Keith Michaelson's article describes the leadership qualities needed to become a transformational leader. A leader at a major utility recently worked to shift the corporate culture from one of fear, mistrust, and chronic conflict to a more open, collaborative, and high-performance culture.
******************************* The tenth anniversary of the Enron corporate scandal, particularly in the context of the later events leading up to the financial crisis of 2009, reminds us what can happen when a company loses its moral compass. This type of behavior always takes place within the context of the existing corporate culture. Culture – defined as the set of basic assumptions shared by organization members which directly influences behavior – is the deciding factor in a company’s ability to function both effectively and ethically. While it is relatively easy to identify the symptoms of a dysfunctional culture, it is not so easy to make the needed course corrections; and the work of driving cultural change ultimately falls on the shoulders of the leader. It takes a transformational leader – a values-driven role model who can inspire people and build trust – to guide culture change... Download PDF
