Scenario: A new director of a community health clinic recently wrote to us that they have been struggling with building their organization's leadership capacity, mentioning there is a culture of fear around taking risks and being innovative. They wrote, “My staff seems hesitant to voice their opinions and ideas, leading to stagnant growth.”

As a new leader that has been tasked with addressing the fear of taking risks and encouraging a culture of meaningful dialogue with everyone, they need to create a safe space for staff to voice their opinions and ideas. However, they recognize that not all staff might be ready for change so quickly. They’re wondering how to shift staff mindset to be less reluctant and more collaborative in decisions, without overwhelming them and further hindering the organization’s growth.

Here are two leadership moves new leaders can leverage to begin to build enterprise-wide leadership and effectively make progress when challenges arise.

As a leader, you may notice that your organization requires more collaboration, shared ownership, and risk-taking. You may feel like climbing the corporate ladder has made you more risk-averse and scared of being wrong. It's common to feel the pressure to always have the right answers. However, it's important to pay attention to how differing opinions and failures are managed within your organization, as it can encourage or discourage innovation and growth.

• What are the risks you find yourself unwilling to take?
• Do you avoid taking these risks to preserve your social standing or reputation?

How can your personal experiences shed light on the risks other leaders are avoiding?

It’s important to recognize that when undesirable behaviors occur, the system is designed to produce those results. A necessary move is to make specific observations about what behaviors the system produces. It's crucial to step back and observe the action from a different perspective. Once you identify these behavioral patterns, study their dynamics. There are likely protocols, rules, and norms that lead to these behaviors, which are ingrained in the culture.

• What undesirable behaviors are currently occurring within your organization? Are there any patterns holding your team back?
• What specific observations can you make about the behaviors your organization produces? What policies or protocols are affecting the actions of your team?
• Are there patterns or certain groups of people who are less likely to speak up in your organization? Do you notice ineffective dialogues during meetings?

To disrupt these patterns, you must first see them. For instance, you may notice that half the room doesn't meaningfully contribute to quarterly strategy sessions. This is a pattern you can identify. A norm that may contribute to this is that the most senior person in the room always owns the agenda and starts the conversation, which ends up sucking the air out of the room and raises the stakes too high for participation. Once you see the pattern and understand its underlying dynamics, you can work to disrupt it and create a more inclusive and collaborative environment.

To shift your organization's culture, start small. Don't try to tackle the entire leadership team at once, since cultural change takes time. Identify where you can test an intervention, such as a team meeting, or moment that's ready for change. After making a change, allow the group to determine if it made a difference. Trust they will make the necessary shift when they see a different approach. Remember, “small is all” when it comes to cultural change.

Healthcare demands adaptive leaders to navigate its complexity. The Advisory Board Fellowship is an immersive leadership laboratory and practice ground where leaders are challenged and supported by diverse industry peers, world-class faculty, and executive coaches as they make progress on their most pressing organizational challenges. Build the capacity and advance critical priorities at your organization.