What You Do Is Who You Are
by Ben Horowitz
Horowitz draws culture lessons from Toussaint Louverture, the samurai, Genghis Khan and a prison gang leader: culture is what people do when no one is watching, shocking rules make values memorable, and leaders must embody what they ask. It is unusual and more useful than most culture books.
Read it if…
you want to shape culture deliberately and want historical examples.
Skip it if…
you want a framework; it is case-driven.
Three things you will actually use
- Culture is behavior, not slogans.
- Shocking rules get remembered and discussed.
- Walk the talk or the talk is noise.
Do this first
Identify one shocking rule that would make a core value unmistakable, and consider it.
Our verdict
Unusual and useful.
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