Why leaders matter more than perks and prestige

🎭 Rehabilitation of “Favorite Team Member” Politics in Leadership 🎭 Every leader has someone they connect with more — it’s natural. But when that favoritism turns into politics, the entire team suffers. 🚫 Here’s how to rehabilitate and reset the culture: 1️⃣ Self-awareness first – Recognize if you are unintentionally favoring one person in opportunities, recognition, or decision-making. 2️⃣ Equal platform – Ensure every team member gets the same visibility, growth opportunities, and recognition. 3️⃣ Transparent decision-making – Explain why choices are made (role assignment, promotions, recognitions). 4️⃣ Rotate opportunities – Don’t always give the “critical” projects to your favorite member. Spread ownership. 5️⃣ Encourage diverse voices – Actively invite opinions from quieter or overlooked team members. 6️⃣ Feedback loops – Ask the team how fair they feel the environment is. Perception matters as much as reality. 7️⃣ Mentorship balance – Don’t over-invest in one person. Grow the whole team. 8️⃣ Celebrate collective wins – Shift the spotlight from an individual to the team. 💡 Great leaders rise above favoritism. They make everyone feel valued, not just the “chosen ones.” 👉 Have you ever seen a team recover from favoritism politics? What worked best in your experience? #Leadership #TeamCulture #Fairness #Transparency #PeopleFirst

In today’s war for talent, purpose is greater than perks. Top candidates do not just want a job; they want meaning, growth, and belonging. Here are four ways leaders can build a culture that attracts and retains the kind of people who create lasting impact: Define your purpose with authenticity. Be clear on why you exist beyond profit. Make it part of your strategy, not just a slogan. Embed purpose in every role. Ask each person, “How does your work tie to our mission?” Purpose must live in daily decisions. Celebrate behaviors aligned with your values. Recognition signals what matters and draws more of what you want. Leadership must walk the talk. Culture flows from the top. Purpose is not optional. It is strategic. What is one way you have seen purpose drive talent attraction or retention? #Leadership #Culture #Talent #PurposeDriven https://lnkd.in/gTKq34Qj

The idea of “culture fit” has become shorthand for comfort. But comfort isn’t what drives transformation. Some of the most impactful leaders aren’t the ones who blend in seamlessly. They’re the ones who ask hard questions. Who bring in new mental models. Who stretch teams out of old habits and into better ones. Hiring someone who makes you think twice might be exactly the point.

In mid-size companies, it is common to observe situations where individuals secure positions through connections with top management, often overshadowing more skilled and experienced candidates. This can lead to chaos within teams when these individuals lack the necessary experience or skills to provide effective direction. Unfortunately, some may excel in gossip and serve as informants for management, prioritizing information gathering over genuine leadership. This dynamic can disrupt team cohesion and hinder overall productivity. what you all think on this.

In our careers, money and colorful titles are important. But I’ve come to realize that respect and empathy matter even more. Earlier in my career, I went through a phase where I had to take an unexpected health-related break. During that time, I experienced leadership that responded with kindness, empathy, and support — leaving a lasting impression on me about what true leadership means. Much later, in another role, I saw a very different side of workplace culture. Despite good contributions and recognition, I realized that when concerns aren’t heard or acknowledged, even capable employees can feel disconnected. The contrast between these two experiences has been eye-opening. Both experiences taught me something valuable: Employees thrive not on slogans or ratings, but on genuine respect. Leadership is tested in one-on-one moments, not on public stages. Culture isn’t what’s posted online—it’s what employees feel every day. As I look ahead, I know what I want to commit to: ✔️ Workplaces where culture is lived, not just spoken. ✔️ Leaders who value respect and empathy as much as performance and who practice what they preach. ✔️ Teams where growth and well-being go hand in hand. Every chapter, whether supportive or challenging, has been a lesson in self-realization and growth. #Leadership #WorkCulture #Respect #EmployeeMotivation #CareerGrowth

Are We Speaking the Right Language? A Manager's Reflection on Leading Gen Z. Lately, I've been reflecting on one of the most significant challenges and learning curves of my management career: leading a team comprised entirely of bright, young Gen Z professionals. And I want to be candid—it has been eye-opening. I've observed a fundamental shift in what drives and motivates this generation. Traditional levers that we've relied on for years—client escalations, critical feedback from leadership, or even the promise of a better appraisal—don't seem to land with the same impact. I've found myself in conversations where I've tried to explain how a certain lack of urgency could affect their career growth, only to be met with a calm indifference. The concept of 'seat time' is another area of disconnect. When I ask for adherence to shift hours, the response can be, "Why must we sit for so long? Do you want us to spoil our eyes for this?" This isn't just an excuse; it's a genuine question from a generation that prioritizes well-being and questions the 'why' behind every rule. There are moments of deep frustration, and it's easy to label these behaviours as 'irresponsible' or 'not serious'. But I'm starting to realize that frustration isn't a strategy. This isn't a failure of our young talent; it's a failure of our outdated leadership playbook. It has become crystal clear to me that the onus is on us, the managers and leaders, to adapt. We are the ones who need new tools. We desperately need training sessions on how to understand this new workforce psychology, how to communicate effectively, and how to create an environment where their unique strengths can shine. We can't get the best from these individuals by forcing them into a mold they have already broken. We need to learn their language and what truly makes them tick. Have other leaders experienced this cultural shift? What strategies have you found that actually work to bridge this gap and unlock the immense potential of our Gen Z teams? #Leadership #GenZ #Management #FutureOfWork #TeamCulture #CorporateCulture #HR #EmployeeEngagement #genpact

