Culture Creators versus Yes Men

I would rather have one frustrated culture creator in my inner circle than 10 yes men. Yes men tell me what I want to hear. They make me feel smarter than I actually am because they are afraid of my response to opposing points of view, or they are too insecure in their own abilities to speak up or take a chance.

Frustrated workers are often misunderstood. More times than not, they are the people who care the most. They are change agents who have been beaten down to a point where they say things like, "I just don't care anymore." As a change agent myself, it's my job and responsibility to speak up and remind these team members that they have to care. They are the most valuable assets we have on our team because they put their heart into everything they do. I can give people the tools, training, environment, and support they need to succeed, but I can't give them the heart. So why would I want to hold back the ones who care the most.

It's my job to be the support system they need. I can do this by simply pointing them in the right direction, helping them come up with a game plan, getting out of their way so they can do what they are here to do... exceed expectations.

Or, I can tell them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, and micromanage their every move until they become so fed up that they leave my team to go excel somewhere else. As an officer, I know what I would do. How about you?