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By: Michael Leahy, CEO
A strong corporate culture is not something that can be built overnight. Developing corporate culture requires strong leadership and employee buy-in. Strong leadership is necessary to communicate the vision of the organization’s core values and identity and inspire engagement with this vision. Effective communication and engagement with employees should coexist with the effort towards strengthening the organization’s culture. In turn, culture will define the people and the work they do every day — fueling organizations as they grow and face new challenges.
In this article, you will find:
Testimony to the influence of culture and power of team
The intrinsic link between a strong culture and innovation
How our team is creating a more fruitful life for everyone
At Leahy-IFP, we have engaged in a transformative process resulting in a thriving culture — one that is rooted in core values which all drive towards fulfilling our purpose to “creating a more fruitful life for everyone”.
The past year has made it clear why culture matters. The pandemic continues to pose complex challenges for the company and our industry. However, it was our employees who rose to the occasion despite facing personal and at-home work challenges. They answered the call, finding new ways to continue to create value in such a lopsided and confusing environment. Remote working environments led to new ways to communicate, with the team viewing the challenges they faced as opportunities to forge a new path to success versus succumbing to the barriers that precluded them from achieving their goals.
The emergence of a strained supply chain pushed the team to look for new ways to secure products and ensure continued production for all our customers — creating new ways to innovate when communication lines and face-to-face engagement are limited. The team also found new ways to enhance the ideation process and continue to deliver dynamic, innovative solutions for our industry. These are just a few examples of the power of our culture that has pushed our teams to collaborate in new ways, troubleshoot, and work towards solving the challenges at hand.
Leahy-IFP recognizes that our number one asset is our team. When our team is engaged, it translates into success — success for our customers, our partners, and our employees. Without the foundation of a strong culture, the resulting activities would be just that…“activity”. Our actions have purpose, our team’s energy is infectious, and most importantly, even through the most challenging times, our employees are smiling.
The importance of culture can’t be emphasized enough. When things are running smoothly, culture is a powerful force that continues to drive the team to innovate and reach for new heights. During times of unprecedented challenges, as we have witnessed for almost two years now, a strong culture is the critical component to whether your organization can adapt and persevere. When a strong culture supports its employees, they will rise to the challenge and operate at new levels of performance.
Creating a strong culture is a journey, not a destination; you may not get everything right, but continued focus, investment, and engagement will lead to continued progress. Leahy-IFP continues to adapt and refocus our efforts for 2022, our foundation and our belief in “creating a more fruitful life for everyone” to position us for future growth and success — and to keep us smiling!
Wishing you all happy holidays and a safe and fruitful new year!
