How Personal Values and Beliefs Shape Culture and Redefine Success

If you know your values, truly understand them, then you will know the future. Your values accurately and consistently predict how you’ll feel and act in any given situation. And knowing why you act the way you do and articulating it to others goes a long way in building trust. Further, knowing and staying true to your values is inseparable from thriving in your ideal culture. This article is an exercise to understand who you are, what you stand for, and where you will be successful. In the first part I’ll explain the how to determine values from culture. In the second part, I’ll list my own values with accompanying examples that made them non-negotiable.

Let’s start first with culture since every company talks about their culture: It’s fun, diverse, challenging, we have paid lunches, and beanbag chairs! But you can’t define culture like that and it’s certainly not beanbag chairs or an on-staff barista. Culture is innate, it develops and evolves. A startup founded by five of the whitest, nerdiest, introverted Trekkies may create a culture completely different than what evolves once they hire out to 1,000 employees, regardless what is written on their website or repeated during onboarding. It is that unmeasurable, mercurial element that often causes great rifts during explosive growth or mergers and why ‘culture ambassador’ is a legitimate responsibility in many roles now.

Culture is simply an expression of the community’s values

When people talk about culture they are alluding to the beliefs and behaviors brought about by shared values within the society. Ask yourself, what are my values? Put some serious time into this introspection. You need to know the lens from which you look at the world, how you make decisions, and why you make them. Ask yourself, What are my natural and everyday behaviors? How do I engage with others? How do I express myself? What should happen when I don’t meet goals? How should disagreements be resolved? What behaviors of others are not tolerable to me? Now explore shared values of the people that work at your company. Ask them, How do you express your values? How are your values visible in every work? How do you know your values are compatible with those of the company? Are you finding common ground? Good!

Now start writing it down:

1. Started with back-of-the-napkin hypotheses and make changes as you get closer to your heart
2. Replay important scenarios to dissect how you felt, what you did, what you did not, why you did, who you involved, why you involved, and so on
3. You may find it uncomfortable* to look in a mirror to see yourself, your real self, so seek out the wisdom of others. Ask your friends and family, peers, leaders, customers, and mentors what values they see in you. You’ll be surprised, humbled, and often overjoyed.

*It’s no surprise that millions of dollars each year are spent on therapy

For myself, I tried to find my top 5 or even 10 but ended up with 12!

• Integrity, Passion, Respect, Courage, and Excellence reflect my self;
• Clarity, Openness, Teamwork & Empowerment describe my working environment;
• and Growth Mindset, Innovation, Resilience, and Balance provide direction.

Yours will undoubtably vary but may overlap so let’s explore each in detail.

1. INTEGRITY

I will always act with INTEGRITY in everything I do. If the company leader cannot do this, my staff cannot be expected to do the same.

“I won’t do it. It’s not right.”

The week before December holidays was usually placid and I didn’t expect any difference when I joined the Zoom. I was curtly instructed, in no uncertain terms, to immediately lay off a member of my staff. This individual had supported a sensitive and highly visible account that was once more, ‘at risk.’ I understood the directive but knew the situation was emotionally charged and gathered feedback from those closest to the account. It turned out that everyone, without exception, applauded him and noted his efforts went “above and beyond” to unravel a technical rat’s nest. I spoke with the individual about his technical competency and learned he was not fully proficient but had been making marked improvements. Backchannels revealed an underlying element of saving face so he was chosen as a pariah. He was smart, he was learning, and his team loved him so I was resolute that I would die on the hill to retain him. It wasn’t right to fire anyone because someone else had a bit of egg on their face.

2. PASSION

I will always be PASSIONATE and enthusiastically pursue my goals. My staff will love what they do and look forward to it each and every day.

Growing up in Michigan imbues a great love and passion for the outdoors and soon after relocating to California that passion drove an increasing need to summit all the mountain peaks and explore the vast National Park system. I was a student of ultralight since the early 2000s and challenged myself to go higher, longer, faster through an insane amount of research, preparation, and execution. I had equipment lists detailing weight to the gram and reviewed and pruned my trips to run as lean as possible. I completed Adventure16’s Three Peaks Challenge in less than 24 hours (nearly killing myself by falling sleep on the drive back); hiked Mount Whitney (14,500ft) in winter, the tallest mountain in the lower 48; and explored Joshua Tree’s wildest and least-visited northeastern corner, the Coxcomb Mountains. Then I got into mountain biking and spent a summer challenging myself to the top of Mount “Baldy” (10,068ft) on my budget hardtail. When winter rolled around I was the first up the San Gabriel peaks to leave fresh set of prints in the snow. Everything I do in life is driven by passion — passion for growth, passion for experience, passion for knowledge.

3. RESPECT

I will always give RESPECT, the combination of humility and empathy, and expect my staff to not diminish the feelings, rights, or traditions of others. We check our egos at the door and have zero tolerance for assholes.

