Ten Leadership Steps to a High Energy Company Culture

Leading the High
 Energy Culture 

Leading the High Energy Culture (on Amazon #ad) by David Casullo, president of Bates Communication, introduces the concept of a 4-quadrant energy continuum that applies to corporate culture as build by current and historical leader within the organization.  In the far corners of the quadrant image are past and future, while present state falls on the middle horizontal line that halves the box.


Below is a summary of the 10 steps covered in the book and a few interesting points from chapters related to the different steps.

1.  Remember who you are and stay true to what is important to you.

4 Obligations to Self:  understand what you would die for, clarify through doubt, commit yourself, and behave in alignment with personal truths.

2.  Remove the shroud by being courageous in showing what is important to you.

5 C’s of Leadership: character, commitment, competence, courage, and communication. 

3.  Study organization founders and learn the histories that are important to the current culture.

4.  Pay careful attention to the current leadership alpha dog(s), those with authority in the organization and influence on the culture and people.

5 Types of Social Power: legitimate, coercive, reward, expert, and referent.

5.  Query key players (360 degrees via personal conversations instead of paper forms) to get their perspective on present belief systems. 

4 A’s Process for Creating/Sustaining High Energy:  acknowledgement, accuracy, alignment, and action.

6.  Crack the code to the organizational culture’s “secret sauce” and use it to drive economic value while adding in a missing ingredient that aids success.

7.  Promote the desired culture by simply including it in all communications and messages. 

8.  Create a rally cry with a short powerful message that is easy-to-remember that simply states what is key to the company’s success.

9.  Recruit disciples of the message from people in the organization (save the saved) who already believe in the message as this will speed communication and implementation.

3 Leadership Communication Rules: 

- The more critical the message, the closer you must be to your audience.

- Reinforce your group communication with constant individual communication.

- Always focus on your audience’s agenda first, then your own.

10. Rise to your leadership best by coaching others, adapting when necessary, while staying true to personal beliefs and organizational principles.