In The Culture Code, author Daniel Coyle explains the factors that enable powerful group cultures to accomplish amazing things. The book is structured around the three skills that successful groups master: Building Safety (generating bonds of belonging and identity), Sharing Vulnerability (learning habits of mutual risk that drive trusting cooperation), and Establishing Purpose (creating shared goals and values). Throughout, the author uses stories from specific high performing groups (Navy SEALS, Pixar, Google, WIPRO, the San Antonio Spurs, Zappos, KIPP Infinity charter school, Gramercy Tavern, the Upright Citizens Band, IDEO, Bell Labs, and others) to uncover the ways in which these teams developed these skills and then generalizes those observations into approaches organizations can take to similarly gain these skills.
The Culture Code is one of those books that’s is rich in storytelling which leads to deep lessons. While culture is notoriously difficult to change, the author represents the building blocks of healthy culture as skills that can be learned. He provides practical guidance for specific things that can be changed to instill safety, vulnerability, and purpose into how organizations operate. If you are starting a new company, or if you desire to improve the health of your organization, The Culture Code can provide insights and instructions to help you.