07525 234 180 connect@tamsengarrie.biz

Leading with Self-leadership

by | Oct 10, 2025 | Business

Why Leadership starts with self-leadership

When someone steps into a leadership role, they’re not just taking on the responsibility of overseeing performance. They’re stepping into a position where they actively shape the culture of their team, and by extension, the organisation.

Leadership isn’t just about what you do.  It’s about who you are and how you show up.

The Shift: From Doing to Being

New leaders often focus on what they need to do—setting goals, managing priorities, delivering results. But the real impact of leadership begins with how they are.

Leadership starts with self-leadership.

Before leading others, leaders must learn to lead themselves.

That means developing self-awareness, understanding how their energy and behaviour influences those around them, and aligning their actions with the values of the organisation.

 

Culture Lives in Leadership

Culture doesn’t live in posters or policy documents. It lives in the everyday actions of leaders: in how they communicate, make decisions, respond to challenges, and support their teams.

When a leader walks into a room, they set the tone. Their presence, language, and behaviour shape the environment. And that environment determines how others feel, contribute, and grow.

Intentional leadership creates intentional culture.

The ripple effect of self-leadership

When leaders lead themselves well, they:

  • Create psychologically safe environments
  • Foster trust and accountability
  • Inspire performance and innovation
  • Strengthen team cohesion
  • Reinforce the culture through action

And that’s where real transformation happens—not just in the leader, but across the entire organisation.

The bottom line

Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a responsibility. And it starts with self-leadership.

The leaders who understand this are the ones who shape culture, drive performance, and create environments where people thrive.

Culture – it’s not about people

by | Oct 10, 2025 | Business

Why Culture Is More Than a People Issue

In many organisations, culture is often viewed as a people-centric concept: how individuals interact, communicate, and collaborate.  While these elements are part of the picture, they don’t define the whole.

This limited view has led to a common misconception: that culture is a “soft” issue, best handled by HR. But for businesses with growth ambitions and a need to differentiate, this perception is not only outdated—it’s risky.

Culture as a Strategic Lever

Culture is not just about people. It’s about the strategic infrastructure of the business.

When culture is framed solely as a people issue, its potential is diminished. It becomes disconnected from business strategy, and the opportunity to use it as a lever for growth is lost.

In reality, culture is the bedrock of the organisation. It underpins everything—from what the business believes in, to how it operates, and ultimately, what it achieves.

Beyond values

Another common misunderstanding is that culture is about values and beliefs. While these form the ethos of an organisation, they only become meaningful when consistently translated into action.

Culture is not just what we say we believe: it’s how those beliefs are lived out, day in and day out.  It’s reflected in how teams work together, how leaders lead, and how customers are served.

 

Without aligned behaviours, values are just words.

Culture is visible.

It’s tangible.

It’s experienced in every interaction, every decision, and every outcome – by employees, clients, suppliers, and partners alike.

And that’s why culture extends far beyond the people function, because it influences:

 

  • How marketing messages are crafted
  • How sales conversations unfold
  • How operations are designed
  • How financial decisions are made

Together with vision and mission, culture acts as the glue that binds the business. It creates alignment across departments and roles, enabling clarity, cohesion and consistency.

When culture is strong and aligned, it drives:

  • Performance
  • Engagement
  • Retention
  • Profitability

Without it, processes and practices become inconsistent and fractured, undermining the very values a company claims to stand for.

 

The bottom line

Culture isn’t just about people. It’s about the core of the business. And the organisations that understand this (truly understand it in a way that translates to how they do things), are the ones that will lead, grow, and thrive.