Developing strong company values and underpinning them in all your efforts can foster a healthy team—and shape public perception of your brand for the better.

In my ten years as president of the referral marketing agency ReminderMedia, I’ve learned many valuable lessons on leadership. However, none may be more essential than this: for an organization to be successful, every member of every team has to take unified strides toward its goals, and that begins with company culture. Foster one that is cohesive and action oriented, and clients, referral partners, employees, and the entire public at large will feel your quality commitment and infectious energy.

“How,” you might ask, “does a leader make this happen?” One of my personal favorite approaches is to lead not by pushing but by pulling; while the former means being a hard-liner who keeps a team disciplined, the latter means motivating a crew, encouraging their best skills to help them shine.

But that’s certainly not the only viable tactic. As the cohost of Stay Paid, a sales and marketing podcast, I’ve had the chance to gain insights from several inspiring business leaders. Here are just a few who offer their own take on company culture as well as ideas for shaping a powerfully productive workplace.

Tami Bonnell Motivational speaker, cochair of EXIT Realty Corp. International

Company culture is the consistent atmosphere you create that helps you live your organization’s mission statement and allows your people to grow and connect— but that’s only if you do it properly. If you approach it the wrong way, your team members can instead feel disconnected or like their work doesn’t matter.

The key is to know what you want and why you want it, which will serve as the foundation. Then attract your tribe and empower them to be part of creating your business’s greater culture. After all, job seekers want to be part of something special.

In my organization, for instance, we make an effort to meet people where they are, focusing on solutions rather than problems so they feel encouraged. We also hold meetings throughout the year to discuss our work and culture, starting with special sessions in January. In these, our leaders create an agenda with our regional owners and discuss it with our top brokers, sharing what everyone is doing right. We then disperse this info to our entire team, celebrating the key individuals who helped us in the prior year and giving them credit for their amazing work.

David Elizondo District director for the US Small Business Administration, San Antonio District Office

Company culture influences everything from employee satisfaction and retention to performance and innovation. Let it become too negative or toxic, and you may see widespread disengagement, high turnover, and other hindrances to your organization’s long-term success. To create a healthier environment, always lead by example, encourage open communication (including collaboration across departments), recognize and reward your team members’ achievements, and invest in their development. There is value here because their growth can lead to more efficient business operations.

The best way to ensure that you’re on track is to periodically assess whether your workplace values, communication efforts, and leadership style align with your employees’ needs. If possible, gather feedback from departing staff to identify common reasons for leaving. This could provide insights into recurring problems, whether they’re related to the work environment or career growth opportunities. And remember to check in with your team to gauge their satisfaction and make adjustments when necessary. Creating an atmosphere where employees feel heard and valued can boost morale and reduce turnover.

Dr. John L. Terry III Founder of Black Belt Leadership, president of Real Life Management

It’s important that you clearly define your company’s values and actively communicate them to your employees, vendors, and target audiences. In my work advising martial arts studio owners, one of the big challenges is creating a distinct identity from their peers. I regularly ask them, “What do you want to be known for?” and help them craft a vision statement around that. For example, owners who link their vision to a cause in their local community differentiate themselves from those just teaching martial arts, making their schools more attractive to people who identify with or want to support their efforts.

Additionally, good leaders are intentional about hiring for a “culture fit” and engaging in regular team-building activities that are designed to reinforce it. They also understand that what gets rewarded gets repeated and strive to not only foster a climate of personal and professional growth but also reward the values they want to see lived out within their organization. It starts with you, however. People do what people see, so you should always be the catalyst for positive change by modeling the behaviors, actions, and attitudes you seek from your employees. Once you do, team members will operate at the highest level, providing exceptional service that encourages client loyalty—and invites potential clients to experience it for themselves.

TAKE ACTION:
Revisit your organization’s mission statement, then think of at least three ways that you can actualize it in your company’s culture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luke Acree is an authority on leadership, a lead-generation specialist, and a referral expert who has helped more than 30,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their companies. He hosts Stay Paid, a sales and marketing podcast, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Foundr.com.