Leading Change

As I was reading an article on Culture and Chief Executives, I was thinking about where I’ve been, what I’ve experienced, and what has both worked and not worked.

A company’s culture is the collection of self-sustaining patterns of behaving, feeling, thinking, and believing, the patterns that determine “the way we do things around here.” At its best, an organization’s culture is an immense source of value. It enables, energizes, and enhances its employees and thus fosters ongoing high performance. At its worst, the culture can be a drag on productivity and emotional commitment, undermining long-term success. Most companies are so large and complex that the culture acts in both ways at once. Indeed, the culture of a large company is typically made up of several interwoven subcultures, all affecting and responding to one another.

How much of this describes where you work? Do you feel energized or drained? High performing at work, or dragged down?

Or maybe it changes at work from day to day, like it does for me? On the one hand, I am really grateful to be employed and to finally get on track financially (we also just sold the real estate investment-turned-divestment and can breathe freely).

But for those of you just reading this for the first time, I really value freedom and want to help others who feel the same. Freedom has two definitions for me. One is feeling of value, every day. And two is being free to make choices in your life, every day.

What about you, how do you define freedom?