Strategy Meets Performance with Dr. Shahrzad Nooravi, PsyD, MCC

“Culture is a living organism that we have to tend to and grow every day,” explains Dr. Shahrzad Nooravi, PsyD. Dr. Nooravi is both the author of Strategy Meets Performance and a business psychoanalyst who works with company leadership to create engaging workplace cultures. Today, she discusses her methods for helping leaders develop authentic and inviting workplaces.

Much of leading with authenticity begins with self-awareness and personal accountability. A powerful culture starts with a lot of inner work on behalf of the company leaders. It’s not enough to just talk a big game, you have to be able to walk the talk. When the employees can see their leaders modeling the values expressed in the company handbook, they feel more confident. Additionally, they will feel more valued when you can put aside your ego and be more receptive to feedback, even if it is negative. When employees feel like their voices are actually being heard by leadership, they are more likely to want to stay.

With leadership strategy, it comes down to really committing to authenticity. Starting a job is a top 10 life stressor, so anything you can do to create a healthy and engaging workplace culture will go a long way with your team. Remember to speak up for your beliefs even in uncomfortable situations and to always listen more than you talk.

• “It's having the courage to speak up and share our voice and share our agency, not just when we're in a room full of people who we know very well and we trust really well, but also in scenarios where it may not be as comfortable.” (4:25-4:43 | Dr. Nooravi)
• “When it comes to having the courage to speak up, we have to remember that every time we do, we are planting a seed. And that seed could be what helps an idea or someone else speaking up bloom later.” (4:57-5:12 | Dr. Nooravi)
• “A powerful culture starts with you, that inner work leads to that outer success.” (8:45-8:51 | Dr. Nooravi)
• “We need to be rooted and growing. Rooted in our experiences and our wisdom and what brought us to this point and still continue to be growing. And culture is a living organism that we have to tend to and grow every day.” (24:16-24:34 | Dr. Nooravi)
• “One attribute of authenticity is deep listening and listening to understand, not listening so that you could speak and give a response.” (25:29-25:41 | Dr. Nooravi)