Culture Is the Way

CHAPTER 12Be a Chief Culture Driver

Whatever you do—whether you're a janitor or CEO—you can continually look at what you do and ask how it connects to other people, how it connects to the bigger picture, how it can be an expression of your deepest values.

—Amy Wrzesniewski, Yale Business Professor

Making the decision to be more than just a leader or manager and to be a Chief Culture Driver encompasses so much more than just a firm hand and a strict agenda. However, when you are fanatical about your role as a Chief Culture Driver, it will be one of the best decisions of your career, regardless of where you currently sit in your organization or what rank or title you hold.

There is an immense opportunity right now for all leaders and managers to seize the moment and take the reins to create a world‐class culture that brings out the best in everyone. When you truly embrace and intentionally implement Culture Is the Way, the future will undoubtedly be brighter and more successful than the past.

It's never too late for senior leaders who have just recently begun devoting time to culture‐building within the last five or so years, or even if you haven't placed a strong emphasis on it yet. I meet and talk to senior executives who are nearing the end of their careers and planning to retire in the next few years, and who believe there is no point in becoming a Chief Culture Driver at this point. I assure them, just as I assure you, that there is no such thing as “too late.”

Terry Brick ...