Culture isn’t written on walls. It’s revealed in the small things, who speaks up in a meeting, who stays silent, and how leaders react. People often dismiss culture, but it’s the lifeblood of an organization. Whenever you step into a new role, you should observe everything closely. Here’s where to start: 1. Observe meetings → Who dominates, who stays quiet, and whether leaders invite input. 2. Step outside the boardroom → Lunchrooms and corridors often reveal more than surveys. 3. Watch body language → Respect and hierarchy show up in the smallest gestures. 4. Listen to the overlooked → Sometimes the junior-most team member sees what leadership misses. If you want to change an organization, don’t start with glossy reports. Start with the everyday behaviors no one else is paying attention to.

Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say. I told a CEO exactly this. He didn’t want to hear it. He believed “my way or the highway” was leadership. But here’s the thing when no one’s voice is being heard, there’s no alignment with the mission. And without alignment? You lose your best people. Eventually, he listened. He stopped shutting down ideas. He started listening, actually listening. What happened? Output per employee grew. Morale skyrocketed. And he was suddenly able to attract A-players because top talent doesn’t just want money, they want purpose. The best retention strategy isn’t free lunches or perks. It’s alignment with the mission. If your team doesn’t feel like their voice matters, they’ll never feel aligned. And if they’re not aligned, they’re already halfway out the door.

****** “What got you here won’t get you there.” — Marshall Goldsmith ********* Culture is a powerful driver of success, I've always believed that. But over 15+ years in leadership, I’ve learned that a great culture must evolve to stay effective. I’ve often heard: “Your team loves working for you.” While that’s a compliment, it can also be a warning sign, if it’s not paired with performance. When people feel too comfortable, standards can slip. In today’s work environment, our well-intended support can quietly drift into over-acceptance. Keeping people happy starts to take priority over helping them grow. That’s when I’ve stepped back multiple times in my career, reassessed, and raised the bar, not by being less supportive, but by being more structured and intentional. I didn’t hope expectations were met; I made sure they were clearly set. I’ve never avoided the hard conversations. “I’m busy” wasn’t a reason for why something couldn’t be done, it was a cue to help refocus priorities. The culture stayed positive, but it gained edge. Support remained, but now it came with standards. What I found is that people don’t resist this shift. They often crave it. Most of the time, they just need clear expectations and confident leadership. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to lovingly raise the bar. High support. High challenge. That’s how teams grow. It’s okay for things not to be okay, but that doesn’t mean we leave them there. What was once outstanding can be outstanding again. #reassess #focus #hardconversations #driveforsuccess #okcanbegreat #faceheadon #leadership #itsoktoraisethebar

📍 Don’t just play. Shape it. Over the last two decades in the building materials industry, I’ve been privileged to work across diverse organizations and cultures. Each stint has transformed me, enabling me to strive for the next. For me, ✨ "culture" has always been the most important factor—whether in family or at the workplace. I owe this belief to my parents, both humble government employees, who “walked the talk” and instilled the value of building and shaping culture every single day. They lived by one simple rule—"don’t hurt anyone, and help others as much as you can." Leadership wasn’t a buzzword in their times, but they lived it in practice while raising us. Stepping into the professional world, I realized how crucial ✨ "culture" is in creating 📌 "psychological safety"—a ground where individuals can be curious, take risks, collaborate, and focus on excellence without fear of favoritism, unnecessary comparison, or missed recognition. Across my journey, I’ve often observed that mid-level managers—the real backbone of organizations—are not always groomed to understand or shape culture. When they are, they can create incrementally productive environments that inspire their teams and drive outstanding outcomes. But when they aren’t, many talented professionals feel compelled to quit early, impacting both their careers and the organization’s talent pipeline. I believe leadership has a responsibility: "don’t just play with—shape the culture." And more importantly, pass on that spirit to mid-level managers, specially. Because when they learn to shape culture, they also learn to shape business—often without much interventions from senior level management. It's my conviction that, "Culture" isn’t just what we inherit. It’s what we shape, nurture, and pass on. #Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #MidLevelManagers #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ShapingTheFuture #humanresource #hrd #excellence