Third Bricklayer from Left
Some time ago I was reminded of the power and importance of culture in determining the effectiveness of an organization. My reminder came while attending a leadership course in Orlando where the primary instructors were members of the Disney Institute. Ironically, while the instructors’ purpose was to teach, among other things, leadership excellence and the role of culture in driving superlative employee engagement and performance, I got my potent lesson from a complete stranger sitting in the hallway.
Whether you love or hate Disney, one cannot deny that they have an incredibly powerful and profitable business. From just over $6B in 1991 to nearly $70B at the end of 2021, it is a company that knows both how to grow, and how to create a customer experience that keeps them coming back for more. And both of these things create impressive returns for investors.
Despite their business acumen, however, I found the curriculum at the Disney Institute to be less instructive than I had expected. A significant portion of the “class” was educating attendees on how great Disney was, and despite the promise of also hearing about the problems and challenges that would normally accompany such a large firm, the bulk of the course seemed more like a Disney sales pitch than a real course on either service excellence or leadership.
One section of the course covered the importance of culture in determining a firm’s performance. This portion of the class, while certainly important, was taking far too long to get to the point; which was, in a nutshell, that culture can be designed such that it supports consistent delivery of exceptional quality service. 50 minutes into this discussion I excuse myself for a quick break.
As I head to the water fountain I see a man in the hallway working on his computer. The only thing noteworthy about this gentleman was the shirt he was wearing; two Latin words spanned his chest – Semper Fidelis. As I walk by I simply say, “Semper Fi, Mac”. He quickly and enthusiastically answers back.
Two Latin words. A three-word greeting. From there it turned into a 30-minute discussion of “when were you in?” “what units did you serve with?”, “do you remember Camp Upshur?”. In an instant, I was connected to this guy in a manner and on a level that people that worked together for 30 years in corporate America never experience. It quickly occurs to me that this is the definition of compelling culture. That two people completely unknown to each other connect and share with great pride distant memories of a common organization is something that Disney could only imagine possible.
As the conversation closes, I mention why I am in Orlando and how the instructors at Disney could well learn from the Marine Corps. His response fascinated me.
“I consider myself the 3rd bricklayer from the left, for I fought on the Barbary Coast. I bled in Nicaragua during the Banana Wars. I was there for the Civil War and both Great Wars.
And I was one of the last to leave Saigon. I am forever part of the Corps, and the Corps is forever part of me. To this day I believe that, as others did before me, I laid the bricks that future Marines will walk and build upon.”
His words reminded me that culture is a byproduct of shared norms and traditions. And these are both conveyed through deep and meaningful stories. I was appreciative of hearing from this ‘stranger’ and walked back into my session wishing there was an effective mechanism that would allow me to hear more from veterans like him.
– Christian Anschuetz
