Scaling Company Culture – Six Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Culture is a dynamic amplifier of business strategy

Out of the Box/Stocksy

Growth strategies are everywhere, but scaling culture? Thatʼs the chapter most companies forget to write. Google “how to scale a business,ˮ and youʼll drown in advice about strategy, business models, and operations – but barely a mention of scaling culture. Let's fix that.

We pay lip service to culture while neglecting it in practice. The popular saying “culture eats strategy for breakfastˮ (which Peter Drucker never said) promotes a dangerous misconception. Culture doesnʼt compete with strategy – it amplifies it.

When aligned with sound strategy, culture accelerates success. Yet, without a viable business model or product, even the strongest culture can't save a company.

Microsoftʼs culture transformation proves why culture and strategy must have lunch together. In 2014, Satya Nadella took over an organization trapped in bureaucracy and internal competition, far from its innovative roots. He ensured that culture and strategy should work in tandem, not compete.

The …