The interview with the founder of WP Engine brings this section full circle to the opening of its first chapter: as the entrepreneur, you are already setting the culture of your company. The only question is whether you’re purposeful or passive about it. Put another way, are you letting the workplace form by itself—or are you deliberately leading it towards the vision you have for it?
Lee Iacocca once wrote, “Sometimes even the best manager is like the little boy with the big dog, waiting to see where the dog wants to go so that he can take him there.”
Perhaps that’s the difference between a leader and a manager. If you simply manage your company, it will take on a life of its own. Leading, on the other hand, takes effort, intention, and consistency.
But to lead means that someone must follow. Harkening back to the reflection on clarity: if people are going to follow you, they need to believe in you, in the company, and in your vision. Ideally, you don’t just want followers—you want believers.
As Jeffrey Hayzlett said, when your company grows, those who believe in you and your vision will become the ambassadors of your culture—not just to new employees, but to customers, vendors, investors, competitors, and anyone else who watches your company. They’ll become the champions of “how we do things around here.” They’re going to follow your lead and model their expectations from your actions. Make sure you’re modeling what you want to see.