2 proven strategies to create an award-winning culture

One of the most draining parts of work for so many people is working with others who don’t match their passion or energy. There’s a saying: “The lowest performer sets the benchmark for your team.”

I have to say, both Leadr employees and customers are some of the most driven people I know. And it makes work so energizing for me.?

I had that feeling again recently while interviewing Nick Mehta for the LeadrPulse Podcast. Nick is the CEO of Gainsight —The Customer Success Company—and he’s achieved some serious accolades:

• Named one of the Top SaaS CEOs by the The Software Report three years running.
• Honored as one of the Top CEOs of 2018 by Comparably .
• Finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year.
• And Gainsight won Glassdoor's 2023 Best Places to Work.

Nick has built a culture that thrives, even in tough times. So, I want to share two key lessons I learned from him about creating an award-winning culture:

1. Humility

If you listen to the interview, you’ll hear no ego coming from Nick despite his incredible accomplishments. He even says this when talking about losing team members to competitors,?

“As a CEO, you have to win your employees’ business every day. If I don’t give our team the best opportunity to advance their career, they should go somewhere else. It’s on me to make sure they don’t leave. ???”?

Talk about accountability. Valuing employees as individuals—not commodities—fosters trust, loyalty, and engagement. Ironically, the more willing we are to invest in our people and let them grow, the more likely they are to stay and give us their best.

This leads me to lesson two.?

2. Culture Matters

In another mic drop moment from Nick, he says,?

“What keeps people at a company when things are not easy? I think that’s culture. ???”

One way to create a culture where people want to stay even when it’s hard is to model that behavior for them.

Your leadership team sets the tone for the rest of the organization. When push comes to shove, ask yourself, are you living out the behavior you expect to see from your team, even on your hardest days?

I’d love to hear which of these lessons you can work towards this week. Humility or culture?

Want to hear more of Nick’s insights? Listen to the full episode here. It’s packed with quotable moments.

Let’s keep building better cultures together in 2025.

Lead on,

Matt Tresidder

CEO

Leadr

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