Pixar’s focus on culture reminds us of how explicitly an organization’s structures and activities can impact its behaviors and attitudes and the significant role company values play in driving employee engagement. A great read for those that are looking to better understand the power of culture and reconcile the mindful effort it takes to cultivate and sustain – even among an employee pool of high performers. Unsure about how much time should be dedicated to building a high performing culture?

Ed Catmull, cofounder and president of Pixar Animation Studios and president of Walt Disney Studios, is pretty clear:

“Figuring out how to build a sustainable creative culture—one that didn’t just pay lip service to the importance of things like honesty, excellence, communication, originality, and self-assessment but was really committed to them, no matter how uncomfortable that became—wasn’t a singular assignment. It was a day-in, day-out full-time job.”