Entropy, Thermodynamics & Organizational Culture

Did you ever think that you would have to be a rocket scientist to be able to understand how to lead in today’s world? No? Me neither, but here we are…

The second law of thermodynamics states that isolated systems gravitate towards thermodynamic equilibrium, also known as a state of maximum entropy, or disorder.

We know this to be true, so why do we as leaders assume that once we get to a certain point, our “culture” is built and self-sustaining? The trap that we always want to fall into is that it is something that can be checked off a To-Do list.

But with that approach, our culture will ebb and flow in unhealthy ways that will create distrust and anxiety throughout our organization and decrease our ability to retain our best people. Statistically, companies with great cultures where people love to work have a growth rate around 15% higher than the average.

So if you could engage in something every day that would ensure your company that kind of success, would you risk making it a part of a To-Do list or would you focus serious energy and resources on it?

Working to create a great culture is no longer the baseline for success. Failing to actively invest in a great culture and then intentionally maintaining it is.

A phenomenal way to do that is to invest in great training for your team that ladders up to organizational goals and gets people out of their comfort zones to create real relationships and trust.

Culture starts with you, wherever you are in the organization, you can choose to impact the culture either positively or negatively. The law of entropy will always be pulling at it, but you have choices in how to deal with it, and the monetary and personal results of what your choice should be are fairly clear.