Why leaders who maintain a positive culture get the best results

Leaders everywhere are struggling with the challenge of remote working. If you are a leader in Melbourne or Sydney, chances are you are working from home. In other parts of the world, you may use a hybrid model.

Either way, leaders face multiple challenges.

Expectations

Many people report that clients and management still expect as much, if not more, output from remote teams than when they were in house. Those expectations are unrealistic.

Mental health

Mental health is also a rising challenge. Last year, Mental Health First Aid England reported that one in six workers will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time.

Positive culture

It can be quite difficult to maintain positivity and an innovative culture when teams are working from home or in a hybrid model with the challenge of managing the boundaries between work and home life.

Support network

Many leaders also believe they are missing out on opportunities to network and collaborate with other leaders. As a result, they are struggling to find fresh ideas while being locked away from the world.

The results of our own market research on the topic suggest people are struggling with maintaining a positive and an innovative culture while also recognising the need to support the mental health of their team members.

Research outlined in the HBR article, Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive by Emma Seppälä and Kim Cameron, concludes that, “When organizations develop positive, virtuous cultures they achieve significantly higher levels of organizational effectiveness — including financial performance, customer satisfaction, productivity, and employee engagement.”

They link employee wellbeing and positive culture by proposing that employee wellbeing comes from one place, and one place only — a positive culture.

The researchers suggest the qualities of a positive workplace culture boil down to six essential characteristics:

- Caring for, being interested in, and maintaining responsibility for colleagues as friends.

- Providing support for one another, including offering kindness and compassion when others are struggling.

- Avoiding blame and forgive mistakes.

- Inspiring one another at work.

- Emphasizing the meaningfulness of the work.

- Treating one another with respect, gratitude, trust, and integrity.

🙋 What are your suggestions about how leaders can maintain a positive culture in a working from home/hybrid model? 🙋‍♀️