I am currently conducting research for a new transformative leadership journey that will commence in 2026. Part of my research involves reading the new book on leadership by Brené Brown, titled Strong Ground. She echoes many of the things I observe in the organisations where I work.
So here is a short excerpt of a couple of tricky questions we as leaders should be asking ourselves:
- Why is armour necessary and/or rewarded here? (Armour refers to the behaviours we employ to protect ourselves in low-trust environments, like sarcasm.) More on this later.
- What makes it difficult to speak out and challenge ideas or strategies here?
- How many conversations about trust have you had with your manager or leader?
- How openly can people talk about power here? The topic of power and its impact in the workplace is a subject in itself.
- Who is giving you cover when you're encouraged to take risks?