All Cattle, Sometimes a Hat

There is so much written and said about corporate culture. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, they say. Even with all the right strategies, you’re dead without the right culture, they say. Culture isn’t just one aspect of the game, it is the game (former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner says).?

And with the current competition for talent, companies around the globe are putting a spotlight on their culture (community, fairness, trust, innovation, caring, collaboration, empowerment, etc.) to both attract and retain employees.?

So, what do you do when your culture is unassuming? When your newest senior executive described the company as “ambitious but humble” weeks after he joined? How do you position yourself in this hyper-competitive market without betraying the story of what got you here??

Founder-led, humility-fed?

If you know anything about Dell Technologies, you know that Michael Dell started the company from his dorm room at the University of Texas in Austin 38 years ago. You also know that he has been fabulously successful as a businessman, philanthropist and author.?

?But Michael still runs his own Twitter account, mingles warmly with team members and customers at events (photo bombing several of them recently at Dell Technologies World), shows up as a surprise guest on Zoom, and relishes interacting with customers. No entourage, no flash. He leads without ego. In movie speak, he does all his own stunts.?

?This leadership style extends throughout the organization – real people with real integrity – showing up as their authentic selves and encouraging everyone else to do the same.?

?We ain't too big for our britches?

?Here in Austin, where Dell Technologies is headquartered, you might hear someone described as “all hat, no cattle.” It’s not a compliment. It means they’re full of talk but lacking action.?

?Fortunately, Dell is “all cattle.” It’s a founder-led ethos. There is no fake it until you make it. There are significant opportunities for growth, supported by amazing leadership and teams that are kind and helpful while pushing colleagues to be better all the time. Some of the smartest people you will ever meet work at Dell. And everyone works really, really hard.?

?It’s also a bullshit-free zone (on brand given the whole cattle thing) -- and that cuts both ways. It’s not tolerated inside our walls, and it’s also not how we do business.?We’re maniacally customer-driven. That means we thrive on honesty, transparency, and deep relationships.?

?We are pragmatic, but innovative, a steady hand in a rapidly moving and evolving technology landscape. We bring order to chaos.?

?Our culture trickles down and lifts up?

?Why does all of this matter? Culture trickles down, and its influence is felt with customers, partners, team members and the global community. Dell’s most senior leaders are smart, socially conscious, more eager to listen than talk, responsive and disarmingly kind.?

?It’s why we continue to attract top talent and why we have hundreds of dedicated team members who have been here well over 20 years. This place inspires and invigorates year over year. Colleagues uplift and celebrate each other. We embrace failing fast. And when mistakes are made, they are opportunities for learning rather than openings for heavy criticism. As Michael Dell said in his recent book, Play Nice But Win, “Daring to fail is the only path to meaningful growth.”?

?Confidence is quiet?

?Our culture, and our people who live and breathe it, is our secret power. We use it for good. We share it freely with our customers. Dell’s durable advantage is its humble leadership, its strong-driving team members and this awesome culture.?

?Customers, partners and Dell team members all dream big, but big ideas don’t lead to big heads. We ensure that if a hat shows up it fits through the door. If you work for Dell, you already know all of this. If you don’t work for Dell, maybe you should.?