That is THE question.

Last week we introduced the concept of OC (Organizational Culture).

Now let’s see how thinking about OC becomes evidently crucial when the first major crisis bursts in an organization—often when the business has stagnated, is not reaching projections, or is experiencing declining performance.

It’s interesting to note that the Chinese word for crisis, Weiji, is composed of two ideograms: Wei, which represents danger or “dangerous,” and Ji, which represents “breaking point” or opportunity.

The danger of making the wrong decisions or taking the wrong course of action is usually very clear; but, interestingly enough, the opportunity to do something different doesn’t present itself so clearly to everybody.

“You can copy a Successful Business Strategy, but you can’t replicate a Culture.” – Mark Fields.

I’ve seen this time and time again:

Leadership teams of companies wondering why that competing company is the referential leader of their industry—why it’s number 1, why it’s so aspirational, why it’s beating them consistently. And, even worse, why their own talent (note: I didn’t say employees or staff) wants to go work there.

Everybody becomes almost frantic, throwing out hundreds of theories and suppositions—and even urban myths… “Walt Disney was not only frozen to be awakened when the time was right, he also left a manual predicting the future to be #1.” 

Or… “The Coca-Cola Company puts subliminal frames in their commercials, telling people ‘You are so thirsty—drink a Coke!’.”

But seriously, myths apart… all the hypotheses about a competitor’s success revolve around their tactics and strategy to conduct business.

That is only what any analyst can see on the surface.

Almost never does anybody stop the dark conspiracy brainstorming to say: “Wait a minute—who are we? Why do we do things the way we do? What is our culture? 

And how are our actions and business plans a direct reflection of our culture and who we are?"

"What do WE need to change, without trying to be someone else?”

It’s natural and necessary to keep competition monitored and analyzed—not only for direct competitive purposes, but also to understand the mechanics of the industry and market environment you’re in.

Having found myself as a leader of people at those kinds of crossroads, I’ve learned—the hard way—that you can never aspire, or worse, let it transpire in front of your teams that you wish you could do some things like your competition, or that you envy what they achieved and your organization couldn’t.

In other words, you’re transmitting to your team that you’d like to be like them. 

At that moment, you’ve already failed as a leader, and it’s going to cascade from the top down throughout your entire organization—though you may not see it yet.

When an organization reaches a crisis point, there’s a tremendous opportunity to take the right path and ask the right questions—not to become someone else you’re not, but to become the BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.

A new iteration, an evolution, but still BEING YOU.

Your consumers notice that, perceive that, and reward your brand’s honesty.

Ask yourselves, as an organization, what is really the core product or service you bring to improve people’s lives—and this is very important—both in a material and immaterial way.

Then build the culture that expresses and executes that vision, to change the world around you and through it.

All that also determines the branding of the organization: how you present yourselves to the world, and how you tell your story.

People/consumers don’t connect with a product, with a thing; they connect with a vision of the world they feel they belong to. 

They connect with a story and a culture that reflects or represents them—or even better, that they aspire to. It inspires them.

Culture is not part of the game, it’s the game itself.” – Mark Fields.

So, leaders and founders out there, let me tell you, if you think:

“I have my product and my business plan tight. I’ve checked all the boxes: Lean Canvas, Growth Marketing, Business Intel, Consumer-Centric approach, Technology, Generative AI, Capex, Capital Engineering. All set—go—success.”

Think again!

You have NOTHING if you don’t have all those boxes aligned with—and built upon—your company’s Vision, Culture, and Brand Vision.

Underestimate one of the three, and you have no long-term business.

Even though today’s fast time cycles and rapid turnarounds might trick you into thinking you don’t need all that mumbo-jumbo—the usual and easy “No time for that”—you have failure on your hands from the very start, just waiting to happen.

Tackle this early in your business, not later. Your Organizational Culture is not an option. It’s a MUST.

If you’re serious about building a solid business for success, I’m here to help you build a strong and healthy OC, and walk the path to the future together.

Let’s be GREAT and GOOD!