Page 61 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

and meaningful connection. Leaders can tolerate cynical,
negative, and demeaning cultures, or they can encourage
constructive, affirming, and uplifting cultures. Leaders
shape these cultures through their words and deeds.
These cultures replace individual isolation with corporate
connection.
Leaders who engender positive work environments pro-
mote good communication, development opportunities,
and pleasant physical facilities to ensure a positive cul-
ture at work. Instead of building routines and patterns that
encourage self-reflection, honest sharing, and the kind of
consistency that brings people together, many of us build
habits, addictions, and compulsive patterns that serve pri-
marily to block out other people. Or we build almost no
routines at all, leaving us untethered in time and space and
making us unpredictable to those who want to connect.
Routines and patterns driven by our deepest values help us
stay grounded in what matters most and available to those
who matter most. When leaders support individual and
policy-level routines that help work work, they create a posi-
tive environment that both sustains productivity and fosters
connection. 8
Workplaces of all kinds use checklists and routines to
ensure quality control. Checklists and routines that are
chosen personally around core values and relationships
lend predictability and stability to our lives. Instead of con-
stantly fighting against time and space, we work with them
in a mindful, realistic way. Whether personally or orga-
nizationally, flexible but consistent routines can help us
know ourselves and others while countering both the per-
fectionism and the unpredictability that get in the way of
connection.

42