Key takeaways on building a humanistic high-performance culture
Human Synergistics Conference - building humanistic high-performance culture
It was a pleasure to attend the recent Human Synergistics Culture and Leadership Conference in Melbourne. As a certified practitioner, it provided valuable time to reflect on my practice and explore the key levers organisations can use to establish and sustain a humanistic high-performance culture.
Culture is the heart and soul of an organisation
When culture is right, it’s something you treasure - you can experience it in the way people work together, how they feel about their contributions, and the pride they take in achieving great results. A positive culture leads to meaningful relationships, fulfilling work and a deep sense of satisfaction.
One key takeaway: Culture exists in your organisation whether you are actively shaping it or not.
It’s important to remember that culture isn’t simply about engagement; it’s much deeper. Culture is made up of the underlying beliefs and behaviours that drive - or hinder - performance. Crucially, culture supports strategy, and good leadership is essential to building and maintaining a constructive culture.
In the HS model, we look at three primary styles that exist within organisations:
1. Constructive style
2. Passive-Defensive styles
3. Aggressive-Defensive style
When leaders drive culture with intention, the focus is on fostering ‘constructive styles’.
The four pillars of a constructive culture
1. Achievement
This is about striving for excellence - achieving the best results in ways that are both personally and organisationally healthy. It’s not just about reaching goals but doing so sustainably and with a focus on continuous improvement.
2. Self-actualising leadership
True leadership means growing as an individual and striving to be the best version of yourself. This is the essence of self-actualisation, which drives personal satisfaction and growth in your professional life. It’s this growth mindset that leaders need to embrace to foster a constructive culture.
3. Humanistic-encouraging leadership
Great leaders empower others. The ‘humanistic-encouraging’ style is about supporting and challenging team members to grow and perform at their best. It’s the balance between nurturing and pushing for results that creates high-performing teams.
4. Affiliative leadership
At the core of affiliative leadership is the ability to build strong, open, and honest relationships—up and down the organisational structure. This approach fosters cooperation, which leads to harmonious and enduring relationships.
The benefits of a constructive culture
A healthy workplace culture strikes a balance between achieving business objectives and taking care of people. When an organisation operates with a constructive culture, employees are intrinsically motivated. They work collaboratively, manage conflict effectively, and develop sustainable solutions.
A constructive culture also embraces risk in a healthy way, making the organisation more resilient to uncertainty and volatility. It allows higher-order needs like belonging, purpose, and autonomy to be met, while discouraging lower-order, disruptive behaviours like avoidance, power struggles, and dependency.
Most of us have experienced workplaces where the culture was either a joy or a struggle. If you’ve had the privilege of working in a constructive culture, you know the positive impact it has not only on results but on overall well-being.
Take action: shape the culture you want
If you’re a leader looking to build and drive a high-performance culture, it’s time to be intentional about it. Don’t leave culture to chance.
Book a discovery conversation about how you can actively shape the culture in your organisation and align it with your goals.