Do you know what today is? Created by the Global Company Culture Association in 2019 and observed every year on September 18th, Global Company Culture Day is a day for companies and leaders to focus on ensuring that their corporate culture functions in a way that, above all, maximizes the happiness of all employees.
According to Tercon Partners, "Culture is a company's personality. Culture defines the environment in which people work – the values, beliefs, behaviors, and underlying assumptions that drive every aspect of the organization's activities. Culture exists in all organizations, whether it is created through careful design or evolves organically."
But do you know one of the worst syndromes that can negatively impact corporate culture? Tall Poppy Syndrome can have long-lasting negative impacts on an organization's culture, and as a result, must be promptly dealt with and extinguished.
First, what is it? According to the Newport Institute, "Getting recognized for your accomplishments should be cause for celebration. So why does it sometimes feel like your successes have made you the target of criticism, gossip, or downright sabotage? You may be experiencing the social phenomenon known as "Tall Poppy Syndrome," which occurs when a person's success causes them to be attacked, resented, or criticized. Cutting people down devalues someone else's achievement by suggesting that they did not deserve the attention. And it can discourage them from striving for future achievements that would attract further attention to themselves."
According to Medical News Today, "Tall Poppy Syndrome refers to people wanting to "cut down" a person who stands out as a high achiever. The term references the image of a poppy that grows taller than the rest of the flowers in a field or garden. The term originated in ancient Rome when the tyrannical king, Tarquin the Proud, instructed his son to kill or remove all the most powerful men in an area that resisted his rule. The king demonstrated his wishes by cutting the heads off the tallest poppies in his garden."
TALL POPPY SYNDROME CAN INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS DIRECTED AT HIGH-ACHIEVING INDIVIDUALS:* ignoring, excluding, or silencing them
* mocking them
* bullying or cyberbullying them
* undermining them or their work
* taking credit for their work
* unfairly criticizing, berating, or disciplining them
* dismissing or downplaying their accomplishments
* gossiping about them
* being openly hostile toward them
FACTORS THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORS CAN BE DUE TO THE FOLLOWING:* jealousy
* sexism and gender stereotypes
* racism
* competitiveness
* the culture of an organization
* a person's lack of confidence
* a person's lack of awareness
Rumeet Billan, CEO of Women of Influence+ and author of a 2023 study on the subject, said, "When ambitious workers find themselves in an environment where excelling is penalized, their productivity will be impacted, and they will have one foot out the door. This not only negatively impacts the individual, but the organization as well."
SHARE THIS: People throw rocks at things that shine. ~Taylor Swift #GlobalCompanyCultureDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog
TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS TO DEAL WITH TALL POPPY SYNDROME:
(1) Raise awareness about Tall Poppy Syndrome and invest in training for all employees.
(2) Hold employees accountable for their actions and adopt zero tolerance.
(3) Ensure that all employees are held to equal and equitable standards.
(4) Terminate employees who don't follow the rules.
TIPS FOR EMPLOYEES TO DEAL WITH TALL POPPY SYNDROME IN THE WORKPLACE:
(1) Establish boundaries and communicate them clearly to others.
(2) Find supportive allies.
(3) Make formal complaints to HR/Personnel department.
(4) If the situation does not improve, investigate other options/jobs.
SHARE THIS: Culture is how employees' hearts and stomachs feel about Monday morning on Sunday night. ~Bill Marklein, Founder of Employ Humanity #GlobalCompanyCultureDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog
So, to all leaders and members of the C-Suite reading this, as you spend the time and effort to create and maintain a rewarding and inspiring culture, make sure to eliminate any and all aspects of Tall Poppy Syndrome. You AND your employees will reap the benefits!
Image Credit: George Clerk/Getty Images.
Read previous posts celebrating Global Company Culture Day here on my blog and more:
Inspiration for Global Company Culture Month And Day! (September 18, 2025)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/09/inspiration-for-global-company-culture.html
Serving in a New Role Today on Global Company Culture Day! (September 18, 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/09/serving-in-new-role-today-on-global.html
Let's Celebrate Global Company Culture Day! (September 18, 2023)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/09/lets-celebrate-global-company-culture.html
Read "Culture Matters: Shaping a Culture That Works" (Wharton @ Work - July 2015):
Read The Tallest Poppy: How the workforce is cutting ambitious women down, a study by Rumeet Billan:
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/tp-whitepaper.pdf
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