Your job as a leader isn’t just about making the business more money.
You need to look beyond the organization to see how the work you are doing is impacting society, local communities, and even the world.
A cup of coffee changed my life forever. Sounds crazy right?
It was 2016 and I had just graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a dual B.A. in business management economics and psychology.
I was VERY excited to join the corporate world.
My plan was simple. Get a good job, work hard, go back to school to get my MBA, and then climb the corporate ladder to be an executive at a company like Coca-Cola or IBM.
Simple right? Nothing went according to plan.
Steve Bilt is the CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to over 425 dental offices. Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor.
A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture. It could be the employee perks, new technology, or new customers, but what it really comes down to is this: Satya puts his people first. As I spoke with top CEOs from around the world for my new book, The Future Leader, Satya Nadella’s name constantly came up as a leader these CEOs admire. And for good reason: Satya is humble and people-focused and has a staggering 98% approval rating. By putting people first, he led an amazing turnaround at Microsoft and continues to guide it towards the future.
What is corporate culture?
Some people say it’s what happens when “the manager leaves the room.”
I prefer to think of corporate culture as the side effects of working for your organization.
Have you ever watched a show on TV only to be rudely interrupted by a commercial pitching you some kind of a prescription drug?
I always love when they get to the side effects which include things like: nausea, weight gain, hair loss, bleeding from the eyes, and in some cases death.
Should leaders focus more on value or volume? Quantity or quality? According to former Newmont Mining CEO Gary Goldberg, the answer is value.
Gary Goldberg led Newmont Mining’s 28,000 employees for seven years before stepping down in 2020. During his tenure, he turned the company’s performance around by focusing on value over volume. Instead of mining as much gold as possible, Gary led Newmont to mine the most valuable gold. The same principle applies to leadership. By focusing on delivering value for their organizations instead of focusing merely on volume or profits, leaders can create long-term success for their companies and employees.
Doug DeVos is the co-Chairman and former CEO of Amway, the world’s largest direct selling company that provides health, beauty, and home care products. The company was actually founded over 60 years ago by Doug’s father and his father’s best friend. The company now has around 15,000 employees.
What does it take to become the Best Credit Union To Work For?
A commitment to culture and creating a space where everyone is accepted.
That’s the goal of Bay Federal Credit Union, which has not only been named the best credit union to work for in the U.S., but has also been recognized as a top workplace in numerous other categories.
Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix. He also served on the board of Netflix up until 2003. And Netflix wasn’t his only startup, he’s founded or co-founded 6 other successful startups. He is also the author of the bestselling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.
Hubert Joly is the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy. Currently he is a professor at Harvard Business School, he is on the board of two companies–Johnson & Johnson and Ralph Lauren. He is coaching and mentoring a number of CEOs and senior leaders and he is writing a new book which is set to come out next May titled: The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism.