Our usual Friday morning workout instructor is on holiday for a month. The first sign that something has changed in his absence is a drop in the number of people who attend. The time slot is the same. The workout is identical. But fewer people are motivated to come.

We’re not just getting up early on Friday to build muscles or get fitter—we’re there for the feeling we get from working out together. The leader sets the tone. In the beginning, he is responsible for the energy in the room. The way he shows up changes how we respond and what happens next.

How we go about our work can have as much impact on our results as the work itself. Our culture is changed not only because of what we do but because of the way we do it. Culture is born when someone shows up authentically as only he or she can, leaving his or her mark on the work and encouraging other people to do the same.

The who and the how have the power to define the what.

Image by Eli Christman