Find Your Voice Above The Line

Speak up - Step up!

“Every organisation has a culture, whether it knows it or not. The trick is to know it and act accordingly.” - Michael Henderson

Michael Henderson’s book Above the Line, captures one of the great challenges of leadership and workplace culture.

Because whether we’re conscious of it (or not), every workplace has a line running through it.

In fact, every team has one. Every relationship has one. Every leader has one. Each of us has a line within ourselves.

The challenge is not knowing whether the line exists. It does.

The real challenge though is whether we’re conscious enough to notice which side of it that we are operating from. Then being courageous enough to shift when we need to.

At Proteus, we often talk about the importance of operating ‘above the line’. It’s a simple concept. When understood and lived, it can completely change the tone, energy and accountability of a team.

Because culture is not what we say we believe.

Culture is what we do. It is how we behave.

It’s how we show up when things are busy. How we respond to pressure, feedback, mistakes, change and challenge. How we speak about people when they are not in the room. The standard that we walk past. The behaviour we excuse. And the courage that we either find (or avoid) when something needs to be said.

Below the line is where blame, excuses, justification and denial quietly begin to take over.

When we are below the line, we become defensive. We close down. We protect ourselves. We focus more on being right, than on being curious. We blame and fault-find.

Our brains are wired to scan for threats, but in workplaces these are often not threats to our safety. They are threats to our ego, comfort, status or control.

So, staying below the line is dangerous, because over time those behaviours normalise. And when they become normal, they become culture.

Above the line is different.

Above the line is where ownership lives. It’s where we choose to be positive, professional and proactive. It’s where we stop asking, “Who’s at fault?” and start asking, “What can I learn, own or do next?”

That is why great leaders and workplaces don’t allow their culture to happen by default. They design it together. They agree, both deliberately and consistently, on the behaviours that will help people feel engaged, valued, challenged… proud to be of service.

Culture cannot be outsourced to a values statement. It must be lived, spoken and practised.

And to do that, we need to find our voice - our above-the-line voice.

At Proteus, we often describe this as learning to ‘Catch It’ and ‘Call It’. We Catch It when we notice and acknowledge the behaviours that are moving our culture forward. We Call It when we address poor behaviour or performance quickly, respectfully and professionally. Before any silence gives it permission to continue.

Not the loudest voice. Not the most polished voice. Not the voice that always has the perfect answer. Our honest voice. Our respectful voice. Our courageous voice.

The voice that says, “Can we talk about this?” And the voice that says, “That behaviour was below the line, and it is not what we agreed to.”

Operating above the line is about being aware enough to notice where you are, and brave enough to choose where you go next.

So, ask yourself this simple question:

“Where am I right now, above or below the line? And, where will I choose to go next?”

Wishing you a wonderful week of living, leading and finding your voice above the line!

Richard Dore
CEO - Director of Partnerships
Proteus Leadership