Culture is Core: Coach K, Cotopaxi, and Bridgewater

Clear values, accepted norms, and the shared beliefs by which individuals and groups operate is culture. Oftentimes culture is nothing more than a set of values on a powerpoint slide that fail to guide an organization. We believe that culture must serve as the nucleus of an organization. It needs to be incorporated into critical strategic decisions, impact the internal systems and designs, and achieve team member alignment and buy-in, which creates a self-reinforcing cycle, further strengthening the culture.  

I have witnessed many excellent examples of this in my personal and professional life. There are three that specifically bring to life this important cycle: my tenure at Bridgewater, my experience as a Cotopaxi customer and brand admirer, and my observations of Coaching legend Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K).

Under Coach K cultural norms and behaviors created buy-in and alignment, driving actions that led to cohesive, winning teams.

I’ve always loved observing Coach K and paying specific attention to how players respond to him and to one another. In 2019, I attended a Duke vs. Boston College (BC) game primarily to observe him as a coach. Duke came out slow, trailing BC; Coach K called timeout. In the huddle he engaged the team with exceptional intensity. The response from the team? No surprised reactions, no shift in body language, no one was triggered, no one defeated or distracted. The team focused on the message and  absorbed what was being asked, if not demanded, of them. The point is not to condone this type of in-the-moment leadership as “right,” but instead that the team’s reaction points to a unique degree of buy-in, alignment, and safety. They were clear on the expected behaviors, first principles, and intent of their leader.

Years prior to this game, Coach K was brought on to lead Team USA. There was one goal: return the gold medal to the U.S. after a disappointing Olympics in ‘04. The recent Netflix documentary “Redeem Team” features the central role he played in this pursuit. Early in the four-year journey his coaching involved discussions around service, bringing in veterans and first responders to emphasize the importance of a team-first mentality and the need to focus on something much larger than any one individual. Coach K asked that they “put individual egos under one ego umbrella” in service to their primary goal for the country at large. 

It started with a leader relying on clear values to achieve alignment, and ended with each player placing their gold medal around Coach K’s neck following the medal ceremony. That alone tells me what I need to know: these superstars bought into the values espoused by their leader that ultimately led to gold. 

Whether coaching young stars at Duke or superstars in the Olympics, he has always placed tremendous attention on fostering buy-in and alignment amongst his players and team personnel in a way that is consistent with a core philosophy and set of values. 

What type of team member cultural buy-in and alignment do you see in your company? Do team members become inspired and motivated to drive better results or do they show defensive, protective behaviors?

At Cotopaxi core values determine what’s important and, in turn, shape strategic decisions. 

Founded in 2014, Cotopaxi quickly shook up the outdoor clothing industry with their bright colors and bold social justice goals. Their ethos of promoting sustainability, poverty reduction, carbon neutrality, and refugee support exists not just within their company, but also drives interactions with customers. A culture of global oneness and wholeness is woven into every strategic decision.

Following the unsuccessful withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan, I wrestled with the implications this had for my service there. Just after the withdrawal, I received an order from Cotopaxi that included a personal, signed card by an employee from their refugee employment program. The card included a note from an Afghan refugee in Pashto, and had such an impact on me that it still sits on my desk today. It is both a reminder of one reason why we were there and also what it means to align decisions with stated core values. The card didn’t just magically find its way into an order; it stemmed from a leadership decision to invest the time and effort. 

The Cotopaxi culture unites what they say with what they do, it lives in their actions and strategic decisions: combining aims of fashion, the outdoors, environmental responsibility, sustainability, and social justice. In these ways, Cotopaxi has enabled their values and beliefs to drive strategic decisions that reinforce and build an authentic values-based brand. 

How does your company’s stated values show-up in strategic decisions? Are there places where your strategic decisions conflict with the organization’s values?

Culture drives an organization’s systems and design, further strengthening the culture.

I saw firsthand how culture shapes the internal systems of an organization creating a self-reinforcing loop during my tenure at Bridgewater Associates. The culture was present in all aspects of Bridgewater day-to-day operations, which sent a critical signal to the community about its salient role.

During my tenure, Bridgewater emphasized its culture day-in and day-out. It was a constant, embedded in and guiding everything from hiring practices to team member interactions to performance assessments. The very first interview candidates received were culture assessments that assess values alignment before other elements were even considered. Significant resources, time, and attention were spent diagnosing issues led by team members trained in the Bridgewster diagnosis process. Performance reviews incorporated culture alignment as a core component. Professionally, it was also the closest thing I saw to a honor code since my time as a cadet at West Point. The list goes on.

From the ground up, the culture guided the shape and form of its internal systems and designs. The values (“principles”) were alive in a way that further reinforced the cultural foundation.

How does culture influence the internal processes and systems, and how do those systems reinforce and strengthen the existing culture?

It doesn’t require being Coach K, winning Olympic gold, building a refugee employment model, or the relentless Bridgewater approach, but it does require the commitment of a leader and their team to place culture at the core of your community, and to consciously apply those values over time and across your business. This is where and how culture is built, where it comes to life. I’ve observed, in part through these examples, how it creates a self-reinforcing and self-strengthening cycle over time. Coach K, Cotopaxi, and Bridgewater are just a small subset of my first hand experiences where I saw this cycle come to life. What are your examples, and does your organization serve as an example in any of these areas?