Culture Matters: Discover the foundation of culture.

Chapter 2: The Foundation of Culture

The organizational culture will be determined by the leader’s values.

“Greatness is achieved by using resources to help people; not using people as a resource.” ~ Captain L. David Marquet, U. S. Navy

Note: This series started with Chapter 1: The Cost of Culture.

Merriam-Webster defines culture as, “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.”

“Values” is the key word because your values are the underlying foundation which fuel your thoughts. Thoughts produce your emotions which influence your choices. Choices lead to your results which determine your circumstances.

The culture of an organization can be traced back to a single root cause: the top leader’s values.

Values on the inside are revealed as character traits on the outside. I’m reminded of the words of Andy Stanley, “Character is personal, but it’s not private.” The culture of an organization isn’t private either. The people on the inside are always talking about it to people on the outside.

Because values are revealed outwardly as character, the collective character of everyone in an organization is what is commonly referred to as the “culture” of the organization. Organizational culture is simply a reflection of the combined character of all of the people within the organization. As Gruenter and Whitaker pointed out, “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.”

Culture equals character. Character equals culture.

High impact leaders understand the culture of an organization affects everything else – and culture starts with them. Before a leader can change their culture, they must change their values. Why? Because the leader’s current values are what created the current culture.

High impact leaders know it doesn’t cost anything to care for their team members. They also know it costs a lot when they don’t.

As a leader, your character, which is based on your values, will determine your culture.

Your character will determine: your ability to build meaningful relationships, whether you build trust or create distrust, what you tolerate, what you expect, what people say about you, who you attract, who you repel, who stays, who goes, and how long they stay before they go.

Michael Josephson said it best, “You don’t have to be sick to get better.” But, you must have a desire to get better. And ultimately, you must act on that desire.

My wife, Ria, and I had the privilege of joining John C. Maxwell and 150 others in Guatemala in June 2013 to kickoff the “Transformation Begins with Me” cultural transformation initiative across the entire nation. We were privileged to join John and the President of Guatemala at the Presidential Palace for a special celebration as the vision was broadcast live nationally. In just three days, our team conducted four hour development workshops for nearly 20,000 Guatemalan leaders.

When the Guatemalan leaders chose to value cultural transformation, cultural transformation started to occur.

Until a leader values developing their character, they won’t develop their character.

Until a leader values developing the character of those on their team, they won’t develop the character of those on their team.

Until a leader values transforming the culture, they won’t transform their culture.

Until a leader values using resources to develop people, they won’t use resources to develop people.

Your values determine your direction.

Relative to developing people, John C. Maxwell made a powerful observation:

“Authenticity—This is the foundation for developing people. Servanthood—This is the soul for developing people. Growth—This is the measurement for developing people. Excellence—This is the standard for developing people. Passion—This is the fuel for developing people. Success—This is the purpose for developing people.”

When one person gets a little better, the culture gets a little better. When a lot of people get a lot better, the culture gets a lot better. As Lieutenant General George Flynn stated, “Culture equals values plus behavior.”

My mission is to help leaders engage the front line to improve the bottom line. I do this by helping leaders develop the character of everyone on their team from the very top to the very bottom.

When it comes to character development, no one should be exempt. We all need it.

Leaders who value developing others attract great people.

Leaders who don’t value developing others struggle to find good people.

It’s always easier to compete when you’re attracting great people instead of searching for good people.

“Values are not simply posters on a wall. In order for a culture to be strong, your values must be clear and your values must be lived.” ~ Simon Sinek

Continue reading Chapter 3: The Impact of Culture

Get a FREE download (no email required) of the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture and those below here.

More details about Mack's newest book, Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams, released 7/13/19:

“We just can’t find any good people,” is a phrase Mack Story hears far too often as he speaks to and interacts with leaders all across the USA. If you or a member of your leadership team has ever spoken these words, this book was written specifically for you. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Blue-Collar Leadership? & Culture will help you understand why culture is the key to becoming a sought after employer of choice within your industry. Culture matters because those who work there will determine who wants to work there.

Becoming a sought after employer means, “People who don’t work at your organization have a strong desire to work there.”

Becoming an employer of choice means, “People who already work at your organization have a strong desire to continue working there.”

Mack wrote Blue-Collar Leadership? & Culture specifically for leaders who want to become THE sought after employer of choice within their industry and in their area of operations. Sought after employers of choice attract great people and don’t spend their time and resources constantly searching for good people.

Mack has logged over 11,000 hours leading leaders and their blue-collar teams through hundreds of kaizen events, process improvement, organizational change, and cultural transformation and speaks with his wife, Ria Story, on personal growth and leadership development throughout the USA as they help leaders transform their cultures and develop high performance teams.

Although leaders in all industries at all levels will benefit greatly from this book, Mack structured the content specifically for the top leader who has never led a cultural transformation but is curious to find out what will be required. He’ll help you not only discover why you should transform your culture, but also what to do and how to do it. Therefore, Mack includes many references and links to additional resources throughout the book that will support and accelerate your cultural transformation.

Blue-Collar Leadership? & Culture is intended to not only teach, but also to serve as a tool, a guide, and a transformational road map for leaders who want to create a high impact culture that will become their greatest competitive advantage. It’s a starting point for those who don’t know how to start or those who want to become more intentional and methodical as they take their team to the next level and beyond.

In Blue-Collar Leadership? & Culture, you’ll also discover how to leverage the components of The Transformation Equation to create a culture that will support, attract, and retain high performance team members. To learn more about The Transformation Equation, visit GetTheTransformationEquation.com

“My first words are, GET SIGNED UP! This training is not, and I stress, not your everyday leadership seminar! I have never been a part of anything like it. After 30 years in technology and two years in Concrete Construction, I have attended dozens and sent hundreds to the so-called ‘Leadership-Training’…while all of the courses, classes, webinars, and seminars, had good intentions, nothing can touch what Mack and Ria Story provide…100% of the team that attended said that they were ‘blown-away.’” ~ Sam McLamb, VP/COO