The document discusses the importance of leadership in creating an aligned organizational culture, emphasizing that leaders should inspire and equip their teams towards a common purpose. It contrasts top-down leadership with aligned/team-based leadership, advocating for a collaborative approach that fosters trust, teamwork, and continuous improvement. The text also highlights Jesus as a role model for leadership, encouraging leaders to build a culture of truth and hope.

1. What Kind of Operating
Culture Are You Leading?
The Greatest Leadership Challenge

2. 2
Your most important function as a leader is to help others think about what they’re
doing in such a way that equips, encourage, and inspires them to commit to
our cause and lend their individual gifts and talents to it. Your teams continuing
actions and performance bear witness to your effectiveness as a leader.
Meeting the Challenge
When all the people and pieces are in place
and functioning smoothly, we’re said to
have an organization that is in “alignment.”
Alignment occurs when your purpose, plan,
and people are all pointed in the same direction
and operating from the same playbook. As
a leader, your primary concern is to bring
your team into alignment and keep it there.
Your culture and success depends on it.
As with every area of leadership, Jesus is the
perfect role model. He loved his key team
members enough to always speak the truth.
He never copped out or compromised His truth
or mission. With perfect integrity, He told his
team (and us) that he loves us and the proved
it. He engendered the hope we all need to
navigate in this life with our eyes on a far greater
glory in Heaven. Jesus always pointed to the
future with absolute and unwavering hope.
But how did Jesus lead? He led by asking his
team to follow him. When we lead, allowing Him
to shape us into His image, we take our team
toward a purpose far greater than a paycheck.
The process of diligently doing this through the
ups and downs of life and business is the race
that has been marked out for us. Given our
physical limitations, wisdom calls us to enlist
the help of like-minded key managers along
the way and to care for the often unspoken
needs of our flock by providing Christ-centered
guidance. This radically extends our reach
and goes a long way toward creating a warm,
welcoming, and unifying company culture. Many
other best practices help Spirit-led servant
leaders to create an aligned workplace.
As God’s stewards, we lead most effectively
when we build trust, equip others by speaking
the truth in love and holding high standards, tap
the talents and commitment of our people, foster
teamwork, share vital information, and reinforce/
reward desirable performance. This produces
a culture that combines disciplined execution
and continuous innovation and improvement.

3. Top-Down vs. Aligned/Team Based Leadership
By contrast, “Top-Down” command and control leadership tends to generate grudging compliance
rather than enthusiastic buy-in and championing of what needs to be done. The chart below
identifies the contrasts between “Top-Down” and “Aligned/Team Based” leadership styles.
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Elements Top-Down Aligned/Team Based
Overarching Goal
Maximize shareholder return;
all about the money
Delight customers; the top
and bottom lines take care
of themselves
Management
Approach
Hierarchical: managers
control individuals
Team-based: managers
facilitate/equip motivated,
self-managing teams
Operating Culture
Static bureaucracy, rules &
controls; innovation
is often acquired
Lifelong learning, dynamic
linking/iterating, continuous
improvement and innovation
Daily Reality Efficiency & cost-cutting
Achieve Plan/KPls, operate
according to shared core values
Communications
Top-down, ‘trust me’ direction
& information; data kept
‘close to the vest’
Transparent, fact-based,
adult conversations based
on shared data

4. The C12 Group • 336.841.7100 • info@C12Group.com
4101 Piedmont Parkway, Greensboro, NC 27410
Considering C12 Membership?
Start the conversation today.
How About You?
Where do you fall? How do you approach
leadership? In what areas does your team
need help with alignment? At the C12 Group,
our members actively engage each month in
continual learning and personal growth, learning
how to lead their businesses and teams to the
honor and glory of our Lord. How about you?
Are you ready to consider C12 membership?