work there. When the culture's great, people are enthusiastic. With a culture like that, the customer feels it too. So your business is like an orange. When it gets squeezed, culture is the juice that comes out. If you don't like the taste, it's time to change the juice.”
“That makes sense,” said Sam. “But how do I know if I have a culture? It's not something I've covered with my team.”
“You have a culture whether you like it or not. And the biggest mistake is not to design the culture you want. If you don't design Stamina's culture, someone else will. And when culture's treated like an afterthought, trouble follows closely behind. Now that it's caught up with you, it's easy to recognize.”
“Got any quick suggestions?”
“There aren't ‘quick fixes' because developing culture's a long process,” answered Brian. “I have a lesson from my grandfather. He was a boxer. While fighting in a tournament, he won his first three fights, and before the final round of the final, his coach saw he was tired. The coach leaned over the ropes and yelled, ‘This isn't the end of the fight. It's the beginning!”
“I understand. So what can I do?”
“I have one suggestion.”
“I'm all ears,” replied Sam.
“Stop ‘owning' your company.”
“What do you mean?”
“When we met,” replied Brian, “you said you ‘own' Stamina. As CEO, your job isn't to own Stamina, it's to lead it. You're the leader, so the culture is your responsibility. And getting your culture right will produce your most valuable asset – ownership by your people! Your job isn't creating software. It's creating your culture first. Problems have happened because it's the last thing on your mind.”
“You're right,” said Sam. “I haven't been a leader. And I definitely haven't designed the culture I'd like to have. Thanks. This really helped.”
“Would you like to meet about culture?” asked Brian.
“You bet!”
“Good. Meet me at Arthur's this Friday at 9 a.m. You know the place?”
“Who doesn't?” replied Sam.
“Exactly,” said Brian, “and I won't waste your time. Investing in culture will be your best investment.”
“I wanna be up front,” said Sam. “As for investing, we don't have a budget for consulting.”
“Don't worry about money … you can afford my coffee and bagel, right?”
“Yeah, I can cover that,” laughed Sam.
“Then you got yourself a culture coach, kid.”
3 Brick Walls
As Brian walked the campus, different landmarks acted as muses. A statue reminded him of the day he got the head coaching job. The auditorium prompted thoughts of the days when his girls had graduated. The lakeside bench where Kelly would meet him for lunch made him wonder if she waited on a bench for him somewhere. Memory Lane ended at the stadium. After climbing the stairs, he smiled at the newly placed placard on his old office:
Marcus Chase
Head Football Coach
“Knock, knock,” called Brian. “Is the new head coach around?”
“Hey, Coach!” exclaimed Marcus seated at his desk. “He's around, but he should be out recruiting.”
As Brian removed his coat, he examined the new look of his old office.
Marcus said, “Glad you're here, Coach. You're the first to see. What do you think?”
Brian silently looked at photos, trophies, and rings from Marcus's career as a player and coach. The walls were filled with an impressive collection of his football history.
“Looks like you wanna be somewhere else.”
“What?” Marcus answered in surprise. “I put a lot of time into this.”
“I'm sure – and more time into attaining these accomplishments. But how you've set up this room won't set up your team to win. Lemme sit down before you get worked up. I've got a present that'll help.”
Brian sat, opened his bag, and removed an object.
“Merry Christmas, kid,” Brian said as he placed a gold-painted brick on Marcus's desk.
“What's with the brick?”
“It's not what's with it,” answered Brian. “It's what's on it. A brick's a brick. But this one's special. It was given to me when I got my first head coaching job. Now I'm giving it to you.”
“Is it a doorstop?”
“It's not a stop, it's a start. This brick's the cornerstone of what you'll build here. I brought this brick to remind you of two important questions, but after seeing your office, you'll have three questions to answer to turn this team around. Pick up the brick and I'll give you those questions.”
“Do I have to hold it?” smiled Marcus.
“Indulge me.”
Marcus reluctantly picked up the golden brick and Brian continued, “Now you're ready. The first question is, ‘Am I knocking down the brick walls my players and coaches have built around themselves?' And the second is, ‘Am I the coach my people would run through a brick wall for?'”
Marcus realized the challenges ahead.
Brian continued, “This brick's to remind you before you build a strong offense here that it's more important to build strong relationships. Without them, your team'll be challenged to win, even with great players. To build those relationships, you'll need a special kind of glue. And that glue's what the third question's about.”
“I hear you,” replied Marcus, recognizing that aside from press conferences and a few introductions, he didn't know anyone there. “You're earning your T-shirt. The brick and questions are useful. What's the third one?”
“I only used those two questions when I coached. But after touring the ‘Marcus Chase Memorial,' there's one more question you must ask before the other two. If you don't get that answer right, the other answers don't matter.”
“The Marcus Chase Memorial? Ha! What's the question?”
“Okay,” replied Brian. “The third question is, ‘Am I the best representative of our culture?'”
“What's that mean?”
“Look at the walls,” Brian began. “It's obvious you were a great football player. And this stuff proves you're a football coach too. But it's time to be a great culture coach. Like coaching requires you to be more excited about someone else than yourself, this
