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A healthy culture is the cornerstone of any winning organization. It’s not just a byproduct of good leadership; it’s a direct reflection of it. Leaders, especially those in influential roles, set the tone for the environment their teams will either flourish in or flounder. One of the most important things to remember is this: culture isn’t what you say, it’s what you tolerate.
When leaders define and defend a culture of excellence, honesty, and care, people naturally rise to those standards. A healthy culture is built on clear values, consistent communication, and a shared sense of purpose. Vision alone won’t get you there—it’s the daily habits, attitudes, and relational dynamics that shape the environment where people do their best work.
As Seth Godin has said, culture is defined as “this is what we say and this is what we do.”
Great cultures are fueled by trust. When trust is present, people feel safe to share ideas, ask questions, and even make mistakes, knowing that their leaders have their back. Leaders who foster trust create a culture where innovation, risk-taking, and creativity thrive. It’s also a space where failure is seen as an opportunity to learn, not as a death sentence for one’s career.
The key to maintaining this trust is authenticity. Leaders must model the behaviors they expect from others. Humility, transparency, and accountability go a long way in reinforcing the kind of environment where people feel valued and empowered.
The following is a leader who reflects these thoughts:
Winning Cultures Are A Picture Of The Leader
Winning cultures are the length and shadow of a single individual – the leader. At the University of Alabama, head coach Kalen DeBoer is appearing to be making a successful transition from the Nick Saban regime. No small feat!
Regarding Coach DeBoer, former player Jake Haener said in this article from The Athletic, “The best thing about him is there’s no ego. I think he does a really good job of surrounding himself with a lot of people that are like-minded. The longer I’ve played and the more staff interactions I’ve had, I’ve seen divide on some staffs, or people don’t see things the same way. When you’re on a Kalen DeBoer staff, that’s never the case. When they do disagree on something they debate, and they always try to come to the same, right conclusion. He does a really good job of letting his coaches coach.”
From Haener’s comments, we learn four traits of winning cultures:
- They are egoless.
- They have like-minded leaders who are aligned and attuned.
- Healthy debate exists.
- Leaders throughout the organization are empowered.
5 Things Winning Cultures Invest In
But there is more. Coach DeBoer said, “Just invest in the people. Invest in the staff, invest your time, invest in trying to get the right people hired to be in this building because what they do every day is going to trickle down to our players and how they feel is going to be what makes our culture what it is.”
From his comments, we learn five things winning cultures invest in:
- Winning cultures invest in people.
- Winning cultures invest in leaders.
- Winning cultures understand the value of time and properly invest it.
- Winning cultures invest in the right hires. Culture is who you hire. Every person you bring into your organization changes your culture for the better or worse.
- Winning cultures focus on the mental and emotional health of their people and organization.
What is one thing you can implement from the list above which will help you dramatically improve your culture.
FREE Culture Resource
In conjunction with one of my content partners, I created a new checklist to help you identify ways you can improve your culture:
You can download them by clicking HERE or on the image below.
Now a special request. These is a complimentary resource. Therefore, if you download them, make special note of the ads on the pages you will see. If any interest you, please click the images and learn more about their products. Thank you as this helps cover the cost of production.
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