Earlier this week I attended an elementary school ceremony welcoming a new principal to the school. Over the past five years, I’ve spent a significant amount of time volunteering at the school and have developed relationships with both the students and the administration. In addition to personal time, I’ve helped develop programs involving our company that drives most of our employee base into the school for programs that help student improve literacy rates, so this was kind of a big deal.

While I hate to see the current principal leave, I recognize that change happens. Walking into this new unknown, I was anxious to hear from the school’s new leader how receptive she’d be to the business partner community. The next 30 minutes were as good as any 30 minutes I’ve spent in the school. It wasn’t because she gave us a snapshot of her background or because she spoke about her intent to embrace outside partners in the school, but because her introductory speech was solely based on culture. It was not about the culture she wants to build inside the school by virtue of what she thinks is right but rather the culture of the community she serves and the effort it takes to integrate that culture into her environment. This principal is a service-minded leader who views her job as embracing the world around her and using it to positively influence the students that she supports.

At home, in schools, religious environments, with friends and family, or in businesses small and large, the story should remain the same. Culture has the strongest influence. Build a great one and things will be great. Create a bad one and you set yourself up for problems.

My grandmother used to tell me “Hang around 5 successful people and you’ll become the 6th. Hang out with 5 idiots, and… you get the point.”