My first job as a teenager was at a burger joint. I started in the summer working the morning shift, 6am-2pm (as a 14 yr old nothing more fun than waking up at 5am on your summer break šµāš«).
But it actually was fun.
The breakfast crew, as we were affectionately known, was a made up of talented, hardworking, encouraging, supportive and fun people.
During the busy periods and the down times, we worked in harmony. We were efficient. We were communicative. We were reliable. We consistently delivered or over delivered!
We did all that while having fun.
Well, we were that way when Beth was our shift manager.
Something strange happened when Rick was the shift manager. Our harmony evaporated.
We were the same group of people; talented, hardworking, encouraging, supportive and fun.
Yet, with Rick as our leader, we were tense. We made mistakes and couldnāt easily recover. We talked less. In fact our communication became defensive and blaming.
And while we still delivered results (most of the time), they came at the expense our relationships and our joy.
While I didnāt have a name for it at the time – at fourteen years old all I knew was Beth was cool and Rick was a dick – I was actually experiencing the impact of leadership on team culture, engagement and results.
This was my introduction to the leadership ripple effect.
With Beth our talents were amplified. With Rick, they were diminished.
Organizations are filled with Bethās and Rickās. If youāre not sure what you have, take a look at your outcomes, and work backwards.