💡 Most leaders think culture is about perks, pizza parties, or slogans on the wall.

The truth? Culture shows up in how your team communicates when no one’s watching.

I sat down with Curtis, a seasoned organizational leader, and here’s what stuck with me:

👉 Communication is the baseline.

“If I’m 100% and you’re 100%, that makes 300%. The invisible entity is teamwork. And that all starts with making sure our words mean the exact same thing.”

👉 Red flags in culture are always visible.

Watch for inconsistent actions, lack of shared ownership, or behavioral drift in how teams interact.

👉 Ego-driven leadership kills trust.

Curtis said it best: “If you come in forcing your will over what’s already existing, you’re not gonna get the result.” Observation before action builds buy-in.

👉 Empowered leaders own their results.

“I don’t set goals for my leadership team. We’re the leaders. Why would I try to do something I have 100% control of? I expect it.”

👉 Culture must outlast the leader.

The ultimate win? When the team can “call their own plays and still score touchdowns” without you.

For executives in hardware, software, or tech integration companies, this isn’t just philosophy—it’s survival.

High performers won’t stick around in a broken culture. Neither will your customers.

The challenge for leaders isn’t building culture for today.

It’s building culture that lasts beyond you.