Sourcing candidates from diverse backgrounds is a great way to strengthen your team by investing in and developing talent early. I interviewed a young lady, just a few years out of college, who showed tremendous natural curiosity and demonstrated all the right personal growth patterns. A copy of The Challenger Sale sat in her purse as she presented to me and a peer. Based on her experience I felt her delivery was adequate but she, like all of us, had a language crutch — in her case, she giggled when she was nervous. But my peer cut her short, “I will not hire you” and proceeded to unnecessarily knock her down several pegs on minor, completely coachable things. She held back tears as I escorted her out. I commended her on how she handled herself, emphasized that his behavior was was not representative of my team or company, and that I would help her and mentor her to become the best SE she can be regardless of what happened that day. I reprimanded my colleague in private, who responded, “Mitch, do you know how hard it is to manage women?” I was absolutely taken aback — both at the blatant sexism but also how quick he was to disrespect and hurt someone. That person didn’t remain long at the company - we don’t tolerate assholes.

4. COURAGE

I will always have COURAGE and have the stamina to lead with my values even against great adversity. If the leader will not protect what they hold dear, others will prostrate themselves at the slightest challenge…..

“They lock themselves in a room, yelling at each other for 10 minutes, and somehow always come to an agreement.”

My team had been working a major sales opportunity and were frustrated: they felt their voices were not being heard, like they were treated as technical support and not true partners. They had concerns that the deal hinged on a major technology provision that our company would never support (architecturally it was impossible) and that Sales was turning a blind eye. I knew the sales leader was in bind because he committed the deal and shelving it was akin to breaking a promise. It would also expose his leadership and call into question why he committed it without mitigating the technical risk. He was relying on the technology to sell itself and eclipse “that one thing.” Nevertheless, we locked ourselves in a conference room with his boss, the VP of Sales, and, with some degree of yelling, came to an amicable conclusion, reframed around our shared goal: happy, successful customers. In the end he agreed to speak with the buyer forthright about the technical concern, who, it turned out, didn’t care one way or the other about this minor technical glitch that his team so enthralled with. Sales was happy we could proceed and my team was happy they were put in a position to win.

5. EXCELLENCE

I will always be EXCELLENT at what I do and become great at things I learn. My staff will be excellent at what they do and we will learn from each other to be great.

“Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it.” — Andre Agassi

This value holds significant importance for me, shaped by my upbringing. Perfection was the standard. My father was an academic — a professor of analytical chemistry and advisor to dozens, if not hundreds, of graduate students. His emphasis on excellence, both in their work and in the representation of his professional legacy, left a lasting impression on me. My mother, although lacking knowledge in the scientific realm, excelled in language, grammar, and communication. She meticulously proofread those theses and even my own homework, shaping in my mind that what I thought was perfect could be markably improved.

This commitment to excellence extends beyond the professional realm; it’s ingrained in every facet of my life. Growing up we were a traditional midwest family engaged in a number of projects, from roofing and carpentry, to electrical and foundation repair. We weren’t professionally trained but we sought expertise and self-taught to ensure every detail was impeccable. The result — every wall was plumb, every sill plate even, every corner square.

Professionally, I consistently strive for improvement and refuse to settle for mediocrity. Each presentation is refined, every report elevated, and every conversation meticulously prepared. My relentless pursuit of enhancement stems from a genuine desire to add value. This mindset has propelled me to surpass expectations, not out of ego, but as a reflection of my dedication to realizing my aspirations. Challenges and doubters have come my way, but as Calvin Coolidge wisely stated,

“Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create.”

I’ve embraced this philosophy, understanding that those who resist fail to grasp the essence of this value. People can and will move faster, produce better, and think broader than they think is possible, but they must have this mindset.

6. CLARITY

I will always provide CLARITY. I will understand many different streams of information and situations and clearly explain in order for my team to focus with intensity and purpose.

“We’re going to be the best f***ing region in the world!”

That was the title slide on what my team thought was going to be yet another boring introduction presentation. I had just inherited a team who were tightly-knit but had underperformed, and they needed a strong vision to light the fire of change. Bodies intently leaned forward as a slide outlined their customers’ positive feedback and the massive sales opportunities present in the funnel. All great things! I was excited! Why then could I sense doubt… what’s going to be different this year from last? The strategy was laid out: We’re going to overhaul our processes and invest in our people, we’re going to execute tighter, and we’re going to build awareness and reputation in the community. Everyone had eyes on the prize. Two months later we landed our biggest subscription deal; a few months later another big logo; then the big one landed — an ELA worth eight figures. That year we were awarded Top Region in the World! And we won it again the next!

7. OPENNESS

I will always be OPEN, connecting with others and share ideas and feelings. I expect my staff to be open to change and encourage communication that flows simply, clearly, and concisely.

“I know you’ve had some experience in this area. I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

The discussion was an echo chamber, being monopolized by one person and his protege, circling back to only one course of action. People who had been speaking were being interrupted and forced out of the conversation but most of my team simply shelved their opinions. When voices are silenced, people shut down and you lose the power of the team so I pressed pause and created a safe space for another member of my staff to speak. She eloquently described various conditions and approaches she’d taken in prior roles and elicited the thoughts of others on the call. I provided air cover whenever interruptions or judgement seeped in. Soon the room was buzzing with ideas that the team solidly supported.

