In any human interaction, the required amount of communication is inversely proportional to the level of trust.

Explain why taking the action you’re taking is essential to the larger mission and how important that mission is.

One way to think about designing your culture is to conceive it as a way to specify the kinds of employees you want. What virtues do you value most in employees?

Genghis created a remarkably stable culture by founding it on three principles: meritocracy, loyalty, and inclusion.

Incorporate outside leadership.

Because your culture is how your company makes decisions when you’re not there. It’s the set of assumptions your employees use to resolve the problems they face every day. It’s how they behave when no one is looking. If you don’t methodically set your culture, then two-thirds of it will end up being accidental, and the rest will be a mistake.

Create Shocking Rules

Openness to Bad News

My mentor, Bill Campbell, used to say, “We are doing it for each other. How much do you care about the people you’re working with? Do you want to let them down?”