A Learning Journey

After the analyst and his own people told Alberto that the company was lacking alignment and that he didn’t know the minds of his people, Alberto decided he needed to learn more about culture and how to create engagement. This was a difficult assumption because he never believed that such things mattered. To move forward, he had to transcend his own mental map. In considering the idea of creating a more positive organization, Alberto said, “I was very, very cynical about it. I never believed in any of these things.”

He received help from two academics. The first was Professor Jerry Porras of Stanford University. Porras and Jim Collins had coauthored the popular book Built to Last. Their research led to the conclusion that some companies grow and succeed because of the kind of culture they develop.

Such companies do not adopt an intense, narrow focus on profit and shareholder value. They have a core ideology and ambitious goals. The ideology or positive culture is vitalized by leadership. Leaders embody the purpose and values of these extraordinary companies. The people are inspired by the pursuit of their purpose. The cultures of these companies lead to both unity and stability. This stability, paradoxically, makes change and growth possible. The people have a positive, creative orientation as they experiment, learn, and change. The organization is a hierarchy, but it is also a thriving organism or social network, animated by continuous movement toward a collective purpose.

Alberto was impressed by these ideas but not fully convinced. He continued to look for confirmation. He began to work with Daniel West of Harvard University. West had Alberto read material suggesting that when unified people are given a clear, meaningful purpose, they are able to move forward faster, persisting even when the leaders are absent.