8. TEAMWORK and EMPOWERMENT

I will always champion TEAMWORK and EMPOWERMENT — as it is not possible to achieve your goals without others, nor is it possible for the organization to thrive without developing people — I expect my staff to collaborate, educate, and elevate.

I encouraged my staff to run a series of field enablement sessions among AEs, BDRs, and SEs alike, to arm them with valuable technical insights and up-level their client conversations (not regurgitate a sales pitch). Each month two members of my staff solicited topics from the sales reps, prioritized alongside sales leadership, and collaborated across functions (Customer Success, Product, Marketing) to deliver training. They ran their own show and I was simply involved to develop their leadership ethos. The whole process was a great exercise in teamwork — so successful that representatives from other regions flew to our office to learn what we did and then implemented their own flavor. Sensing opportunity for scale, I connected with peers in two adjacent regions and merged our sessions, set up a committee chaired by lead SEs from each team, and made certain leadership recognized those individuals’ contributions to regional growth. I’m proud to say that every one of those SE leads have gone on to become people leaders.

9. GROWTH MINDSET

I will always demonstrate a GROWTH MINDSET, and expect my staff to be eager to grow, set high standards, and inspire others to be better.

I’m surrounded by books as I write this article. I have a voracious appetite to learn and go through one a day. Zero to One by Thiel, Crushing It by Vaynerchuk, The Lean Startup by Ries, and The Big Nine by Webb are stacked by the door — I’ll donate them to the neighborhood library as they were good reads but won’t keep them for reference — and I’m several chapters deep in Economics in One Lesion by Hazlitt and Systems Thinking by Gharajedahi, protégé of the esteemed Russel Ackoff. Thanks to Vaynerchuk’s final chapter I’ve started building a VUI on Alexa’s Skill Kit (more to come on that in a later article) as it’s important that I stay close to emerging technology. I also do at a course each week on LinkedIn Learning. This week I’ve spoken with three mentors and scheduled meetings with two prior colleagues. Salesforce’s Dreamforce was in town this week which offered an amazing opportunity to listen to dozens of architects or marketers. And living in California means that I’m hiking or biking year-round. When I need to slip away from tech, I have a hobby shop where I sell a physical product and am still learning about suppliers, marketing, and personal eCommerce. How is it I find time for all this? Make time. Invest in yourself.

10. INNOVATION

I will always drive INNOVATION and expect my staff to embrace creativity in pursuit of improving the organization.

“I think we can save $150,000.”

When two members of my staff announced that, my first response is, “Great! Tell me more!” We had just kicked off an initiative to improve our demo quality and capabilities. They discovered the engineering team had over-provisioned the AWS instance and we could immediately shrink our Amazon compute cost. When I shared this on the executive call, the head of Product suggested we explore leveraging a new feature which allowed us to ‘hibernate’ the environment at night, potentially leading to even more savings. All told, group innovation saved the company $175,000 practically overnight (and added a new demonstrable feature)!

11. RESILIENCE

I will always be RESILIENT and won’t give up when the going gets hard. My staff will persevere or become stronger through failure.

“What did we learn from this?”

Life is great flying high on cloud nine but when times are tough I look at how we deal with the shit and how we bounce back. Rather than expose business wounds, let’s revisit Passion. I attempted an off-trail route, though thoroughly planned, very easily could have killed me (more on this on BackpackingLight.com). Or a winter trip up Mount Baldy in a blizzard taught me for the first time actual hypothermia, after 21 years thriving in Midwest winter conditions, and descending in haste while shaking uncontrollably. I learn from each of my failures and bounce back more prepared, more practiced, and more determined than ever. I’m a huge proponent of the After Action Review and I revel in knowing what did we learn from this? and How will we come out stronger?

12. BALANCE

I will always remain BALANCED and recognize that more important than work and all that we will accomplish, are health, family, friends, and spirit.

“If you don’t take a vacation, I’m going to fire you.”

I had taken a lot on my shoulders moving to New York and was clearly overworked. I couldn’t see it myself but my VP did. I had been burning energy late into the evenings and setting an unnatural pace to tackle three functions that I had foolishly took upon myself rather than requesting headcount. My VP was to arrive that Wednesday for a planned team event at SPIN and I pulled an all-nighter polishing my business review. Since college I had not attempted an all-nighter and apparently it showed because when I arrived that evening he took me aside, arm on my shoulder, and said, “If you don’t take a vacation, I’m going to fire you.” I was clearly unbalanced. I had not enjoyed any hobbies in nearly a year, I was not making friends outside work, and I was throwing too much of myself at a problem that didn’t have a definitive deadline. But those words have become one of my maxims and today, especially with COVID’s remote work, I protect my and my team’s personal time and personal needs.