High-Performance Culture

Why more and more CEOs are putting it on their agenda—and how teams are successfully bringing it to life

CEOs have never been under more pressure than they are now—and it has never been more important to grapple with the pursuit of high performance. Executives usually focus on achieving it through organizational structure by setting up efficiency programs, reorganizations, strategy papers, and action plans. In doing so, they often neglect to look at the culture—i.e., the principles and values that undergird the company. The oft-cited line from Peter F. Drucker sums it up: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

But in fact, the topic of high-performance culture is increasingly becoming the focus in boardrooms. Readers of this strategy paper will learn what characterizes a high-performance culture, how top managers and their teams can cultivate it, the success factors that underlie it, and the best practices that exist.