At the same time, I was paying the most of my “Dumb Tax”.
In 2014, a team member resigned to be a teacher. I was very surprised because I thought she was a potential rockstar in our firm.
She was a leader and had all the characteristics that I described in the Nudge 008.
My business partner at the time conducted the exit interview. What he learned was one of the biggest shoulder taps that I have had in my career.
She gave us compliments on a lot of things. And then she said the words that have never stopped ringing in my head.
The bottom line: “You talk a lot of talk about leadership and empowerment. At the end of the day, it will always be what Saša says.”
That hit me like a lightning rod. I was prioritizing speed and the way to do things over leading others. I was talking the talk but not walking the walk.
Control and Appeasement Culture
During the startup years, like many businesses, we had what I would call a “Control-Based” culture.
It is about survival and getting things done.
Conflict goes one way – top down.
People are not empowered to bring their talents and genius because everything is on the whim of the leader.
Rockstar team members leave.
Then, I paid more dumb tax by turning our culture into an “Appeasement Culture”.
It was about avoiding conflict.
There was no direction and a constant change of focus.
We did not have accountability and had poor results.
Rockstar team members left.
Purpose Driven and Values-Based Leadership Culture
Take a serious dumb tax deduction. Change the culture of your organization into a leadership culture that is purpose driven, and values based.
To do that, leaders must lead like gardeners and not like chess masters. You curate your culture as you would grow a garden.
The Credo Card is your blueprint.
Trust is your sunlight and water.
Embracing conflict in a healthy way is like weeding the garden.
Rituals give the rhythm and structure to adapt.
At the end, you have Inspiring Results.
Learn more about Saša
Immigrant, Husband, Father, Brother, Leader, Legacy Coach, Author, Speaker, Founder, All Blacks & Liverpool FC Fan, CrossFit Open Athlete, and Fueled by Starbucks.
Meet the Inspire Network Team
Your coach practices what they coach. Let us help you facilitate change.