WHICH COMES FIRST, LEADERSHIP OR CULTURE?

written by Gary Rupert, Leadership Coach & Cultural Strategist for ||:Leaders Creating:||

We are all familiar with the philosophical question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. In a similar way, those who are tasked with running any type of organization are faced with the question of whether their focus should be on leadership….or culture.

Successful Marching Band programs know that to have engaged members, they must have a strong leadership team and a positive culture. It makes sense that the two are interrelated.

A band’s leadership team helps shape the culture. On the other hand, culture supports and develops leaders. But is one more important than the other? And if so, which comes first; leadership or culture? Culture without good leadership and good leadership without cultural ethics are akin to having a ship without a captain OR a rudder. It is my belief that both good leadership and a positive culture are equally important and necessary. But if you had to choose one, which would it be?

To have a healthy culture, you need leaders that live by and are not afraid to execute a set of core common goals that over time, will manifest itself in the culture. Leaders that talk of the importance of values, but behave in a contradictory manner or accept something less from the members, are detrimental to the band’s culture. Typically, the leader’s values and preferences are the first ways that a band does things. The insightful leader knows he or she must model desired behaviors, understand his or her fit within the culture and use that awareness to drive positive change, and most importantly connect with the member’s hearts and minds, aligning them to a common purpose. If that works, it eventually becomes the culture of the group. So in a very real sense, leaders create culture. And while leaders have a huge influence on the group’s culture, it is important to note that your culture is brought to life and created by everyone in the band.

Jon Gordon, in The Power of a Positive Team, writes

“There is a reason why all great teams have a great culture. It is because culture is the living and breathing essence of what a team believes, values, and does. Team culture is the written and unwritten rules that say how a team communicates, connects, thinks, works, and acts. Culture isn’t just one thing. It is everything. Culture drives expectations and beliefs. Expectations and beliefs drive behaviors. Behaviors drive habits. And habits create the future.”

Every organization has a culture; by design….or by default.

As band directors, our most important job is to create the band’s culture….

and not just any culture. It must be a positive culture that energizes and encourages everyone, fosters connected relationships and teamwork, empowers and enables the members to learn and grow, and provides an opportunity for every student to be successful. Culture is a living, breathing entity. You can change it by what you do or say. You can elevate it by what you think.

I am not sure the question here is which comes first, leadership or culture, but how do the two interact in creating either a successful band program or an unsuccessful one. Here are some insights that you can use to help you determine where your band currently stands with regard to this interaction. They will also give you an indication of what areas on which your band needs to focus moving forward.

1. Poor Leadership/Poor Culture — this band typically demonstrates below grade level skill and struggles to develop as a cohesive unit. Their performance level is not necessarily a true measure of the band’s potential, but is a manifestation of lacking a common purpose and positive guidance. Key here is to develop a leadership team and focus, and to develop a plan for encouraging buy-in.
2. Good Leadership/Poor Culture — one might argue that if there is good leadership, there should be a good culture. A band program that falls in this category can be described in one of two ways; 1) A new band director or leadership team comes into an existing band that has a weak culture. In this scenario, there is hope for the development of a positive culture over time and the guidance of the leader; 2) A well-intentioned, knowledgeable leader or leadership team that is offering a culture that is not a good fit for the school, the community, or the students. In this scenario, it is rare that things end well. Often, the best solution is for the director to look for a position that welcomes and supports his or her special skills.
3. Poor Leadership/Good Culture — typically this is a program which, after developing a positive culture under the guidance of a good leader, suddenly finds itself with a replacement who lacks the skills and insights of their predecessor. The good news is that for a while, the previously developed culture will continue. But in time, with the changes of the new leadership, it will begin to break down. In the best case scenario, student leaders will express their desire to continue valuable elements of the existing culture, while working with the director to infuse his/her new ideas into it.
4. Good Leadership/Good Culture — clearly, this is the optimal setting. This, of course, is the program we all desire to create. The good news is that it is not as difficult as it might seem. Insightful leaders and students must work together to develop a set of core values; things that guide HOW the members of the band go about doing business. Then there must be a commitment to adhere to those values in every aspect of what they do. It is an unquestionable truth that when we do fundamental things on an ongoing basis, it leads to success.

Too often, band programs flounder because they have no clear vision or understanding of how leadership and culture are intertwined.

In truth, it really doesn’t matter which comes first. Without positive, insightful leadership, a good culture cannot be sustained over time. And without those who drive the culture on a daily basis….your students….working within the core values of the group, leadership will struggle. In answer to the question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg, I have always said I don’t care. They both exist, now how do I use them to my advantage. In a similar way, I don’t care whether leadership or culture comes first. I just want to know how I can most effectively meld them together for the advancement of the kids in the program.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We at ||:Leaders Creating:|| value the opportunity to engage with our readers, clients, colleagues, and friends. Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section!

Gary L. Rupert was a music educator for 40 years and was most recently the Band Director at Smithsburg High School in Smithsburg, Maryland where his bands consistently achieved Superior ratings at local, state and national levels. He is a sought-after conductor and adjudicator in the areas of symphonic bands and jazz ensembles. An avid blogger whose daily entries are followed by people in over 57 countries, Mr. Rupert is the author of a daily inspirational book for students and teachers, “Today, No Every Day.” He is also a sought after speaker on leadership, motivation and creating a positive learning environment.

Gary Rupert has been named an Outstanding Maryland Music Educator, a Teacher of Excellence in both the Frederick and Washington County public schools, and has been twice nominated as a Disney Teacher of Excellence.

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