I am sitting in a chair at ClearObject across from CEO John McDonald, but I am not in an office, at least not in the traditional sense. McDonald has his “office” in the corner, but it is another cubicle like everybody else.
The chair I sit in is a comfortable, couch-like seat. We are across from each other with a coffee table in between us and behind him are two workspace areas. One is an open area in the corner where a group of employees are working on a project while the other is a glass enclosed space where two employees sit working on yet another project.
As we discuss what it means to be a leader everyone in the office is capable of hearing our conversation just like everyone is able to hear his daily conversations from his “corner office.” This environment is a picture of his leadership approach.
The leader of this Internet of Things organization located in Fishers, IN that creates digital products to replace physical products serves three primary roles as CEO in this fast changing industry.
- Raise venture capital
- Hire people better than himself at everything
- Retain talent
Those three descriptions define his job, but three principles define how he leads within this role.
- Vision. When I asked how he described this popular and important leadership concept, he described it as sailing. Company goals are like the skyline, an objective that is far enough and challenging enough that he can’t do it on his own, but close enough to see. As leaders we can paint a grandiose picture, but the vision has to be tangible enough that the team members can define their roles in fulfilling that vision.
- Culture. McDonald defines culture as the unwritten rules about how things are done. As a leader with new employees, he finds the most important time in an employee’s experience is the first day. This new individual will naturally test the culture. When a leader has clear norms and expectations, that have been accepted, the team members will quickly clarify for new employees how to perform when they are not aligned with expectations. A leader must be intentional and purposeful in the culture he or she creates in the organization.
- Accountability. Accountability at ClearObject is less about punishment and more about acknowledgement. During their Quarterly meetings John will celebrate successes as a means of holding individuals accountable. How does he do this? He sets the bar so people can overachieve. Does he have low standards? Absolutely not. He sets the expectation and gives employees the freedom to go beyond the expectation, thereby exceeding customer expectations and creating an outstanding experience for the client.
As I described the layout of the office and we see McDonald’s guiding principles I realize that everything aligns. An open office space creates open dialogue which is essential in the fast moving tech sector. This also creates a culture where people are approachable whether that is a customer coming in or employees within the organization.
As a leader of your organization or team what kind of culture are you creating? How are you holding yourself and others accountable? Is your vision bigger than you, but still within sight? What is one way you can use these principles to help you grow as a leader at work and home? Comment below or contact me if you want help thinking into your personal or team leadership results.
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