Building an excellent and long lasting culture in the world for everyone

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While it is a complex and difficult undertaking, these are also one of the most crucial things that businesses can do to create a great and lasting culture in the world for everyone. Top talent can be attracted and kept, employee engagement and happiness can be raised, and ultimately, corporate success can be fueled by a strong culture. Here are a few crucial actions companies may take to create a great and enduring culture:

1. Clearly Define Your Values and Purpose: The first step in building an excellent culture is to clearly define your values and purpose. Values are the principles and beliefs that guide the behavior of your organization, while purpose is the reason why your organization exists. Having clearly defined values and purpose can help to create a sense of direction and meaning for your employees, and it can also help to attract and retain employees who share those values and purpose.
2. Communicate Your Values and Purpose: Once you have clearly defined your values and purpose, it is essential to communicate them to your employees. This means not only sharing them with new hires during the onboarding process, but also regularly reinforcing them through internal communications, company meetings, and other forums. This will help to ensure that your employees understand and buy into your values and purpose, and it will also help to create a sense of shared identity among your employees.
3. Lead by Example: Leadership is a key component of building an excellent culture. Your leaders must not only communicate your values and purpose, but they must also lead by example. This means that they must model the behavior that they expect from their employees, and they must also be held accountable for living up to your values and purpose. By leading by example, your leaders will help to create a culture of accountability and integrity.
4. Foster a Culture of Recognition and Appreciation: Recognizing and appreciating employees is a key component of building an excellent culture. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be engaged and satisfied with their work. There are many ways to recognize and appreciate employees, such as through bonuses, promotions, awards, and public recognition. It is important to find ways to recognize and appreciate employees that align with your values and purpose.
5. Encourage Employee Empowerment and Development: Empowering employees and providing them with opportunities for development is another key component of building an excellent culture. Empowering employees means giving them the autonomy and resources they need to make decisions and solve problems. Providing opportunities for development means investing in employee training and development, and encouraging employees to take on new challenges and learn new skills. By empowering and developing employees, you will help to create a culture of continuous improvement and growth.
6. Encourage Open Communication: Open communication is another key component of building an excellent culture. It is essential to create channels for employees to express their opinions, feedback and ideas, and to ensure that all voices are heard. Encourage employees to share their ideas and opinions, and to speak up if they see something that they believe could be improved. By creating an environment of open communication, you will help to create a culture of transparency, trust, and accountability.
7. Foster a Sense of Community: Creating a sense of community is another key component of building an excellent culture. This means encouraging employees to connect with one another, both inside and outside of the workplace. This can be done through team-building activities, social events, and volunteer opportunities. By fostering a sense of community, you will help to create a culture of connection and belonging.

Some of the best global leaders who have built a great culture in very difficult areas (and hopefully will be building in more areas in the future too) in no particular order:

Social:

• Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader: Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his leadership in the American civil rights movement and for promoting racial equality and nonviolence. He played a key role in the American civil rights movement and advocated for equal rights and justice for all people.
• Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa: Nelson Mandela is known for leading the fight against apartheid in South Africa and for promoting racial reconciliation and equality. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and was also a human rights advocate and philanthropist.
• Malala Yousafzai, education activist: Malala Yousafzai is known for her advocacy for girls' education, especially in her origin country and other developing countries. She survived an assassination attempt and has continued her activism through her Malala Fund, which supports education initiatives for girls around the world.
• Mother Teresa, humanitarian: Mother Teresa is known for her selfless service to the poor, sick and dying, especially in India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent her life serving the poor and marginalized communities.
• Bill Gates, philanthropist: Bill Gates is known for his philanthropic work through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on global health, education, and poverty reduction. He has pledged to give away the majority of his fortune to philanthropic causes and has been actively involved in global development issues.
• Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations: Kofi Annan is known for his leadership at the United Nations, where he served as Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. He played a key role in promoting peace, human rights and development around the world and has been an advocate for the United Nations and its role in international affairs.
• Muhammad Yunus, economist and social entrepreneur: Muhammad Yunus is known for his work in micro-finance and social business, which focuses on providing access to credit and financial services to poor people, especially in developing countries. He is the founder of Grameen Bank, which pioneered the concept of micro-finance.

