What kind of organization are you growing?
Show Notes
Leaders don’t just lead differently, they see the world differently. And the way we see people shapes the kind of workplace we build around them.
In this episode of Your Preshift, we explore a powerful question: What kind of organization are you growing?
Drawing on the work of Frederic Laloux and the Spiral Dynamics framework, we walk through five common ways organizations operate: Red, Amber, Orange, Green, and Teal, and the leadership beliefs behind each one. From fear-driven environments to rule-based systems, performance cultures, relationship-focused teams, and organizations that function more like living systems, each stage reflects a different assumption about people and how work gets done.
You’ll hear how these dynamics show up in everyday in your leadership through how decisions get made, how mistakes are handled, what gets rewarded, and how people experience your presence as a leader.
One important reminder: most organizations aren’t just one stage. Different teams, departments, and leaders often operate from different mindsets at the same time. The real opportunity for leaders is not labeling their organization, but noticing the environment their leadership is creating.
This episode invites you to reflect on three simple questions:
- What currently motivates the people on your team?
- What behaviors does your leadership reinforce?
- And how might you help your environment move one healthier step forward?
Every leader is cultivating something, and the environment we create shapes how people grow.
If you lead a shift, a classroom, a department, or a team, this conversation will help you better understand the culture you’re building and the role your leadership plays in shaping it.