Episode 829: Why organizations become shadows of their leaders, with Dr. Larry Senn

Published: Nov. 21, 2018, 9 a.m.

Dr. Larry Senn is a pioneer in the field of corporate culture, having conducted the world\u2019s first research on corporate culture in 1970. As chairman and founder of Senn Delaney, a global transformational and culture-shaping organization, Larry has been on a mission to make \u201cculture shaping\u201d an everyday practice of companies around the world. Larry is also the best-selling author of several books, including, 21st Century Leadership, Winning Team Winning Cultures, and most recently The Mood Elevator.

What you\u2019ll learn about in this episode:
  • How people are greatly influenced by significant adult figures in their lives and who first influenced Larry.
  • Larry\u2019s first entrepreneurial efforts and how they worked for him through school and then through college.
  • The reason Larry compares many companies to dysfunctional families (with turf wars, politics, and trust issues).
  • Larry\u2019s connection to Walmart and its founder who envisioned bringing low-priced consumer goods to rural America.
  • Why leaders have obligations to become their best selves. Hint! It has something to do with organizations becoming shadows of their leaders.
  • How Larry developed a passion for helping companies develop a company culture.
  • What it means to operate as an effective entrepreneur and why Larry believes it means operating lean, with few inefficiencies or redundancies.
  • Why Larry chose \u201cculture shaping\u201d as his career and why it\u2019s so important for businesses.
  • Curiosity vs. judgment and why curiosity can help transform the way you approach problems or challenges in life and in business.
  • Mood elevators and what they have to do with the way you respond to issues you address throughout the day.
  • How riding the mood elevator influences everything in your life from your relationships to your personal effectiveness and even your professional success.
  • How you can reduce the frequency with which you visit the lower floors of your mood elevator and to spend more time moving up.
Ways to contact Larry: