Lou Gerstner, the former CEO of IBM globally, turned the company round from a near death experience into stellar heights, by the recognition of one thing, culture. After his time at IBM he concluded:
“ Culture isn’t one aspect of the game- it is the game. In the end, an organisation is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value”
The measurable output of a successful culture is the ability to get things done and close the gap between vision and action. There are two key things that every organisation needs to get things done. The first is casting, casting is the job no leader should delegate, and the second is the creation of an internal brand that creates buy in from employees.
There are 7 important casting questions every leader should be asking about their team to ensure that have what it takes to walk the talk of the business:
Are they committed?
Do they know their stuff?
Can they stand up to setbacks?
Can they take appropriate risks?
Do they feel comfortable in their role?
Can they be tough when required?
Do they get things done?