10 of my favourite culture quotes

A friend asked me recently where I got my ideas from for a daily blog and it’s a great question!

Inspiration is everywhere. Conversations I have with clients, conversations I overhear on trains and planes, news stories, blogs, research papers, surveys and of course, books.

On average I read about 10 culture-related books a year. This is critical for my own learning and to ensure that I don’t fall into the confirmation bias trap. 

I make notes as I’m reading about the things that I agree with, the things that I disagree with and the things that I never knew. I use all of these things to craft my own thoughts, ideas, models and blogs. It’s a process I’ve used for the past 10 years and one that I love.

So in today’s blog I wanted to provide you with 10 of my favourite quotes so that you can use them for inspiration too. 

They are not all ‘Oh captain, my captain’ style-quotes, some of them are a subtle reminder of the things not to do as well. All are equally important and impactful.

And no, none of them are from my own books 😂

1. "Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It's not something you are. It's something you do." The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle

2. "The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team." The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni

3. "When our need to belong in a team is met, our energy and focus pour into the team's shared mission." Belonging, Owen Eastwood

4. "Control leads to compliance, autonomy leads to engagement." Drive, Dan Pink

5. "A company's job isn't to empower people; it's to remind people that they walk in the door with power and to create the conditions for them to exercise it." Powerful, Patty McCord

6. "Those who truly lead create a following of people who act not because they were swayed but because they were inspired." Start With Why, Simon Sinek

7. "A culture based on winning at all costs, where meeting targets is the prime aim, can produce toxic behaviours and a workplace full of fear." The Long Win, Cath Bishop

8. "Adaptability, not efficiency, must become our central competency." Team of Teams, General Stanley McChrystal

9. "We have become good at getting better because we are so good at failing." An Everyone Culture, Kegan, Lahey, Fleming, Miller & Helsing

10. "We feel confident to say how we really feel, when there is no fear of reprisal." Build Better Teams, George Karseras

What’s your favourite culture quote?