Culture - Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything - page 95

The audience was confused. Usually, new CEOs explained how they would lower costs, avoid
taxes, and boost profits, but O'Neil talked only about safety. After the speech, financial advisors
told clients to dump the stock. And initially, employees didn't get on board either. They had all
learned not to trust the words of executives. Then, six months into his tenure, O'Neil got a call in
the middle of the night. A new hire had been killed while repairing a machine. The next day,
after due diligence, O'Neil gathered all the plant executives and Alcoa's top officers, and he gave
another speech.
We killed this man. It's my failure of leadership. I caused his death. And it's the failure of all of you in the
chain of command. cxxvi
O'Neil assumed responsibility for the incident and presented a plan to make sure it never
happened again. He invited people of all ranks to contact him directly about safety, and when
they did, he made sure the problems got fixed. Employees began to believe in the mission, and
the culture steadily transformed. Soon Alcoa became the safest company in America. And its
profits and market capitalization hit record highs. Safety turned out to be a keystone habit that
started a chain reaction, but it took an act of leadership to write the story that made the people
believe.
The folk singer and activist Pete Seeger is another leader who knew how to walk the talk. He
didn't just sing in support of freedom. In 1955, when subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-
American Activities Committee , Seeger refused to answer their questions and was cited for con-
tempt and sentenced to a year in jail. And he didn't just preach environmentalism but lived it, as
the blues guitarist Guy Davis recalls in a story.
We were driving back from Amherst to an afternoon gig in Poughkeepsie. We had an hour to kill. We
took a rest at this little walkway mall to take a nap, and we leaned our backs against a fountain. It was
about ten feet in diameter with a brick wall. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. The next thing I know, I
heard some splashing. I opened my eyes up, turned around, there's Pete with his pants rolled up in the
water picking the garbage out of the fountain, and he's got these kids helping him, and I said to myself
“this man is no hypocrite.” cxxvii
There's a similar story about the Ann Arbor District Library . The director, Josie Parker, assumed
leadership in the wake of a scandal. The former finance director had been found guilty of fraud.
To regain the trust of the community, Josie set out to build “a culture of generosity.” In time, her
efforts became visible on all levels, from the forgiveness of fines to construction of new branch
libraries which are among the most beautiful buildings in town. One day, during the holiday
season, Josie was volunteering at a bookstore, wrapping gifts to raise money for charity. People
had been generous that day, and the donation jar was filled with dollars and change. Suddenly a
man grabbed the jar and ran for the door. Josie chased and tackled him, fracturing her leg in the
process. The thief escaped empty-handed, and the story made national news with a headline of
“the librarian who saved Christmas.”
Each of these three leaders embodied their values and inspired people to tell their story. A com-
pelling vision isn't enough. Actions and words must fit. We withhold belief in the absence of be-
havior. But since only a few may witness the original act, it must be sufficiently interesting to be
shared widely. In short, to change a culture, you must change the story.