It's a priority to have a clear philosophy, consistent culture, and responsible identity.
Excerpts:
- No politics – Give credit where credit is due. Be genuine about it.
- Alignment – Everyone is on the same page. Strategy is clear. Like a well-tuned sports team, people all work toward the same goal vs. individual heroism.
- Good communication – Even in bad times, communication remains strong; over-communication is even more critical in times of difficulty (i.e., an executive leaves, a key client departs, company is hacked)
- Integrity – Great companies have an internal sense of doing things the right way. They spend the extra effort to create value that will outlast their own job or time at the company (i.e., documenting code).
Core concept the AWES acronym: ability, work ethic, selflessness.