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The Leadership 'X' Factor ThatCreates 'It' Companies

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How do some companies evolve to it company status while others languishin relative obscurity? Whether you think of more mature companies likeGoogle, Whole Foods, or Unilever, or early stage marvels like Warby Parker, Vendini, or RevZilla, the hottest companies on the planet understand its notwhat they do or how they do it, but why they do what they do that defines whothey are as an organization. Put simply, company culture is the realcompetitive advantage great organizations trade on.

The X Factor DefinedGreat Culture its that ethereal X factor every organization strives toattain but few achieve. Its often talked about, but rarely understood. Cultureis in fact more than a buzzword its the very lifeblood of an organization.Culture is what develops and sustains an enterprise. Every organization has a

cultur e. The question CEOs m ust ask of th emselves is do they have the culturethey need? Culture must be more than an afterthought it must beintentional, purposed, and created by design; not by default.

Viewing Culture Through The Right LensCulture its less about structure and more about values, vision, talent, behaviors and a shared purpose. When you think culture, think open-sourcenot proprietary, adaptive not static, actionable not theoretical, andprogressive not regressive. Above all think shared, cohesive, and simple. So why do so many organizations get culture wrong? They copy instead of create,

they fail to understand people, context, and purpose matter, and they donthave the resources to truly manage the rigor associated with aligning the business of culture with the execution of strategic imperatives.

Few will argue about the importance of culture, but vehement disagreementsarise when you talk about the proper frameworks and constructs needed tocreate the right culture. Let me attempt to put an end to the silliness of thesepetty debates. Smart leaders dont confuse fads and trends with culture. They

Mike Myatt Contributor

I write about leadership myths, and bust them one-byone.

Opinions expressed by F orbes Contributors are their own.

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realize that culture (at least a sustainable one) consists of more than ping-pong tables and free food. The key to culture is found in what I refer to ascreating a culture of leadership.

Getting TractionStop creating a false premise that strategy and culture are in competition withone another by refusing to engage in the strategy versus culture debate. Its

not strategy or culture, but strategy and culture. Clearly culture should be acore element of strategy, and while its important to understand that the visionfor culture might be set by the tone at the top, the best cultures are notmandated or imposed on people, they are co-created by the people peopleare the culture. They secret sauce to culture is leadership ubiquity. The pointat which your entire workforce not only sees themselves as leaders, but areempowered to think and act like leaders is when cultural transformation hastaken root.

It Boils Down To Leadership

Nothing inspires change and innovation like great leadership, and likewise,there is no more costly legacy system to maintain than poor leadership. Putsimply, the greatest testimony to the power of real leadership is what happensin its absence very little.

A culture of leadership replaces rigid frameworks with loose communities of collaborative networks. Complex decisions are not reserved for someonesitting atop a hierarchical structure, but are driven down and acrossthe organization to unleash new levels of engagement and productivity.The best way to create a culture of leadership is to value and reward authenticand effective leadership. Create a culture based upon an ethos that empowers,attracts, differentiates, and sustains. The only culture that flourishes over thelong haul is a culture of leadership.

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