Character is the Currency of Great Leaders
Culturati 2020 brought together leaders from across the country to discuss the power and possibility of servant leadership
Is good character required to be a great leader? Admiral James G. Stavridis ponders this question in his opening keynote, walking through a brief history of famous military leaders.
There was Themistocles of Athens who, after successfully defending Greece from Persian invasion, became overcome with arrogance and was ultimately exiled from his home; a leader brought down by his own ego. Then there was Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the creator of the modern U.S. nuclear navy, who became known not as a great innovator, but as a hothead who threw temper tantrums.
There were some good leaders too — the intellectually curious Grace Hopper, the calm and collected Chester Nimitz, the resilient explorer Zheng He — but character, Stavridis believes, is the unflinching attribute of great leaders.
“There are a lot of books written about leadership, but not as many about character.” — Admiral James G. Stavridis
Culturati is a gathering of business leaders committed to building meaningful company cultures, and leadership was the through line of this year’s Summit.
We have all heard the idiom “It starts at the top,” and certainly culture is no exception. Unscrupulous leaders breed unethical cultures, and ambivalent leaders can prevent positive change from progressing, even where there is significant employee buy-in. Leaders who show moral courage establish trust, not only with their employees, but with society at large. It is why prominent investors are demanding CEOs shift away from a shareholder-obsessed mindset and accept that purpose and profit are “inextricably linked.” It is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.
But moral courage can be difficult and . Major General Angela Salinas asks, after telling the story of a woman who surrendered her livelihood in order to do the right thing, “What are you willing to sacrifice in the name of moral courage?”
“Leadership can be very lonely.” — Amy Nelson
In today’s climate, Stuart Crabb asserts: “Culture is the great differentiator.” It is the glue that holds companies together and keeps them afloat in times of crisis. Culture is not defined by an organization’s mission or vision or set of proclaimed values, but rather by the behavior of those operating within it. For this reason, leaders must “replace mindlessness with mindfulness,” as told by Jeremy Hunter. They must prioritize belonging and inclusion, and not be afraid to, as Carin Taylor puts it, “talk about the hard shit.”
If character is currency of great leaders, then purpose is the lifeblood of successful cultures. In their session “Purposeful Leadership Through Social Impact,” Hannah Nokes and Maggie Miller of Magnify Impact expanded on the Summit’s theme by making the business argument for aligning profit and purpose within an organization.
“It is statistically impossible to be fulfilled in life if you are not fulfilled at work.” — Hannah Nokes
The “Responsibility Revolution,” largely led by Millennials who will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025, demands employers prioritize social impact and sustainability. A company’s perceived character is beginning to directly impact the bottom line, and investors have taken notice.
So what are my biggest takeaways from the Culturati Summit this year?
- Culture (still) starts at the top
- Character is what you do when no one is watching
- Behavior, not proclamations, define a company’s culture
- Aligning profit and purpose are becoming a “must have” for companies
- Don’t be afraid to “talk about the hard shit,” when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Savannah L. Barker
Savannah L. Barker is a Culturati Fellow and the Director of Strategic Programs at Notley. Notley is an engine for social good working to catalyze the growth and expansion of innovative organizations making positive change in the world.
Follow her on Twitter or contact her directly here.
About Culturati
Culturati is a community of CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors and other C-Suite leaders who practice & study culture building and share our playbooks. We’re leaders — from technology, finance, banking, the arts, other industries, educational institutions and government — who get the power of culture. We organize impactful & actionable keynotes and breakout sessions for the annual Summit. We share information online, in our recently published book (The Culture Book V1: When Culture Clicks) and at our Culturati Connect events hosted around the country. To learn more, visit culturatisummit.com.
