Quick Tip – Pay Attention to the People

🚀 Do you want to become more like them? – Issue #140

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania). His research focuses on motivation and meaningful work, leadership, collaboration, culture, and organizational change.

Last week, he tweeted:

“Before taking a job offer, it’s worth asking: do I want to become more like the people here?

You can aspire to change the culture of a group, but don’t overlook how the culture will change you.

Few of us are immune to the values of the people around us.”

I remember making a similar decision at a later point in my career. I had moved into executive leadership roles and was trying to decide if this was still the right path for me.

I looked at the C-level execs in the company and asked myself, “Do I want my life to be like theirs? Do I want to become like them?” I wasn’t happy with what I saw.

Their values and behaviors didn’t align with the type of leader I wanted to become. So, I left (there were other factors involved too).

At earlier points in my career, the answers to those questions were different. I admired and respected the leadership above me. I was impressed with how they treated others around them and how they inspired our organizations to do our best work.

I wanted to become the type of leader that they were.

Whether you are interviewing for a new job or trying to decide if you want to stay in your current company and keep moving up, ask yourself similar questions. Take a hard look at the people around you, and especially above you.

We think that we can quickly change the culture of an organization or company once we move into a position of power and influence. But, it’s like changing the course of a huge cargo ship.

In larger companies, a culture change could take several years (if it ever happens). If the issues originate at the top (e.g., the C-suite’s values), you don’t have the authority to remove and replace them swiftly. You’ll end up fighting an uphill battle for a very long time.

Your work and career development are already challenging enough. Set yourself up for success by finding an environment that is in harmony with your principles.

Find a leadership team that you can respect and admire. Those leaders will have a significant impact on your daily work and how you express your professional values.

Do you have a friend who is struggling in a toxic workplace and trying to decide what to do about it?