In a recent Fast Company article, Ameesh Divatia, co-founder and CEO of tech company Baffle Inc., talks about the values that drive his company’s culture, referring to them as the “Four I’s”: instinct, integrity, intensity and inclusion.
Divatia shares the following ways companies can cultivate these leadership values.
- Instinct: It is crucial for business leaders to hone their instincts so they can anticipate potential problems. Developing these instincts requires time, and leaders will experience successes and failures as the result of their decisions. You need to be able to ask difficult questions and not fear the answers so you can gain meaningful insights and strengthen your decision-making abilities.
- Integrity: Leaders must uphold a high level of integrity to maintain trust with customers and team members. It is crucial to surround yourself with people who hold similar values and keep others accountable. Additionally, leaders always should stay open to criticism; for example, you could ask every customer how his or her experience could have been better.
- Intensity: Leaders need an intense sense of passion, urgency and accountability to drive the company’s mission, which can be hard to sustain through the years. It is important for leaders to continue to challenge their teams to keep them engaged—without overextending them. Stay curious and open to new opportunities and look for inspiration from customers who are thriving because of your company’s solutions.
- Inclusion: Hiring people with similar backgrounds limits companies to linear growth, while hiring from diverse backgrounds allows for exponential growth. Inclusion allows for diversity of thought and pushing boundaries. It also is important to engage with the larger community to gain perspectives regarding the types of challenges they face and how your company can help.
