Create a Culture of Leadership

Go First!

It seems like forever ago that I started on my personal leadership journey, from which grew the idea of formalising my experience into a system of leadership that I could share with the rest of the universe.

That forever journey has culminated in the Influential Leadership System and the associated Alpha Programme.

One of the first epiphanies—‘aha!’ moments—I experienced as the System took shape was that proper leaders ‘go first’.  Such a notion is different from ‘I am first’ or ‘I come first’ or ‘I arrive first’ or ‘I am number one’.  Such notions belong to legacy forms of leadership, the ones that have failed us.

A person that ‘goes first’ is the one who sees and engages with a Leadership Moment, irrespective of what others are doing, and regardless of risks and benefits, acting as required of Influential Leadership.  Such a person becomes an Influential Leader at that moment of going first.

Influential Leadership in Our Workspaces: The Journey

The table below summarises the seven On Leadership editions that have covered our conversation about Influential Leadership in our Workspaces.

The final piece of the conversation covers what it means to Go First.

Building a Culture of iLeadership

I appreciate that there are many points to work through, even in the above summary, so let me emphasise just one final leg of our journey.Have another look at the infographic above, of the Great Pyramids of Giza.  These man-made structures seem almost impossible to build, even in the 21^st century, but there they are—standing after 4,600 years.Creating a workspace culture can feel daunting, but it too starts with a great intention and plan, and then the first building block…

Creating a workspace culture is like building the Great Pyramids.

• The Intention and Vision are the Blueprint:  Long before a single stone was laid, the ancient architects had a clear design—a structure meant to endure for millennia. In the same way, a strong workspace leadership culture begins with a clear architecture and intention, and a philosophy and principles that everyone sees and trusts.
• Every Stone Matters:  The pyramids were not built from a few massive blocks, but from millions of individual stones, each placed with care.  In a workspace, every action, conversation, and decision is a ‘stone’ that shapes the culture.  Even the smallest contributions add to the whole.
• Skilled Hands, Shared Purpose:  The builders ranged from master craftsmen to labourers, but all worked toward the same goal. In a healthy culture, every team member—regardless of role, position, title—must feel their work is essential to the greater structure.
• Strong Foundations First:  The pyramids stand today because their base was perfectly aligned and solid. In our workspace, the ‘foundation’ is personal example, trust, respect, and principled behaviours based on a clear leadership philosophy. Without these, the culture will crumble under pressure.
• Legacy Beyond the Builders:  The pyramid’s creators never saw the full glory of their work completed—but they knew it would stand for generations. A great workspace leadership culture is built not just for today’s team, but for those who will join in the future.
• Benefits are Collective: All members of the workspace benefit, and because they all benefit, they feel engaged and are engaged. Perhaps many of the Giza ‘workers’ were slaves so their engagement was not voluntary, so just imagine what can be achieved if each team member is fully engaged!

You will recall that we defined a culture as the way we do things around here.  It is like our personal habits—a workspace culture is our collective habits.  We create habits day-by-day through our behaviours.Imagine the great pyramid you want to build, then begin right away, stone-by-stone—behaviour-by-behaviour—until it is done!  Go First!

Regards,
Colin Donian
Karoo Founder & CEO
iLeadership Equips us to Go First!

Leadership Note # 3525 | 01.09.25
e: colind@karoo.world
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