Cultivating the Soil of Success: Leadership and the Architecture of Culture

In addition, we will discover how these lessons impact the context of your self-directed learning and your path toward creating impactful individuals.

1. Organizational Culture as a Flag. The reading highlights the importance of clearly defining and communicating the desired cultural values ​​and norms.

It is vital that the entire company knows the values ​​that identify and unite them as a group, and that they share them.

A very important point is that each organization must have its own culture created by and for itself. It cannot be generic or inspired by that of another company—no matter how good its results may be—this way, we guarantee that the culture is fully sustainable over the long term, as it speaks to a purpose that defines and is consistent with the mission and vision.

If we use this example and apply it to the field of students, the equivalent could be to seek consistency between personal and professional goals with clarity. To understand this, you can ask the following questions:

• What kind of student do you aspire to be?
• What values ​​will guide your intellectual pursuits?

Having clear objectives and what you resonate with will help you gain clarity and make informed decisions about your learning resources, methodologies, and the type of intellectual environment you cultivate.

2. Lead by example. A leader committed to their organization’s values ​​must model these values ​​and be a spokesperson for their employees. This way, they can teach by example, maintaining consistency from all angles.

Employees should be invited to share these values ​​and even hold sessions where they can evaluate how the organization is handling various situations, according to the company’s values.

One way we can apply this approach to students is to adopt behaviors that align with our professional desires. For example, discipline in study schedules, camaraderie, intellectual curiosity, perpetual development, maintaining study habits, and perseverance.

3. 360° Culture. An organization and leaders committed to their culture understand that it becomes the epicenter of what they do and develop. This is why it must be present, taught, and reinforced in every activity performed. Every activity, goal, or task must have the culture embedded within it.

Internal training is very important in this regard, as it must always relate the why and wherefore to the values, giving them meaning.

For example, a company with austerity as part of its culture must keep this concept present in every activity, such as celebrations, training, or system implementation, reinforcing this value in every task.

A student who wishes to maintain excellence in their studies, for example, must find a way to achieve this consistency in all aspects, which will help them excel and maintain their goal. For example, in their research, writing, and presentations, they must find their own distinctive style, in which quality always stands out. 

4. Align organizational systems: The article highlights the importance of aligning organizational structures, processes, and reward systems with the desired culture.

For example, if the company offers a performance bonus, the KPIs for achieving the bonus should be related to the company’s values.

In the educational context, the system and KPIs should be related to the entire process for achieving objectives, such as aligning the learning environment and routines to support the objectives.

By aligning your personal systems with your learning aspirations, you create an environment conducive to success. Consider the structured approach employed by Leonardo da Vinci, who meticulously documented his observations and experiments, creating a personal system that fostered his multifaceted genius.

5. Critical Thinking. Organizations must encourage discussion and constructive criticism in a safe environment. Leaders must look for people who continually ask questions and are critical enough to generate value. If these people have been previously impacted by corporate values, they will ensure their continued impact over time, as they will have the courage to always speak out about any changes or actions that go against the company’s values ​​and objectives.

Critical thinking, in the educational field, helps us understand the reasons for things and constantly seek more knowledge; it’s like a “thirst” that keeps us in perpetual evolution.

6. Encourage and Refine. An important part of this never-ending process of maintaining a cohesive leadership and organizational culture is celebrating those who embrace and live the culture, but also weeding out those who aren’t a good fit. This means leaving the door open for those who don’t feel aligned with the stated values.

To extrapolate this to the educational field, it means understanding those activities that do not contribute to professional and life values ​​and knowing how to reorganize them without losing momentum or interest in what you are doing. This allows you to always stay focused on what is important and what generates value.