Creating Culture : Lessons from Urban Meyer’s Above the Line

We are back to learn more about leadership from Urban Meyer’s book, Above the Line. In our last blog post about the book, we discussed laying a foundation of accountability for yourself, your business and the people you lead or work with.

Today, we are discussing the concept of creating a culture. The topic of creating culture has long been a buzzword that self proclaimed gurus have used to charge obscene prices to workshops and courses. Hold on to your money and learn first from this free knowledge that Urban Meyer has given us. Creating a culture is not something that can be done by giving a motivational speech, it can’t be accomplished overnight, and it can’t be achieved by going on a retreat with you and your team.

Meyer sheds light on what teams with poor culture tend to look like. He writes:

• “On a team with less-than-effective culture, players and coaches are not in alignment. Trust is weak. Communication and teamwork are poor. There is a lot of BCD (blame, complain, defend). Problems do not get resolved. Players hesitate to commit. Selfishness dominates. Attitude and effort are substandard. Accountability is inconsistent. This is culture by default.”
• Describing this as “culture by default” hits hard. This is what happens when we are not intentional and focused. Meyer continues to reflect on this:
• Your team, business, or organization will perform to the level of leadership you provide. It is no secret that the critical factor in the success of a business is the quality of its leaders.

As we mentioned in our first blog post about Above the Line, being the founder or leader is not a get out of jail free card. Being a leader means that you will be judged even harsher. So how can we create a culture that values upstanding behaviour, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence? It starts with you. As a leader you are responsible for creating a culture that produces winning results.

The foundation of culture is core beliefs, sometimes touted as core values. Noticed that core values and beliefs are entirely different from quotes or statements from inspirational people. It can be so easy to mail it in and say that “our core values are to have great energy” or something to that effect. But what does that mean? How is energy defined? If you can’t define it and communicate it to your team, then it is simply just another inspirational statement with no weight. Meyer speaks about this:

• “When a belief is truly core, when it is fully and completely on your heart, then it will drive everything you do.”
• “You will respond in alignment with that belief no matter the event or situation”
• “If it is simply a concept in your head, if it is just a quote you find inspiring, then it will not consistently drive your actions.”
• “Culture is what leads when no one is watching”

To communicate the core beliefs of the team to his players, Urban Meyer worked on creating a culture blueprint. This is vital, because even though you may have truly found the core beliefs to your team, business or organization, you are still tasked with communicating them to your teammates or employees, and explaining how they will be met daily.

The culture blueprint includes what we believe, how we behave, and the outcome we would achieve based on that belief and behaviour. In the case of Ohio State University’s core beliefs and culture blueprint, it looked like the table below:

After you have created your blueprint you will be tasked with implementing your standards and getting your team to buy in. This is arguably the most difficult aspect of creating a culture, simply because of the fact that this is something that must be practiced every single day.

Meyer describes the process of building a culture as a three step process.

1. Believe it

A)Think deeply about the guiding principles at the heart of your organization

B)Examine yourself and be honest. Do you believe in those guiding principles and does your behaviour reflect that

C)If you don’t believe it, no one else will

2. Sell it

A) When you have created your blueprint stand before your team and communicate it

B) Your culture message needs to be clear, no confusion, uncertainty, no excuses.

C) Explain to the team that this is what we believe and how we behave in all circumstances. It is who we are

3. Demand it

A) Once the standard has been clearly communicated you must hold people accountable to it

B) Let people know that adherence to the culture is a requirement, not an expectation

C) Remember: if you permit it, you promote it

Setting clear and easily digestible standards are imperative to creating culture. You must live the standard that you expect from your team, and you must challenge those who fail to meet the standard of the team. This is the only way that we can realistically expect to create a culture that is positive and builds people to be greater than when they first arrived.

Here are Coach Meyer’s cliff notes on the topic of culture:

• Leaders create culture. Culture drives behavior. Behavior produces results
• The power of culture lies in its ability to engage hearts and minds, align effort, and energize the behavior called for by your strategy.
• Nothing affects daily execution more powerfully than culture
• The behavior of your people is a reflection of the culture you create
• Every organization has a culture either by design or by default
• Winning behavior will not thrive in a culture that does not support it

Take note of what it takes to establish a culture and think long and hard about what it will take to establish a lasting impact on yourself and your team. A culture will exist, so it’s up to you to make sure it is a positive one.