May 29, 2023

“We all have a choice of the type of organizational/personal environment we create through the behaviors we model – we can create an environment of people who are committed to us, or merely compliant or complacent.” - Ed Hendricks

This quote comes directly from my father. It is something that he has included in every training session, workshop, or coaching session that he has ever run. There are two parts to this quote that ring true for any leader, no matter what title you have or don't have. Let's actually start with the second part; we create an environment of people who are either committed or compliant. I'm sure you all can think of a time you were part of a team that was just compliant. Did what they were told and only showed up to get the paycheck. I know from my experiencesI hated that team. It was not a fun place to work, and I know that I wasn't giving my best effort; I did the bare minimum, just like everyone else. On the flip side, I know of teams I've been on where I have been fully committed. I enjoyed going to work, I believed in the mission, and everyone else always had my back. This came directly from the leader. The leader set the tone, and we all followed suit. This leads us right to the first part of the quote, choice. As leaders, whether at work or in our personal life, we get to CHOOSE the environment we create. This happens based on how we interact with our team, family, friends, etc. We've all heard that actions speak louder than words, and that is the truth.  We as leaders CHOOSE what our environment is going to be because of how we behave. What is your choice of behavior going to say about your work culture this week?