As many of us are aware, the leader sets the tone. And that tone is defined by the boundaries set or not set. As Dr. Henry Cloud puts it, “…no matter what role they played, whether a CEO, a VP, or a team or department leader, the leader sets the boundaries that will determine whether the vision and the people thrive or fail. The leaders determine what will exist and what will not.”¹ Maybe you’re the type of leader who is already aware of this principle and are shaking your head yes. However, even to the extent we know this, how much do we practice it? I think about a conversation I had last night at home with my wife Kim. I was talking about my frustration with someone in my organization that is my direct report. Then after hearing this and writing this article, I look to myself and see what my ownership is in all of it. Something I had completely (and conveniently) overlooked. My past behaviors as a leader had allowed for her present behavior. And although there was a discussion about her behavior, I believe now that it even got to that point because of the relationship between boundaries and culture.
Boundaries Create the Culture
“Whatever culture he got, he was either building it or allowing it. He was “ridiculously in charge,” that is, “totally in charge,” and at that moment, he owned it.”² This is a very freeing statement from Dr. Cloud. When we own our leadership. When we are totally in charge of the boundaries set for our team and how we set them we find a freedom, because then we make others responsible for their behaviors with proper consequences for those behaviors. And those boundaries are completely up to you.
“It is a central principle of boundaries: ownership. Ultimately, leaders own it. They are the ones who define and create the boundaries that drive the behavior that forms the identity of teams and culture and sets the standards of performance. Leaders define the direction and are responsible for making it happen. And they are responsible for the accountability systems that ensure that it does happen. It always comes back to leadership and the boundaries they allow to exist on their property.”³
What are you allowing to exist on your property? I think one of the most important things I learned in his previous book on boundaries and what I’m most excited about this week is on ownership. The beauty of boundaries gives you freedom, because you realize that you do have some control over the situation, and you are not helpless to HR for the quality of your team. What I derived from the previous book was that there were some things I was owning that I shouldn’t be. And there were other behaviors of my own that I absolutely should be owning. That’s what I hope to get out of this week’s book and hope you do too.
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Sarah Jackson
Vigilant Poster Girl
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References:
- Cloud, Henry. Boundaries for Leaders . HarperBusiness. Kindle Edition.
- Cloud, Henry. Boundaries for Leaders (p. 14). HarperBusiness. Kindle Edition.
- Cloud, Henry. Boundaries for Leaders (p. 16). HarperBusiness. Kindle Edition.
Influenced by songwriters like Lucinda Williams, Roseanne Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Dar Williams, Sarah Popejoy’s songs blend storytelling with an Americana leaning groove. After living in Nashville for 10 years, Sarah moved back home to Tulsa, what Rolling Stone calls the next Austin, where she is producing her 3rd studio album called “The Oklahoma Storyteller”. Most of the album has been recorded at the newly renovated, world-class studio, The Church Studio, in Tulsa, Oklahoma which was previously owned by Leon Russell. All songs on the new album are written by Mrs. Popejoy, a previous award winner of the American Songwriter Magazine Lyric Contest and The Billboard Song Contest.
The intersections of I-40, The King of Trails (Highway 75), and the largest stretch of Route 66, Oklahoma figuratively and literally is the crossroads of the American Story. It was the end of the trail for many indigenous people during America's dark history of forced removal, birthplace of one of the biggest heroes of America's pastime, home to the struggles of those who lived and breathed the Dust Bowl, home of some of the biggest trendsetting influencers in modern American music, and the site of the worst domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history. This is why the first album in The Oklahoma Storyteller series, is called, "The Oklahoma Storyteller: Crossroads of the American Story", set to be released Summer of 2024.