Aug 14, 2019
Kim Cameron focuses his research on virtuousness in
organizations (aka culture) and the relationship to performance.
Kim talks about what exactly virtuous leadership is, the difference
between positivity and virtue, the competing values framework, and
why recognizing achievement is so important… and elusive. Kim also
shares practical ways leaders can begin to implement the process in
their own culture.
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Key Takeaways
[1:58] Kim’s past research on
organizational virtuousness and the development of leadership
excellence has been published in more than 130 academic articles
and 15 scholarly books.
[3:34] Why is seeing the
importance of positive leadership is so elusive? Kim encounters
many senior executives that know positive leadership is fine, but
their focus is pulled instead to shareholder value, customer
satisfaction, and profitability goals. Kim explains that by
implementing positive and virtuous practices, they will create a
significant positive impact on profitability, innovation, customer
loyalty and employee engagement.
[9:30] Most meeting agendas and
time in leadership positions is spent filling the gap between
difficult problems as opposed to celebrating all the wonderful
things that happened, or the virtuous state.
[13:27] There is still much
research to be done, but a 5:1 ratio has emerged between positive
practices and negatives in high performing organizations. For every
1 negative statement, 5 positive ones will keep an organization in
high performance mode. 3:1 is too low and above 8:1 seems
inauthentic and too “syrupy sweet”.
[18:48] A single negative holds
a lot of power, but the results aren’t always permanent. You can
most often restore trust and relationships, however it takes an
enormous balance of positive to negative, and often sacrifice to
show that intentions are real.
[20:38] The heliotropic effect
states that humans innately have a tendency toward positive energy,
or towards the light. Through conditioning, we’ve learned to not
only ignore the positive, but to focus on the negative in order to
keep us safe from harm.
[30:07] It is not necessary to
have a virtuous leader to create a culture of abundance, but Kim’s
research finds it to be much more efficient and
sustainable.
[37:10] Virtuous leaders
understand it’s not about using their team for their time and
energy to create wealth. Instead, they uncover resources such as
positive relational energy.
[38:50] Positive energizers are
high performers themselves, energize more than they extract, and
also positively affect the performance of those around them.
Positive energy is not personality or charisma, it’s a set of
behaviors that anyone can learn. They help others flourish without
expecting anything in return.
[43:41] Spirituality is an
affinity to something bigger than oneself, and realizing it’s not
just all about us, and there are forces in the world we can’t
control.
Quotable Quotes
- “The
very best we can be, the highest aspiration, is the virtuous
state.”
- “Virtuous leaders can unlock
potential.”
- “I
have 15 people that try to help me get better every day, and I’ve
made the same covenant to them.”
- “Spirituality simply helps us be more well
rounded.”
- “Things change remarkably and rapidly when a
virtuous leader takes over.”
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