A masterclass in destroying a remarkable culture

For decades, Boeing was an example of culture done right.
What happened, and what can leaders learn from their story?

Boeing has dominated headlines recently. For the wrong reasons. The question organizations and leaders must ask is:

How did a company once renowned for its culture and leadership end up here?

While there are many reasons for Boeing’s current circumstance, the most glaring—and avoidable—is a lack of organizational transparency. When employees don't feel safe, they don't bring up key issues, and you don't have transparency. Leadership has failed.

The result: a lack of trust, decreased performance, and a culture where employees walk on eggshells. Which decreases morale, problem-solving and stifles collaboration. 

Precisely the opposite of what made Boeing a shining example of leadership done right.

Leadership is a two-way street that empowers others to speak up.

In being singularly obsessed with operational efficiency at the expense of all else, Boeing played the short game. In turn, they missed out on the long-term ROI that comes from culture, leadership and team buy-in.

Sure, public companies must please investors. In this case, investors would be far more pleased if Boeing hadn’t lost 15% market share to Airbus in the last few years.

Key Takeaways 
•  Leadership is a two-way street
•  Playing the short game comes with a price
•  Empowering team members is a crucial skill

What can your organization learn from Boeing’s failures? 

Leaders who empower employees to communicate and listen actively create a culture of open dialogue based on values that elevate performance. That’s where we come in.

At Oji Life Lab, we help leaders acquire, refine and master the skills to create a high-performance workplace. Including leadership, communication and collaboration.

We’re not like everyone else. But neither are you. Click to explore why the world's most ambitious brands choose Oji.

Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Oji Life Lab

Andrea Hoban

Andrea Hoban is Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Oji Life Lab. As Oji’s head of learning and program design, Andrea is reimagining the way we learn skills, such as emotional intelligence.

FOLLOW Andrea Hoban @andrea_hoban