Do Wise Leaders Build Community or Culture?

If you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary, Blue Zones, it’s worth a watch.

Here’s a sneak preview: there are five “blue zones” discovered by Dan Buettner, National Geographic explorer and journalist, over a 20-year period. These regions have the greatest concentration of centenarians and residents who live healthy, active lives beyond the average person. Each episode in the series highlights the commonalities between the vastly different geographical areas that contribute to health span.

What does this have to do with organizations and leadership? Plenty.

One common characteristic among the five zones is having a powerful sense of community.

This feeling of belonging imbibes an optimistic outlook and an immersion in shared activities, perpetuating overall wellness. In essence, members feel connected to and embraced by something larger than themselves.

This got me thinking…

• What if organizations and leaders focused more on community than culture?

• Can the same behaviors that nurture longevity and wellness in “blue zones” foster longevity and wellness within organizations?

As coincidence would have it, in the last few days I recently received a Fast Company article by Harvey Deutschendorf that collides with the first of these two questions.

Here’s the difference – a community engenders loyalty, belonging and engagement, while a culture’s ultimate goal is to drive financial results and shareholder value.

Rather than choosing one of these as Deutschendorf suggests, it seems building community is simply the foundation of a strong culture. With today’s intention on building a healthy culture, focusing on community first may be a key requisite.

Here’s a quick checklist to determine if you’re taking some purposeful actions to create community:

• Make sure you select and walk out values that represent the voice of the greater team, i.e., belonging, caring, and having each other’s backs, are a few examples.

• Instead of being a typical “sales-driven” or “operations-driven” organization, hold up the importance of all functions. Consistently share stories of every team’s vital importance in achieving company goals.

• Host volunteer events that appeal to the passion of the broader organization.

• Promote the formation of, then allow time and space for, interest groups that encourage inclusivity. One KC company even has a home-brewers group that meets monthly!

• Contrary to social media squabbles that insist work is not family, a work team may indeed represent family for some of your associates. Those with distant or dysfunctional families may crave a family within their professional circle. You can create close connections in the workplace with the right boundaries.

Consider…

What aspects of community are you integrating into your culture?

If you could take one step starting today to create a stronger community, what would it be?

Belonging to a community binds us to a kindred spirit. It captures and appeals to our hearts and souls in a way culture never can.