This week, our leadership team stepped away from the day-to-day and invested in two full days together. Time like this is rare and precious, but essential. Because building a culture where leadership thrives doesn't happen by accident. It takes intention, reflection and the courage to challenge ourselves and each other.
Credit: East of England Co-op
Brave. Courageous. Fearless
There's an important distinction between these words.
- Being brave often means acting despite fear.
- Being courageous means facing into the unknown.
- But being fearless? That's different.
Fearless leadership doesn't ignore fear but rises above it. It sets standards, empowers people and creates an environment where everyone feels able to contribute at their best without hesitation.
Creating a sense of ownership and raising standards
We explored how true leadership isn't about obedience. It's about ownership. When people feel they belong, that their voices matter and their values align, performance doesn't need to be forced. It grows naturally.
And that alignment come from our values:
- Do the right thing - We care for our colleagues, customers, members, suppliers and communities
- Unstoppable - We try new things, even if it means not getting it right first time
- Stronger together - We work as one team, creating a positive environment through building good relationships with others
- A place for people to grow - We support each other to grow and strive to be the best we can be
- Respect for the individual - We respect individuality and differences.
These values are the foundation of how we lead and how we achieve our vision to be the best at what we do in the east of England.
Credit: East of England Co-op
The question we left with
How will you become a fearless leader?
Because leadership isn't about titles or strategies. It's about creating the kind of culture where people don't just work. They belong. They thrive. They lead.
When we get culture right, success follows. Strong culture drives stronger results, enabling us to invest more of our resources back in the communities we serve. That's the real power of fearless leadership. It lifts people, raises standards and makes a lasting impact beyond our co-op, out in to our communities and beyond.
Thank you
A big thank you to Rambutan for facilitating and for continuing to lead our leadership training programme as we move forward, and to our technology partners Trust Retail and Pyramid for their support as sponsors and for sharing their invaluable insights into the future of retail technology.
