The Leaderonomics Show: “Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Vision,” Says Gary Schwammlein

Gary Schwammlein, president and chief executive officer of Willow Creek Association (WCA), reminisces how words of affirmation and praise don’t come naturally to him, coming from a background of a typical German family.

Prior to joining WCA, he admitted to committing several leadership mistakes. In the association he is leading, he had to learn how to become accessible to people and praise others as a way to acknowledge them for the good work they have done.

 
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Here are some key takeaways from the interview:

• Leadership is the key and competitive advantage to any great transformation to happen.
• As a leader, you are responsible in helping people create a better future and giving hope to them.
• Don’t underestimate the power of vision in kickstarting a cultural change in an organisation. An exciting vision creates passion and people.
• Set challenging goals that are jointly accountable and encourage people to figure out ways to reach those goals. If one fails, the whole team fails.
• Encourage people to speak good and acknowledge other people, instead of complaining about them.
• Leaders, you are no better than the rest of the people you’re leading. So, let your people speak up and disagree with you.

Do you work in a toxic culture? Share with us your thoughts at editor@leaderonomics.com. For more episodes of The Leaderonomics Show, click here. To engage with Leaderonomics to help your organisation accelerate and innovate in terms of a culture change through Leaderonomics Good Monday, email us at info@leaderonomics.com.