We know that strong, positive organizational cultures lead to success. Kyle McDowell believes corporate culture is broken due to decreasing engagement, apathy, bureaucracy, and inauthenticity. He shares with Kevin that cultures of excellence should be based on guiding principles; the truths everyone in the organization aligns with. His 10 principles start with “we” to emphasize responsibility and involvement from the entire team.

Key Points

• Kyle McDowell defines a culture of excellence. 
• He discusses his 10 principles to excellence including: WE1 – We do the right things. Always. WE4 – We take action. WE7 – We measure ourselves by outcomes, not activity.

Meet Kyle

• Name: Kyle McDowell 
• His Story: Kyle McDowell is the author of Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence. For nearly three decades, McDowell has amassed an impressive track record of delivering business results while leading tens of thousands of employees at some of America’s largest corporations, including United Health Group, CVS Health, and Bank of America.
• Worth Mentioning: He founded Kyle McDowell Inc., a global leadership and cultural transformation firm committed to developing authentic and courageous leaders who want to cultivate a better, WE-oriented, work life. He is regularly invited to speak at business, educational, and nonprofit institutions and events. He has been featured in major national publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. McDowell holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
• https://kylemcdowellinc.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemcdowellinc/
• https://instagram.com/kylemcdowellinc/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1aVoHvcddsahSOST9YmA6A
• https://www.facebook.com/KyleMcDowellInc

This episode is brought to you by...

The Long-Distance Team. Remote leadership experts, Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel, help leaders navigate the new world of remote and hybrid teams to design the culture they desire for their teams and organizations in their new book!

Book Recommendations

• Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence by Kyle McDowell
• Meditations: A New Translation by Marcus Aurelius (Author), Gregory Hays (Translator)
• The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by James W. Pennebaker

Related Episodes

• A Culture of Servant Leadership with Mark Deterding
• Culture and Values with Joe Tye
• Building a Powerful Culture with Patty McCord
• The Excellence Dividend with Tom Peters
• A Guide to Excellence with Tom Peters