Most corporate values statements (e.g., "integrity") are unactionable and don't change internal culture. Effective leaders codify specific, observable behaviors—the "how" of working together. This makes unspoken expectations explicit and creates a clear standard for accountability that a vague value never could.

CEOs provide a curated view of their company's culture. To get an accurate picture, talk to people who have left the organization on good terms for an unfiltered perspective. Also, ask behavioral questions like 'What would you tell a friend to do to be successful here?' to uncover the real cultural DNA.

Create a public document detailing your company's operating principles—from Slack usage to coding standards. This "operating system" makes cultural norms explicit, prevents recurring debates, and allows potential hires to self-select based on alignment, saving time and reducing friction as you scale.

Instead of imposing top-down values, Gamma's CEO created a "notebook" of behaviors that team members organically praised in each other. These observed, authentic actions became the foundation of their culture deck, ensuring the values reflected reality.

Instead of aiming for vague outcomes like "empowerment," start by defining the specific, observable behaviors you want to see. For example, what does "being data-driven" actually look like day-to-day? This focus allows you to diagnose and remove concrete barriers related to competency, accessibility, or social reinforcement.

BBDO's cultural principles became sticky because they used memorable, human phrases (“hand raisers, not finger pointers”). This created an internal language that people naturally used to describe behavior, embedding the culture far more effectively than slogans on posters.

Setting values on day one often leads to inauthentic principles. A more effective approach is to operate the business, observe which behaviors are genuinely rewarded and cherished, and then name those emergent qualities as your official values, ensuring they reflect reality rather than aspiration.

Instead of vague values, define culture as a concrete set of "if-then" statements that govern reinforcement (e.g., "IF you are on time, THEN you are respected"). This turns an abstract concept into an operational system that can be explicitly taught, managed, and improved across the organization.

A powerful way to gauge cultural fit is to identify who is succeeding within the organization. Then, honestly assess if you respect them and their methods. If the path to "thriving" is paved by behaviors you don't admire, it signals a fundamental misalignment and may not be a game you want to win.