Preview Book
Introduction
Purposefully creating a healthy culture is rare. There are many definitions. But two things are clear: The CEO has to set an example for what they expect daily, and associates must be prioritized. In this book, I will discuss how we created an award-winning organization and high-performance team that drives revenue growth. We will discuss our playbook, structure, processes, and communication channels.
If you have picked this book up, you are interested in investing in yourself, getting to know your colleagues, and growing your revenue and relationships.
You may be a CEO or President.
You may be a coach.
You may be a parent.
You may be a leader who can inspire change.
A healthy or unhealthy culture is present in families, organizations, teams, memberships, businesses, schools, universities, small firms, big firms, and nonprofits. Wherever there is a group of people, you have a culture.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
When human needs are met, individuals progress to the next level of the pyramid: Physiological (food and clothing), Safety (job security), Love and Belonging (Friendship), Esteem, and finally, Self-Actualization.
Without going too deep into this theory, can you imagine what happens to your workplace creativity and innovation when you create a healthy, safe, and trusted environment to work in? As leaders, we can help our associates reach their full potential, live with meaning and fulfillment, as well as clarity of purpose and harmony.
This is not a set-it-and-forget-it leadership style or short-term investment.
A healthy culture creates a high-performance team that grows revenue—while having some fun along the way.
Your values will be the pillars of your healthy culture, and ours include:
1. Trust
2. Respect
3. Avocados – this means it takes more than snacks and happy hours to build culture. This means we break bread together on purpose and get to know each other. We value the time together and get to know one another.
Successful and high-performing companies, families, teams, and organizations that have a healthy culture will be built on trust, respect, and self-empowerment. There will be priorities on communication and accountability.
I was fortunate to learn the value of Trust at an early age. My father instilled it in me in a conversation when I was about 12 years old. He said, “Good relationships are built on trust. I trust you, and you can trust me.” What a gift to receive at that age. I treasured and upheld that trust until the day he passed in 2024.
I learned about Respect from my education at Catholic schools, my friendships, relationships, and my jobs. I learned about earning respect with consistent behavior and integrity. I witnessed how losing respect can result from poor choices.
And Avocados. I worked for a firm that had all the glamorous snacks and drinks—green tea, lattes, and avocados—and had great happy hours. Food is an essential element in building a healthy culture if you share it, not take it back to your desk alone. It’s an example of breaking bread, sharing a meal, building connection, trust, and ultimately culture. We share how our key weekly meeting is effective in building culture.
As an effective, values-based leader, you should possess emotional intelligence, awareness, and effective communication. As a successful CEO, you will need to have these skills in addition to leading an organization with knowledge of finance, revenue growth, marketing, operations, human resources, organizational behavior, and the economy. AND be effective at building relationships. We share our multiple communication channels to maximize effectiveness.
I discuss leading in difficult times. Anyone can be a great leader in a booming economy, a skyrocketing stock market, and when consumer confidence is high. Leading during COVID, legislative changes, or personal challenges is difficult. I discuss preparing for those days.
The personal challenges are the ones that can throttle you. Over the past few years, I lost my father, who was a mentor and coach, and my husband, my best friend of 35 years, has been battling Stage 4 Cancer with varied treatments and complications. My faith, children, friends, and colleagues have sustained me. This is the perfect time to emphasize that creating a healthy culture with trusted and self-empowered associates is a necessity.
As I write this in 2025, I reflect on the achievement of finally publishing a playbook and framework for building a healthy culture. I know that this information is needed. I was in the Vistage CEO peer group for three years, and I contribute to Forbes monthly on leadership and culture. My culture articles are the most read. Many CEO’s do not know the first place to start when building a healthy culture. One colleague suggested hiring a Culture Coordinator. I reiterate that a healthy culture can only be built with a values-based CEO and the C-suite's support. And the focus must be on your associates.
When hiring, look for culture fit first. If an associate is not aligned with your values, their negative impact is exponential. Getting the right associates “on the bus” will be the key. Also, be prepared to remove associates quickly who create unnecessary drama or self-select out by not aligning with the values.
I could not be prouder of the team that our COO and I have built. We recently earned #2 Best Places to Work and #5 Culture / Education Organization by The Phoenix Business Journal.
I believe it’s important to share this, as it may support your research and deepen your understanding. I have been an admirer of W. Edwards Deming for over 25 years, ever since I first studied his work, particularly his emphasis on continuous improvement and organizational excellence.
I wish you continued success on your journey of self-reflection and the desire to become a values-based leader who inspires others to meet and exceed their potential.