The Villanova men's basketball team has had an incredible run recently winning two national championships in three years. How did they do it?

“After we won in 2016, the goal wasn’t to win another [national title]. The goal was to keep our culture strong. We knew that for us, that was the best chance of winning it again.” - Jay Wright, Villanova Men's Basketball Head Coach

Jay Wright knew he had to keep the culture strong. It wasn’t better shooting, better rebounding, or faster players. He knew that a strong culture would be the difference-maker in winning a national championship. I think he was onto something. The most common denominator among successful organizations and businesses is a strong culture. Many might think it would be having the highest performing person or focusing on the amount of revenue or work hours. But the best leaders understand that a strong culture is the key to moving an organization to a place that it couldn't reach otherwise.

Leaders in successful organizations do two things really well:

They live their culture every day. It is a part of who they are when they get work, in the midst of work, and when they leave. It's something that happens every day.
They communicate their culture in a variety of ways. Culture is not just what comes out of your mouth. It's the actions that you display with your employees, it’s the way that you care for them, it's the way you invest in them, and it's the way your body language reveals itself.

Here is one tip: if you have people following you, they should know that you would never ask them to do something that you would not be willing to do first. It does not mean that you should do it, but that you would be willing to do it. That is how a good leader reflects culture day in and day out.

What surprises me?

After years of conversations and research with organizations, here's what surprises me: most of the people in an organization have no idea how to describe the culture that they are in. They have no idea what the mission statement is. They have no idea what the vision is or where the organization is headed. That is an issue. As leaders, it is our job to understand that our culture matters and communicate it well to our employees.

So, why does culture matter?

Here are four things that will help you to understand how culture is an important part of your organization and how to implement it.

1. A strong culture correlates with performance.

If you are trying to increase your team and organization’s performance, start with culture. Start doing things with your team – offer them lunch, show them you care, or extend an invitation to talk and see what they think is good about the organization and the direction that you should go.

2. A strong culture is the ultimate competitive advantage and hard to copy.

If you're looking for ways to grow and strengthen your organization – to take your team and your staff to another level – the best investment you can make is in the culture of the organization, of your people, and the people that follow you.

3. A strong culture finds unique and creative ways to innovate and succeed. It is your secret sauce.

What is your secret sauce? At Chick-fil-A, they often say, “My pleasure.” Maybe for a church it is the way that you greet and care for somebody in those first few weeks they attend. Or it might be the way that a client feels about the way that you have cared about them. Or in a business, it might be the way that an employee feels about you. These build culture.

4. A strong culture deepens relationships between people working together.

If you want a strong culture, your people matter most. Care about them. Invest in them. Make them feel like they are an integral part of your organization, and you will see incredible results. That's a strong culture.

“The bottom line for leaders is if they do not become conscious of the cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them. Cultural understanding is desirable for all of us, but it is essential to leaders if they are to lead.” - Edgar Schein

As you think about your organization, ask yourself, “How can I be in charge, if I am not in control?” And I don’t mean “in control” negatively, I mean that you are the one that is influencing, creating, managing, and ensuring that the culture that you want, a strong culture, is what you are working towards.

Billy Dunn is a Senior Consultant at The Center Consulting Group and has over 20 years of church and nonprofit leadership experience. He serves as the Character Coach for the Lehigh University Men’s Basketball team and the Director of Ministry Leadership for Word FM. Billy has assisted with the launch of a number of nonprofit organizations and has worked with organizations and ministries across the world. Billy has an M.S. in Organizational Leadership and brings experience in the areas of leading change, leadership coaching, resource development, church growth planning, and strategic thinking and planning.