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Overview
Every business owner and CEO knows that workplace culture is critical for success. It’s important to create the right environment so employees can do their best work and approach it with a good attitude. That requires understanding what makes up workplace culture, as well as knowing how to develop it in your company.
However, culture isn’t unique to modern times. In fact, there are lessons learned from some of history’s greatest leaders that can be applied to business today. The author uses examples from Amazon and other contemporary giants as well as historical figures like Genghis Khan and John Coltrane who transformed their cultures in unexpected ways.
There’s no perfect culture for every business, because each company is different and has its own set of values. However, there are some basic ideas that can help you create the best possible culture for your organization. The author discusses these ideas by comparing them to historical figures and their respective cultures in order to make his point clear.
Big Idea #1: Culture is crucial – and it’s unique to each successful company.
Culture is often talked about by business leaders as a key to success. However, when asked for more details, they’re usually unable to give a satisfactory answer. What exactly is culture? Why is it so important? Let’s start with what it isn’t. Culture doesn’t mean values because they’re different things altogether and can’t be confused with each other. Culture also isn’t the personality of the CEO either; that only contributes one part of this concept. Furthermore, culture varies from company to company depending on their individual practices and preferences (i.e., Apple vs Amazon).
Culture is an expression of the business itself. Bob Noyce, who co-founded Intel in 1968, created a culture that reflected his company’s innovative spirit. He did this by creating an egalitarian system with no vice presidents and giving most of his workers stock options. He also made people go to sessions on “the Intel Culture.” This culture fostered innovation and ideas – exactly what this innovative company needed.
A great workplace culture is not a magic bullet. It’s still possible for an organization to succeed even with a bad culture, but it will be more difficult and less rewarding than if the company had a good culture. A better diet can help an athlete perform at their best. The same goes for business: having a good corporate culture makes your employees happier and more productive, which leads to bigger profits in the long run.
Culture plays a role in success. It can be seen in many different aspects of life, from business to the wider world and even back to Genghis Khan. There are several examples that will demonstrate this point. In addition, there is advice on how to define your own company culture for yourself because it won’t fit into one mold.
Big Idea #2: Toussaint Louverture knew how to imprint cultural virtues in his army’s minds.
The story of the man who abolished slavery in Haiti doesn’t sound like it has lessons for businesses today. However, Toussaint Louverture created a culture from which we can learn a lot. He was born into slavery and became an important leader in 1791. He brilliantly saw off attacks from the Spanish and the British, and in 1801 he banned slavery.
Louverture had a genius for making big decisions that communicated his values and culture. One way he did this was by creating rules that shocked his soldiers and made them think about the values inherent in things they do. He banned married officers from having concubines, which was very unusual at the time. The reason? Trust. If the officers’ wives couldn’t trust them, why should the army? Louverture’s shocking rules pushed key cultural virtues – in this case, trust – to the forefront of his soldiers’ minds. Another example is when Louverture gained control of Haiti after its revolution against slavery; his army could have killed off all former plantation owners, but instead he decided to let them live because prosperity was more important than revenge.
