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Every morning (weather permitting) I walk three miles at the fastest pace I can manage. I usually listen to podcasts but yesterday on my walk my youngest son, Sterling, called me. After he answered a whole bunch of my tech questions, the conversation somehow moved to just how incredibly happy he was at the real estate development firm where he was now the COO. Besides the fact that he loves the work he attributed it to the fact that the CEO and President of the company were a former collegiate quarterback and naval officer, respectively. We then spent the rest of my walk exploring why that was and what it meant for building a wonderful company work environment.
First, the CEO never acts like he is the smartest person in the room. In fact, "he does exactly the opposite." He solicits thoughtful input from everyone, listens intently and makes everyone present genuinely feel that his or her opinion is important.
Second, both the CEO and the President foster an extraordinary collaborative environment. It goes way beyond the company's employees having a vested interest in the ultimate success of the business. Imagine a football team. Of course, the team wins or loses together. But it is much more than that. Each play requires that every team member perform to the highest possible standard. Everyone is totally invested in each other's success every time the ball is snapped. A star quarterback will flounder if there is a hole in the offensive line or the receiver drops the ball. I was never in the military, but I recall many conversations with my father-in-law, who piloted a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific theater during WWII, in which he told me that he and his crew would never have come back alive from 35 missions if it were not for the extraordinary performance of every crew member on every mission.
Finally, when someone is struggling everyone else does everything possible to assist and support that individual. My son expressed it this way---\"Everyone at the company takes genuine delight in the successes of their colleagues."
I love talking with my son Sterling. This was a particularly moving conversation that helped me see connections that I had not appreciated.