Super Bowl Champ Turned CEO Whisperer
Ben Utecht's whole case is that you already have a culture. You either designed it or it drifted into a copy of your habits. This worksheet is where you find out which one you're running, and name the first pebble you can toss this week. Utecht calls culture a pebble game: simple, profound practices compounding over time. You don't need a 32-page creed today. You need one honest look and one small move.
▶ Watch the full episode with Ben Utecht for deeper context on how to approach these questionsBy Design Or Default
Be honest. Is your culture something you built on purpose, or is it just a reflection of your most consistent behaviors as the leader? Write down the three behaviors your team actually sees from you most weeks, and ask whether that's the culture you'd choose.
The Gap They Feel
What does your website or your pitch promise about how you treat people, and where does the day-to-day fall short of it? That gap is what Utecht says people name as hypocrisy before they leave.
Let Go Of The Ball
Name one thing that still runs through you that absolutely shouldn't. What belief about trust or control is keeping it on your desk, and who could you hand it to if you decided to let go of the ball?
Define One Value For Real
Pick one core value. Now do what Utecht does with leadership teams: write what it actually means, why it matters in the work, and one concrete example of practicing it in a specific role. If you can't, your team can't either.
The First Pebble
What's the smallest culture move you could make this week? Either go define your culture more deeply than words on an About page, or name one person already on your team who could become its champion. Write the name or the first step.