Non Technology:

• Oprah Winfrey, CEO of Harpo Productions: Oprah Winfrey is known for her philanthropic work through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation which focuses on education, health and empowerment of women and children. She also actively supports and advocates for various causes such as education, poverty and health through her talk show, network and media platform. Oprah Winfrey is also known for building a strong culture at Harpo Productions, which is a leading media company. She has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of self-empowerment, positivity, and inclusivity.?
• Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CEO of Apollo Hospitals: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is known for building a strong culture at Apollo Hospitals, which is one of the largest healthcare providers in India. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of patient-centricity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Kenneth Chenault, Former CEO of American Express: Kenneth Chenault is known for building a strong culture at American Express, which is one of the largest credit card providers in the world. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of customer service, innovation, and diversity.
• Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors: Mary Barra is known for building a strong culture at General Motors, which is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. She has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of safety, innovation, and continuous improvement.?
• Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group: Richard Branson is known for building a strong culture at Virgin Group, which is a diverse conglomerate of companies. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of fun and innovation, and has implemented policies such as the "no jerks" policy, which encourages employees to be respectful and supportive of one another.?
• Howard Schultz, Former CEO of Starbucks: Howard Schultz is known for building a strong culture at Starbucks, which is one of the world's largest coffee chains. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of customer service and community, and has implemented policies such as the "Starbucks Experience" which encourages employees to provide a personalized service to customers.?
• John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market: John Mackey is known for building a strong culture at Whole Foods Market, which is one of the largest organic and natural food retailers in the world. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of sustainability, customer service, and employee empowerment.

Technology:

• Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Co-founders of Google: Larry Page and Sergey Brin are known for building a strong culture at Google, which is one of the largest technology companies in the world. They have emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation, collaboration and empowerment.
• Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft: Satya Nadella is known for building a strong culture at Microsoft, which is one of the world's largest technology companies. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation and collaboration, and has implemented policies such as the "One Microsoft" culture, which encourages employees to work together across different divisions and departments.?
• Tim Cook, CEO of Apple: Tim Cook is known for building a strong culture at Apple, which is one of the largest technology companies in the world. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation, design and customer experience.
• Travis Kalanick, Former CEO of Uber: Travis Kalanick is known for building a strong culture at Uber, which is a leading transportation company. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation, risk-taking, and pushing boundaries.?
• Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos is known for building a strong culture at Amazon, which is one of the world's largest e-commerce companies. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of customer obsession and innovation, and has implemented policies such as the "Two Pizza Rule" which encourages small teams to work together efficiently.
• Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group: Jack Ma is known for building a strong culture at Alibaba Group, which is one of the world's largest e-commerce companies. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation and customer service, and has implemented policies such as the "996" culture, which encourages employees to work hard and be dedicated to their jobs. All these resulted from overcoming the challenges of building a business in a difficult regulatory environment in China.
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg is known for building a strong culture at Facebook, which is one of the world's largest social media platforms. He has emphasized the importance of creating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and transparency.?

Conclusion: Creating a great and enduring culture for all people in the globe is a difficult and vital undertaking, but it is also something that corporations can achieve well.

Employee engagement and happiness can both be positively impacted by a strong culture, which can ultimately lead to corporate success. Clearly identifying your values and purpose, expressing your values and purpose, setting an example for others, supporting employee development and empowerment, promoting open communication, and establishing a sense of community are all important components of creating an outstanding culture. Additionally, it's critical to routinely examine your culture, determine whether it is consistent with your beliefs and goals, and make any necessary corrections. Building an inclusive, encouraging, and empowered culture may benefit everyone in the company and the rest of the world. It is important to keep in mind that building a culture is not a one-time task, it requires continuous effort and adaptation to the changing environment, in order to ensure that it stays relevant and long-lasting.

Hope this is helpful and I will be sharing more learnings in my next articles. Thank you!